If one were to buy an actual 1:1 scale diesel locomotive, what would one expect to pay?
I am just curious about the ballpark price for a new Loco.
I beleive an operable SD40-2 goes for about $300,000. That would be a second hand loco. A new locomotive from GE or EMD goes for around $2 million.
If you just want a display loco (i.e. not operating) then you could probably get it for a lot less.
Just my [2c]
WC got there SD45s dirt cheap. I don’t want to say the price as I am most likely wrong. If my father is right they got 10 for around a million. Which is 100,000 each. Don’t take my word for it though. It’s most likely wrong. He heard this more than 10 years ago, so…
GP9 for $85K to an SD40 for $260K and I’m sure everything in between.
I suspect that buying a full-size locomotive resembles buying an elephant…
You don’t just plunk down a check and buy it. Now you have to buy fuel, lube oil, other kinds of oil and grease, pay a qualified maintenance staff, pay for the use of a parking space somewhere (unless you have a paid-for siding on your property…)
Then there’s the little matter of paperwork… FRA inspections are just an opener. (When the paperwork outweighs the locomotive, they scrap the locomotive, but you still have to keep the paperwork on file.)
Bottom line? (No pun intended.) You’d better be ready to pay for the loco, and for all the support personnel, consumables etc. You’ll only need to buy the loco once, but those other expenses will keep going, and growing!!!
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
A new motor? You’re looking at a few million (2-3) for a VERY basic and generalized unit. The cost goes up as you add extra features.
You can buy used motors anywhere from 75K and up. The lower the price, the more work they need. Traction motors may have been removed, brakes may not work, the engine constantly runs to ground for no known reason, etc. For a quick and dirty “get it going now” used engine you’re looking at the ballpark for around $300,000 —> $450,000 after costs of transportation, paperwork, inspection, etc.
Costs and paper blah blah… I wont even think about diesel full at 5 bucks a gallon…
But how cool it would it be to have your engine… Ah, good dreams.
One member of our club has his own diesel engine and caboose. It’s a Plymouth switch engine that he rescued from a scrap yard and runs on his own track, around a quarter of a mile. He bought the track from an abandoned line. He has his own trucks for hauling this equipment and enough land for more trackage. We each had an opportunity to become an engineer on his line.
Recently in Sweden you could buy a steam engine for roughly 150 dollars. But you were not allowed to sell them to anyone else.
http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article1715910.ab
Magnus
YouTube is down at the moment, but on there is the gentleman whose group now owns at least one of the E units that’s in the New York Central gray “Lightning Stripe” scheme.
http://youtube.com/comment_servlet?all_comments&v=bNR8dYzeCkc&fromurl=/watch%3Fv%3DbNR8dYzeCkc
You can email him or leave the question on the YouTube page as he’s good about responding. He will give some good details as to what’s involved for a person or group in buying a locomotive.
Then don’t forget the “shipping and handling”.
How cool would that be[^]
Trains magazine recently ran articles (within last 2 years) on maintaining and rebuilding a steam loco, and also ran one on rail cars expenses, which I think included diesel locos.
I think it was about $350,000 for a well used diesel.
I will have to see if I can dig those issues out.
anybody else know to which articles I refer?
-G
All I can say is, I can’t wait to see your layout.
Why buy when you can lease “power by the hour”?