.

Did they come with all the bells and whistles? Oh, I see the bells are an add on. Those dang used vehicles dealers are all alike, even back in 1961...

BTW, what's a "Smoke Blomer?" Never heard that term. Heard of a blower of course, but they're hardly an optional item.

Steel belted radials are standard I presume?

Careful, consumer reports says that the air conditioning in that model year is very poor.

A randomly selected "inflation calculator" indicated that $3156 in 1961 equates to $26,618 in today's dollars. That was indeed a good deal!

I recently came upon the sales contract from the Baltimore Chapter NRHS for Ma & Pa 20 to the Strasburg ca. 1962.

$500.

And the Chapter reserves the right of first refusal to buy back the car for that price should you fold up shop........

Canadian dollars, however. Adjust accordingly. <:-)

One wonders, I suppose I could do the math. Would it have been more cost effective to buy a bunch of engines back then and put them in protected storage, and then "use them up" as throw away items on tourist service, or to spend the money rebuilding engines as we do now?

Of course, somebody would have to take the risk that those engines would actually be in demand in five decades.

In a 1964 (or so) Issue of Pacific News, there's a mention of Pickering Lbr. Corp. putting 3T Shays 7 & 8 up for sale at Standard, CA "as is, where is" for $3,000.00 each.

My dad took a schoolfriend & I there in June of that year and I talked to Frank Momyer, Pres. about them. He said that it was a legitimate offer. Also on the
property at that time were 3T Shays 11 & 33, used up into November of the preceeding year in the woods.

Cost index aside, folks had less disposable income back then.

Another random selected index says the following:
Average Cost of new house $12,500.00
Average Income per year $5,315.00

So this locomotive represented a good chunk of a person's yearly income, and over a quarter of what a person could buy a house for back then.

So, imagine, in today's dollars, I told you that "Hey, they're only $50,000 each, why not buy 5 or 6 and put them in a barn as spares?"

I also suspect that back then they were seen as essentially lasting forever, and not something that was likely to wear out.

One more random comment from the "What happened in 1961" websites.
"Segregation on railways in the south ends" I didn't realize segregation in rail travel was still in effect at that late date. Wow, it sure seems like something from the distant past now.

Highway mpg? City mpg? Don't be fooled by paint and styling! Kick those tires!

Kelly, this is very cool. Thanks so much for sharing.
For the record, the Long Island G5s locomotives were sold for $5,000 scrap, each.

That's amazing! If I had the same income I have today back in the 50's, I could own my own steamer!

[quote="Bobharbison"]Cost index aside, folks had less disposable income back then.

Another random selected index says the following:
Average Cost of new house $12,500.00
Average Income per year $5,315.00

So this locomotive represented a good chunk of a person's yearly income, and over a quarter of what a person could buy a house for back then.


Good point Bob. I am reminded of a conversation that I had with Dan Ranger in June of 1966 after a Pacific Locomotive Assn. meeting in Berkeley. He asked me if I had $1,500.00 as Rayonier, Inc was willing to let at least one of their tank
mallets go for that price. Heck, I was a GI then with nothing saved and nobody else could come up with the figure so that one got away.

Show me the "LOCOFAX."

kicking the tires NOT reccomended...

"Can I take it to my mechanic on Saturday and have him inspect it?"


Sorry, just bitter after the process of selling one of our cars in preparation for the move.

I will give 3,600 doll hairs.

This ad appeared in October 1973 TRAINS. Alas I was too young...

(© Kalmbach. Fair use excerpt. blahblahblah)