What does a New Locomotive Cost??

IC 6071 · 12-01-2005, 01:18 AM

Hi all, I was just wondering about how much a new, name brand locomotive costs. How about a new railcar? Thanks!!
-Adam

J · 12-01-2005, 01:24 AM

Locomotives have optional features so price will depend upon features, the number of units ordered and how eager the manufacturer is to make a sale. Keep in mind too that many new units are leased. For a modern 6-axle, figure on $1.5 Million or so. I suspect UP paid less when it ordered 1000 SD70Ms a few years ago!

BNSF_SD40-2B · 12-01-2005, 02:49 AM

I believe the ES44DC's that BNSF ordered were somewhere between $1.3 and $1.5 million. They got about 200 ES44DC's this year and they also got 90+ ES44AC's this year. They will be getting 30 SD70ACe's next spring, and a possible 100 after those are delivered.

bnsf sammy · 12-01-2005, 03:28 AM

This brings up an interesting question...
Lets just say you had 2 mill just laying around and you bought a new ES44DC. Would GE sell it to a regualar civilan? I'm assuming that if GE was to sell it to you, you couldn't go and run it on the BNSF mainline unless you got premission from BNSF right? So I guess if one of us was just going to buy a locomotive you would have to have your own track to run it on, or keep it in your garage.

BNSF_SD40-2B · 12-01-2005, 03:37 AM

I dont think you could buy a new GE or EMD from the company even if you had the money, but I do think you could buy a second generation locomotive for half million or less.

Slopes09 · 12-01-2005, 04:53 AM

Try looking here.
This one is only $25,000. Thats less that a car or truck nowadays. Only $5,000 more than my(or soon to be mine) '97 Ford F-150 was when we bought it. And its an ALCO.

dodi4200 · 12-01-2005, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnsf sammy

This brings up an interesting question...
Lets just say you had 2 mill just laying around and you bought a new ES44DC. Would GE sell it to a regualar civilan? I'm assuming that if GE was to sell it to you, you couldn't go and run it on the BNSF mainline unless you got premission from BNSF right? So I guess if one of us was just going to buy a locomotive you would have to have your own track to run it on, or keep it in your garage.

i think that you can buy EMD or GE loco.
but i think that if you wanna to run it on bnsf line or any line at first you should get apermission then i think that you sould pay to the company as you are using thier line and run your loco on it.also i think that they may restrict you by limitted time as they should at first run thier trains.

hoydie17 · 12-01-2005, 12:09 PM

You could probably buy it, but the problem comes about is where are you going to put it?

GE/EMD aren't going to let it occupy their shop track for months. And any RR you choose to have it delivered your way isn't going to let it stay in their yard for months either.

You'd have to get a siding built somewhere, with host RR concurrence big enough to hold the engine. Or maybe you could lease it to a RR, but If I'm paying 2M for a loco, I'm not going to hand it over to a RR to be abused.

Sure, you could buy it, it's just a matter of what happens after you buy it. Big business will take any money you hand them.

Sean

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnsf sammy

This brings up an interesting question...
Lets just say you had 2 mill just laying around and you bought a new ES44DC. Would GE sell it to a regualar civilan? I'm assuming that if GE was to sell it to you, you couldn't go and run it on the BNSF mainline unless you got premission from BNSF right? So I guess if one of us was just going to buy a locomotive you would have to have your own track to run it on, or keep it in your garage.

Ru1056 · 12-01-2005, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnsf sammy

This brings up an interesting question...
Lets just say you had 2 mill just laying around and you bought a new ES44DC. Would GE sell it to a regualar civilan? I'm assuming that if GE was to sell it to you, you couldn't go and run it on the BNSF mainline unless you got premission from BNSF right? So I guess if one of us was just going to buy a locomotive you would have to have your own track to run it on, or keep it in your garage.

And you figure in transportation and storage costs more $$$$$.

If I had that kind of money, well, you wouldn't see me buying locomotives thats for sure.

busyEMT · 12-01-2005, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnsf sammy

So I guess if one of us was just going to buy a locomotive you would have to have your own track to run it on, or keep it in your garage.

My wife poo-poo'd the idea of a snowblower for my humble urban plot. I wonder if she would let me get a GE 70 tonner to run up and down the backyard to take out the garbage more often?!?

I have wondered what it would cost to buy a boxcar and lease it to a railroad.

WC_SD45Q · 12-01-2005, 03:10 PM

1.5 to 2.0 million depending on the order size. Now if you are looking for a deal you can pick up locomotive for as little as $5000.00 When the CN auctioned off some of their older power a Homewood a couple years ago, some of the units were going for as little as that, and they ran. When the WC bought their original SD45's they picked them up of $50,000. SD40-2's were going for $500,000 at that time - 1987. No you can pick up a SD40-2 for $100,000 to $250,000.

Steve

Quote:

Originally Posted by unionpacificfreak

Hi all, I was just wondering about how much a new, name brand locomotive costs. How about a new railcar? Thanks!!
-Adam

Frederick · 12-01-2005, 09:27 PM

You'd spend tens of thousands of dollars on fuel, however. And it would be costly to maintain.

bnsf sammy · 12-02-2005, 02:13 AM

Yes but you have to remember that buying a locomotive or a railcar is a money making item. The money that you bring in from that can cover the maintence.

BNSF_SD40-2B · 12-02-2005, 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnsf sammy

Yes but you have to remember that buying a locomotive or a railcar is a money making item. The money that you bring in from that can cover the maintence.

Yes that is IF you owned a railroad, but were talkin' about a personal purchase(if it could happen)

E.M. Bell · 12-02-2005, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slopes09

Try looking here.
This one is only $25,000. Thats less that a car or truck nowadays. Only $5,000 more than my(or soon to be mine) '97 Ford F-150 was when we bought it. And its an ALCO.

25K for that unit is not really a bargin for one reason, and it says it right on there...Friction Bearings. No class 1 would touch that thing or move it on its own wheels. You would be looking at swapping trucks or having rollers pressed on the existing axles (exspensive shop jobs) or trucking it out...not to mention inspections, COTS dates ect.... add 15 or 20k more to that price just to move it..

Frederick · 12-02-2005, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnsf sammy

Yes but you have to remember that buying a locomotive or a railcar is a money making item. The money that you bring in from that can cover the maintence.

It wouldn't be money making if you owned it. That's what I was infering. Not that anyone would.

Slopes09 · 12-03-2005, 02:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E.M. Bell

25K for that unit is not really a bargin for one reason, and it says it right on there...Friction Bearings. No class 1 would touch that thing or move it on its own wheels. You would be looking at swapping trucks or having rollers pressed on the existing axles (exspensive shop jobs) or trucking it out...not to mention inspections, COTS dates ect.... add 15 or 20k more to that price just to move it..

D@mn! There goes my dream of owning an Alco. Of course, there is always my college money.....