Railroad ties cost a fortune - there is no such thing as gratis for those around here.
heck even pallets cost money - I'm surprised they didn't ask for a deposit or return for the ones they put down when they delivered the roof shingles last week.
Well that's too bad. People can't wait to get rid of them around here. We have pallets out the wazoo that came with building materials or the guy at the Farmer's Market told me it was okay to take them home.