Axe tie
[clarification needed] The early railways would not accept ties cut with a saw, as it was claimed that the kerf of the saw splintered the fibres of the wood, leaving them more likely to soak up moisture causing premature rot.Next came scoring which is chopping, by eye without a chalk line, of notches to remove extra wood about every 10 inches (250 mm); hewing the trunks only on two sides unless the log was over 11 inches (280 mm) in diameter; bucking (cutting to in this case 8 ft or 2.4 m); peeling any remaining bark off; and stacking the ties so a chain can be wrapped around them.Scaling was the key event where a railroad inspector accepted or culled (rejected) and graded each tie as a number one (7 by 9 in or 180 by 230 mm used for the main railroad lines) or number two (6 by 6 in or 150 by 150 mm used for sidings).In northern regions where jack pine was plentiful, that species became a more common source for railway ties.Jack pine ties did not last as long as cedar or tamarack (lying on the ground), but were cheaper to produce.