I’m doing a report for English concerning steam locomotives in the modern day world. To compare costs, I would like know the prices of a few modern day diesel locomotives.
If anyone could rattle off some prices of locomotives such as the GE AC4400CW, SD70ACe, and others similar to these in time frame, it would be greatly appreciated.
Roughly 1.7M for a DC and 2.3M for an AC
don’t forget the add on’s like pin striping and extra cupholders! LOL…
Them rear view mirrors aren’t cheap either…
I think what would be more important to you’re report would be the difference in operating costs and effecency. Read an article about Soo lines manitwoc line and the old timers quoted in there said that if a disel came in on the local they would use that and park they’re steamer because the disel had better adhesion etc.
Tormadel is correct- while steam locomotives had an initial low purchase cost, the operating costs were high. Diesels were initially the other way around- high front end purchase cost, low maintenance.
I read somewhere that a standard main shop for steamers could employ up to a couple of thousand people and might be found in nearly every big city. Diesels pretty much wiped out the work force of specialists… not that the maintenance folks are any less skilled now, just that there are fewer of them.
Erik
Does EMD take a check?
I remember reading somewhere recently for a brand new barebones 6 axle AC powered locomotive it costs around 2 million dollars a little less for a DC powered one.
To those of concern, I do have information regarding the maintenance cost and efficiency, although it wouldn’t hurt if I had some more. But I do need the initial cost as well, for a comparison as to how much a steam locomotive would have to be priced for optimum competition.
Thanks guys.[8D]
Couldn’t you just email GE or EMD? I know EMD has a toll-free number and I think GE might too if you’d prefer a call. I bet they’d not complain about helping someone like that.
Well, take this with a Grain of salt as I’m drawing information from Railroad tycoon. A brand new pacific (4-6-2) steamer was $190,000 a GP35 was $450,000, an F45 was $425,000 (yeah i have a problem believeing a cowled SD45 would be cheaper then a geep too). An A&B set of F3’s was $230,000, a GP9 was $200,000. A Northern (4-8-4) steamer was $280.000 a 2-8-0 consolidation was $120,000 a 4-4-2 atlantic was $90,000.
Now once again, I have not been able to get any historical hard facts. And the makers of the game may have taken creative license with the numbers in the name of game balance. But it’s something.
I think your diesel prices are a bit too high. A GP38 in the late 60s was <$200,000.
Could be, like I said I’m drawing this from a computer game as I don’t have any real world facts.
In the late 80s an SD40-2 went for $1.3M.