Private Rail Cars: Resources, Operations, & Discussion

Regarding riders with high value freight shipments, some large Class 1 railroad tariffs require the shipper to furnish a vehicle for the rider if there isn't enough room in the regular locomotive consist. This may help explain why the Department of Defense Military Traffic Management Command has 6 DODX cabooses and Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. has 1 APTX caboose in the Jan. '10 Official Railway Equipment Register. Private and office passenger cars, probably with freight car brakes, have also been used.

Here's the details from Amtrak on using a private car. The prices are pretty steep, but they seem reasonable all things considered. Say you have a bunch of people riding in your car, if everybody splits the cost, then it would become a lot more affordable.

I understand the problems with maintaining a 50 year old car so the question is, when can I buy an acela coach, retrofit it as a sleeping car and coast around the us. Or better(perhaps more realistic) buy a turboliner coach...

hi55us wrote:I understand the problems with maintaining a 50 year old car so the question is, when can I buy an acela coach, retrofit it as a sleeping car and coast around the us. Or better(perhaps more realistic) buy a turboliner coach...

That depends on how much money you have. I'm sure Bombardier would have no problem building you an Acela car if you offer the right amount, which will likely be a lot more than what Amtrak paid for them. Amtrak would probably want a lot more than their standard private car rates to stick it on an Acela train tho.

As for a turboliner, here's a quote from the Wikipedia article for Turboliner:

ROHR TURBOLINERS FOR SALE

Amtrak has available for sale seven (7) trainsets of Rohr Turboliners (Direct Drive Gas Turbines) and associated spare parts inventory. Each trainset consists of a combination power and coach at each end and three intermediate coaches, one with a food service facility. Three (3) trainsets have been overhauled and are stored in Delaware; four (4) trainsets are in various stages of overhaul and are stored in New York. Contact information provided below for interested parties: B. A. Hastings, Officer Asset Recovery, Telephone Number: 215-349-1192 E-mail: [email protected]

Note, this was reposted directly from the wikipedia article, I made this post because I am about to report this to the Wikipedia admins since advertising on Wikipedia is strictly forbidden, and thus it most likely won't be on there for very long.

Are there seperate rules for locomotives ? Obviously, for them to be towed 100 % of the time would defeat the purpose for owning them (and the added expense of keeping them up to par mechanically). I understand that they might be towed to a private company site where they are being hired for work purposes (I believe that a guy owning an Alaska F-Unit did that recently in Massachusetts), but I'm assuming that outside of that situation, that a private owner's hand would never see the throttle of his own locomotive - correct ? What about towing a motorized unit- is that a problem in and of itself ?

3rdrail wrote:[...] that a private owner's hand would never see the throttle of his own locomotive - correct ?

Reference "The Conrail Express"

I have thought about something to that extent, if I ever hit the lottery, I'd love to get an old locomotive, rip out all the guts (a la Downeaster Cabbage cars) and redo the engine compartment into a nice living quarters. I was even thinking about that perferated stuff they use to put advertising wrap over windows to keep the locomotive look on the outside but having nice picture windows to look out of. Even though the cab wouldn't be functional, it would still be completely intact so that I could sit at the throttle running extended "reverse moves".

Note, I'm not really a foamer, this is just for the (never going to happen) situation where I hit the jackpot and have more money than I know what to do with, like if I'm out hunting in my back yard, accidentally shoot the ground, and find out that I own the world's largest oil reserve (here in Massachusetts).

RedLantern wrote:I have thought about something to that extent, if I ever hit the lottery, I'd love to get an old locomotive, rip out all the guts (a la Downeaster Cabbage cars) and redo the engine compartment into a nice living quarters. I was even thinking about that perferated stuff they use to put advertising wrap over windows to keep the locomotive look on the outside but having nice picture windows to look out of. Even though the cab wouldn't be functional, it would still be completely intact so that I could sit at the throttle running extended "reverse moves".

Note, I'm not really a foamer, this is just for the (never going to happen) situation where I hit the jackpot and have more money than I know what to do with, like if I'm out hunting in my back yard, accidentally shoot the ground, and find out that I own the world's largest oil reserve (here in Massachusetts).

The Izaak Walton Inn already beat you to it: Meet GN 441, though she is stationary and likely to remain so.

Don't get me wrong, that is probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen, but aside from how I'd prefer it to be mobile, at the very least it should have a railroad theme to the interior don'cha think?

Greg Moore wrote: Since you mention IRS business tax return, I assume you rent it out?

How is dealing with Amtrak as a vendor?

The term "rent" is never used with private railroad cars; one charters or leases a private railroad car. MOUNT VERNON is available for charter. Surplus revenue from charters helps to defray the fixed and semi-fixed costs.

The best part of Amtrak is the operating and maintenance people in the field. Some of them have been very helpful at times when help was needed. Many of them also sense the connection between private cars and their pre-Amtrak railroad industry heritage ... what it was like then and what it can be like today. The least enjoyable part of Amtrak is the process of submitting your movement request to CNOC for review/approval. Ditto for private cars on Via Rail Canada.

Looking at Amtrak's site, I wonder why they can't do PVs at PHL. They have their own switching equipment, and there is access to the outside from several points in the yard.

jhdeasy wrote:

Greg Moore wrote: Since you mention IRS business tax return, I assume you rent it out?

How is dealing with Amtrak as a vendor?

The term "rent" is never used with private railroad cars; one charters or leases a private railroad car. MOUNT VERNON is available for charter. Surplus revenue from charters helps to defray the fixed and semi-fixed costs.

The best part of Amtrak is the operating and maintenance people in the field. Some of them have been very helpful at times when help was needed. Many of them also sense the connection between private cars and their pre-Amtrak railroad industry heritage ... what it was like then and what it can be like today. The least enjoyable part of Amtrak is the process of submitting your movement request to CNOC for review/approval. Ditto for private cars on Via Rail Canada.

Apologies on the use of the word rent. In any case, I must say, it's very tempting to charter one one of these days.

jhdeasy wrote:

Greg Moore wrote: Since you mention IRS business tax return, I assume you rent it out?

How is dealing with Amtrak as a vendor?

The term "rent" is never used with private railroad cars; one charters or leases a private railroad car. MOUNT VERNON is available for charter. Surplus revenue from charters helps to defray the fixed and semi-fixed costs.

The best part of Amtrak is the operating and maintenance people in the field. Some of them have been very helpful at times when help was needed. Many of them also sense the connection between private cars and their pre-Amtrak railroad industry heritage ... what it was like then and what it can be like today. The least enjoyable part of Amtrak is the process of submitting your movement request to CNOC for review/approval. Ditto for private cars on Via Rail Canada.

Apologies on the use of the word rent. In any case, I must say, it's very tempting to charter one one of these days.

RedLantern wrote:Here's the details from Amtrak on using a private car. The prices are pretty steep, but they seem reasonable all things considered. Say you have a bunch of people riding in your car, if everybody splits the cost, then it would become a lot more affordable.

Right on target! The most efficient use of a PV is to maximize utilization of the car's capacity and to minimize the deadhead mileage.

I recently estimated the cost of a NYP - CHI - NYP charter, with two days three nights parked at CHI, via 49/48, for someone. Price would be about $15K.

If the charter client is a couple celebrating their anniversary, by themselves, then he is picking up the entire tab. If it is some combination of 10 people, then the cost per passenger or cost per couple becomes much more affordable ... down to $1500 per passenger.

nickrapak wrote:Looking at Amtrak's site, I wonder why they can't do PVs at PHL. They have their own switching equipment, and there is access to the outside from several points in the yard.

PVs are handled at PHL. Juniata Terminal is located in Philadelphia, and their PVs are added to/removed from the Pennsylvanian there as part of the engine change.