During the Civil War, Union troops under General William Tecumseh Sherman had a particularly effective way of making Southern railroads useless.

Soldiers tore up the tracks, piled the wooden railroad ties together and set them on fire. Once the rails became red-hot and softened, the men wrapped them around trees, poles, and other large objects. The twisted rails became known as “Sherman’s Neckties” or “Sherman’s Bowties”.

It wasn’t just destruction for destruction’s sake. Railroads were crucial for moving Confederate troops and supplies, and the South had limited ability to manufacture replacement rails. Twisting them instead of simply pulling them up made repairing the line considerably harder.

Basically: Civil War sabotage with a flair for presentation.