Abstract: A railroad crosstie comprising a laminated plurality of strips of a flexible polymeric material, preferably plies cut from rubber tire casings. The plies are glued together, preferably under pressure, to form a tie-shaped entity having any desired dimensions, for example, 9 inches wide by 7 inches high by 8.5 feet long. A T-shaped metal reinforcing spine is contained longitudinally within the laminated strips, the spine having both horizontally- and vertically-oriented load-bearing elements. Preferably, the laminated plies and the metal spine are bound together by a plurality of bailing straps. The crosstie further comprises a weather-resistant covering that preferably includes a heat-dispersing element such as ground glass or ceramic.