a method for restoring and reusing railroad ties and the resulting product are disclosed . according to the method , otherwise spent wooden ties are sorted as to their apparent suitability for providing a core for reuse . those found unsuitable are discarded , while those found to be suitable are milled or trimmed about their dimensions to define a suitable core . that core is banded about a transverse perimeter and then submitted to a reaction injection molding process by which urethane or other suitable polymers impregnate the various voids , holes and cracks in the core , bond with the bands , and define a finish unit having the overall size and configuration of previously known railroad ties . the encapsulated product is then capped or plugged at the ends to ensure that the resulting product is impervious to penetration by the environment .