Once I buy a private car, such as this one, where can I store it? I know that Amtrak charges exactly $2,625 per month to store it at a terminal such as Chicago, and a lot of people say that you would be better off buying your own private rail siding, but to me that sounds more expensive. What would be the cheapest way of storing a railcar? If building a siding is the cheapest, then how much would it cost to build a siding track big enough to fit a passenger car?
Amtrak’s Private Car Tariff states that it costs $2.75 to ship one car per mile of track. It also states that there is a minnimum charge of $1,315. Does this mean that Amtrak will charge me $1,315 when I run my railcar one way, or on a round trip?
Lets say I store my railcar along one of amtrak’s routes. Can my car be added to an amtrak train at a non-major terminal area such as Ottumwa, Iowa? If so, does Amtrak asses another fee to pick up/set out my railcar? Or can cars only be put on and taken off at terminals such as Chicago an Milwaukee?
You should go to the AAPRCO website and get the advice you seek from those who own private cars that are Amtrak certified. These owners are usually very helpful, and perhaps some are familiar with the car you arew looking at.
I believe you’ll find that the places where your car could be added or removed are limited. If you store your car elsewhere, it will be moved as an unoccupied freight move to such a point.
This is one of the issues we would have to overcome if the Adirondack Scenic were to offer to haul private cars on our line. At present there is no means to drop a private car off an Amtrak train at Utica, or to put one back on, for that matter. The only other option would be to have the car moved as freight from somewhere the car could be added or taken off.
A private railroad car is also much more visible and ostentatious than a private jet. Everybody is going to see your private car on the rear of the train as you arrive at Chicago Union Station but very few will get to see your private jet taxi up to the facility on the Central Avenue side of Midway Airport (away from the main terminal).
In order to build a siding you have to own property. The track is cheap. The expensive part is a switch. Its really expensive to add a switch in a signalled main track (over $100,000), but no class 1 will let you build a business car spur off a main track. Cheapest, lease an existing track (don’t forget about maintenance on the track).
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Amtrak’s Private Car Tariff states that it costs $2.75 to ship one car per mile of track. It also states that there is a minnimum charge of
So if I won the lottery in addition to the car(s) could I also get my own locomotive and have the various railroads Provide the crews? I would get a custOmized two car DmU.