How to get rid of tar on railway sleepers in the garden?

Wood is porous so will soak and retain the treatment that was used as preservative year on year. Tar is oilbased so will resist most spirits. You would have to use many gallons to have any effect. On the plus side, if you made raised flower beds with sleepers they will out last most of us.

I guess they had layer after layer of tar put on them and glass is right. Just buy a litre of eucalyptus

They are impregnated so you cant get rid of it, it will just seep out when it heats up.

We have just had some put around raised beds in the garden but they are new ones not really old railway sleepers, they just look like them. Glad to know I won't get this problem as we would not have known about it.Not sure how you can get rid of tar, it must be a real nuisance if it's on your steps.

Impossible! They were in the playground at a school where I worked and i got rid of them because they could not be sealed!

We have the same problem - even after 10 years. Is it possible to put a plant pot or trough on the tarry bit to stop it being walked on?

Barrels of White spirit? I think that is well nigh impossible. They were well tarred so they would last.

My daughter had to get rid of the sleepers in her garden for that reason and buy 'new' sleepers. They were so fashioable at the time but no one mentioned the way they had been treated .