To Silverliner 5:
I suggest you read
this info from ATS (a major freight broker) regarding heavy hauling.
If you are serious in this scheme regarding SEPTA 9000, the costs vary based on several factors. But as mentioned,
the general ballpark baseline is freight weighing up to 100,000 lb is that $1 x number of axles x miles = price.
For a 58,000 lb 50 foot Kawasaki car, you're talking a seven axle load, and Philadelphia-SF is a tad around 3,000 miles (2,876 according to AAA). So $1.00 x 7 x 3000 is $21,000, the ballpark bare minimum. Of course you'll need to
know state laws for oversize loads for each state along the journey, whether or not state or local regulations
require escorts and factor in oversize fees for each state, plus tolls (along with understanding regulations
along toll roads such as PA and Ohio Turnpikes). Most of the ride from Philadelphia to Chicago (I-76 to 80)
will be on toll routes, and the 7-axle oversize load rate will not be cheap.
In addition to the bare minimum tariff rate, loading and unloading would also cost extra.
It requires specialized work to exchange trucks, especially swapping trucks onto a different car not originally
built with them. Electrical work requires compatibility so the car can run on a different system.
Recall when SF-Muni purchased the surplus SEPTA PCC fleet in the early 90s, there were refurbished
professionally by Morrison Knudsen (a locomotive rebuilder and builder/rebuilder of passenger cars).
Muni now has major overhaul done at Brookville.
So this is not weekend warrior work or a simple in your garage "Mickey Mouse job". You would need to
consider professionals in refurbishment.
I could suggest Electric City at Steamtown in Scranton, as they might have interest in 9000 with its historical
value. They are the the successor to BVTA (running the Penn's Landing trolley from 1982-95).
Since my friend continues to chain smoke nonstop, she is probably an Alco.