Creosote Council
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    • EPA Approves Updated Creosote Labeling
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  • Railroads
    • Creosote-Treated Wood Crossties: The Backbone of North American Railroads
    • Railroads Specify Creosote for Good Reasons
  • History
    • Timeline: A History of Creosote Wood Preservation
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The Bethell Process: The Foundation of the Modern Wood Preservation Industry

The Bethell Process: The Foundation of the Modern Wood Preservation Industry

Mar 6, 2022 | Benefits & Use, History, Wood Treatment Processes

How did the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and Britain’s Industrial Revolution bring about the need for creosote-treated wood for modern infrastructure? Industrial-era wood treatment began with numerous innovations in Great Britain and took on its modern form...
The Origins of Las Vegas and Creosote-Treated Wood Go Hand in Hand

The Origins of Las Vegas and Creosote-Treated Wood Go Hand in Hand

Nov 8, 2021 | Benefits & Use, History

How did the City of Las Vegas get its start? Certainly with the help of railroad crossties that could withstand the extreme conditions of the Mojave Desert due to treatment with creosote. It’s a fascinating story that began at least 125...
How Creosote-Treated Railroad Crossties Led to Desert Railroads and the Birth of Las Vegas

How Creosote-Treated Railroad Crossties Led to Desert Railroads and the Birth of Las Vegas

Sep 14, 2021 | Benefits & Use, History, North American Expansion

Without Creosote-Treated Wood, the Development of the American West Would Have Been Different Background: Railroads and the Developing West Located just south of modern-day Los Angeles, the San Pedro harbor is emblematic of the Spanish missionary history of the United...
FAQ Video: Preserving Wood Infrastructure with Creosote

FAQ Video: Preserving Wood Infrastructure with Creosote

Aug 10, 2021 | Benefits & Use, History, Resources

Creosote has been a dependable preservative of wood infrastructure since the Industrial Revolution. Creosote-treated wood is used in many infrastructure sectors, including transportation, communications, energy, and maritime developments. Despite this widespread use,...
VIDEO: Creosote-Treated Wood Products – An Integral Part of the Nation’s Infrastructure

VIDEO: Creosote-Treated Wood Products – An Integral Part of the Nation’s Infrastructure

Mar 23, 2021 | Benefits & Use, History, Resources

Creosote-treated wood products have been a valuable part of critical infrastructure in North America. This video explains coal-tar creosote’s contribution to the longevity of wood products, its many uses, its treatments processes, and more. The Creosote Council...
History, Use & Health Effects Of Creosote: Article in RTA’s Crossties Magazine

History, Use & Health Effects Of Creosote: Article in RTA’s Crossties Magazine

Sep 1, 2020 | Benefits & Use, History, Industrial Revolution, News, North American Expansion

The Railway Tie Association’s Crossties magazine recently published the article, “History, Use & Health Effects Of Creosote” by Stephen T. Smith. The article reviews how creosote-preserved wood has been used for over 200 years, remaining an...
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Categories

  • Benefits & Use
  • History
  • Industrial Revolution
  • Legislation
  • News
  • North American Expansion
  • Regulation
  • Resources
  • Wood Treatment Processes

Recent Posts

  • How Rail Saturation Helped Launch Union Stock Yards and the American Meatpacking Industry
  • 1869: The Year a Golden Spike Kicked Off a Golden Era of Railroad Construction
  • How Desert-Proofed Crossties Shaped the United States’ Southern Border and its Future
  • How American Coal Laid the Ground-Work for the Industrial Revolution
  • How Treated Trestles Built the American Rollercoaster

Industry Links

American Wood Protection Association
Association of American Railroads
North American Wood Pole Council
Railway Tie Association
Southern Pressure Treaters Association
Treated Wood Council
Western Wood Preservers Institute
Wood Preservation Canada

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