While many of us often dream about owning our own equiment, be it a caboose, coach, box car, or locomotive, a few have actually taken the plunge and bought something. I'd like to hear your stories; how you acquired your item, lessons you've learned, and what advice you would have for someone looking to do make this big move (no, I'm not about to close a purchase). Was it the best thing you've ever done or did you wake up the next day wondering, "My God, what have I done?" From the few published stories I've read, there seems to be a bit of both for most people. I'd be very interested in hearing about your experiences.

Thanks.

Jason

I've already done plenty sharing of my experiences owning small steam locomotives, such as my baxck truck baby Coronet Phosphate #6. However, the one solid gold bit of advice I have, which bears repeating, is:

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT IF YOU'RE MARRIED.

Amen, Sammy. I've owned nothing bigger than a Fairmont speeder, and that negotiation was tricky enough. I've turned down several opportunities to buy a small steam locomotive to tinker with in the driveway because the cost of the divorce would have made them unaffordable.

I think for us middle class married guys, live steam or speeders is what we can pull off. If one is graced with the resources to build a personal railroad or museum, more power to them, and thanks for sharing your passion with the rest of us.

I would say to never, EVER buy something big without checking to make sure you can get it moved to your property (and can afford to do so).

I knew a guy several years ago who bought a caboose from the CSX directly in their yards. He seriously miss-planned for the adventure of owning a rail car. He just thought when he paid, it'd magically show up (he wasn't very bright, obviously) at his place. He didn't take having to pay CSX to move it closer to him, storage on a siding, or any of that into account. He didn't even bother to check if a lowboy and cranes could even get to his property (they couldn't, the road was way too rough for that and the trees way too low). So, several grand in the hole, CSX eventually tried to sell it on a lien for the storage costs and he was left with nothing. It was eventually donated to a local RR museum who knew how to move it and had property it could be moved to. He lost a few grand (in 80s money) on the misadventure.

Another thing nobody ever takes into account when considering moving to their own property is, what do you do if you have to move? Another pal of mine once bought a heavyweight Pullman car, laid track along the back of his house (with a slight curve at each end out of line of sight of the back, so it looked like the line just kept going) and then made one side of his house look like a RR station. He went all out making it something a museum would envy. Six months later, his employer closed his office and told him he needed to move. He wasn't able to sell the house because nobody wanted to pay for 'an old railroad car' for what he had in it. He eventually sold the house at a tremendous loss (at the height of the housing bubble, no less) because the new owner said they'd have to completely re-model the back of the home back to 'normal'. He actually had to pay to have the car scrapped and the back of the house destroyed for the remodel to be able to sell it. When I last saw him, he was utterly broken man.

I'd never take on projects like these personally, having learned from these experiences.

Do you recall the identity of said car? Thanks in advance!

You should also check with your municipality first. Some have bylaws against having "derelict" railway equipment on your property!

OK, I'm just full of good advice:

Somebody once asked Arnold Palmer for investment advice, to which he replied "Invest in what you know". He went on to say that he had tried real estate, but lost money at it because he knew nothing about it. He made out a lot better with golf related ventures.

The take away:

1) Just liking trains isn't enough.

2) Don't go borrow a bunch of money.

3) Don't plan on making a profit, or getting any financial gain for your time and trouble, ever. You have to be very lucky, and you have to be good at playing this game to just break even.

Guy wanted a caboose in his backyard (suburban style area with decent lots, but not "huge"). Talked to the City and was told "no problem". Purchased caboose and had it rail delivered into town. A neighbor saw him putting stone and ties down. "Watcha doing?" He explained. That neighbor talked to some other neighbors and they all showed up at the next city council meeting. Bottom line, the new caboose owner was told "NO CABOOSE!" "But you said....." The guy went to court, but lost as he had nothing in writing! Never did find out what happened to that caboose.

Les

Here's an article about a caboose (SP 4639) which is in a resident's yard in Berkeley, CA.

http://quirkyberkeley.com/the-caboose-of-fifth-street/

The area is a mixture of residences and small businesses and industries, so apparently the neighbors did not complain when he got it.

Google street view

I own and have owned several pieces of 12 inch = 1 foot scale equipment. I am married, and it will be 10 years this Oct. Yes, to the same woman. First I got an old 40ft USA boxcar, pretty much just for asking for it. That is still on live rail, and on roller bearings. It will be joining me here in SC now that my line is almost ready for traffic.

I then had a kitchen car, hospital car, and a dormitory car, again pretty much for the asking. The previous owner couldn't move them so the original owner took them back and told me, if you can remove them in a year, you can have them. I wound up not being able to raise the money in time to convert the bearings over to have them moved, (all friction) so we worked out a deal and donated them to a local museum to keep them from going to scrap.

I just recently traded a 1968 Dodge 3/4 ton military M37 truck for a "parts kit" EX- USN 1929 Plymouth 10ton DLB. The restoration is slow going as the head of the Buda engine was off for decades, so the previous owner scrapped the locked up engine and cracked head. I am looking at a hydrostatic drive to run the transmission right now. I have 95% of the other pieces. The nice thing about this locomotive is that I am working on it in a garage and covered carport, the cab can be picked up by 3 people, and I can haul it on an equipment trailer when completed.





I plan to purchase more cars as I can, and the wife is totally fine with that. I just have to let her buy another horse or other farm animal. It is all about compromise. My ultimate goal is to have a steam locomotive of my own to operate on the short line whenever I want.

Nope, sorry. I don't even recall what RR it'd been from (he'd already painted it in a fictional RR name). That was a while back, in the late 90s...

As regards to my two previous posts in this thread: Any number of my buddies have pointed out to me that buying and fixing up the saddletanker of my dreams is expensive, but it's still cheaper than getting married again... I can sell my locomotive anytime I want, and she can't ever take me to court.

Of course every restoration project is different, and everybody who takes one on alone is different, too.

Best of luck to you Mr Airforcerail !!! Send us a report on your 20th anniversary, if you would, please.

Thanks Sammy. I hope it will be pretty much the same report in 10yrs just with more equipment.

I also realized I should put my name in as a signature. Don't want to be anonymous!

Be realistic and dedicated, and good things can happen. My Santa Cruz Portland Cement 2 is a good example.

http://Www.scpc2.com

It helps if you have the skills you need and you are not relying on farming work out, unless you have lots of funding.

I have acquired a 55 ton Baldwin 2-6-2 we are rebuilding at my home shop now. Give it ten years or so....

Best,

Stathi

Just my two cents as an ex-owner of something relatively full sized, that being a little Porter fireless cooker.

First off, it was indeed one of the best things I ever did. I had been around steam most of my life, knew several people who owned steam locomotives, and from an early age always knew I would do this myself some day.

Secondly, my wife was the one who gave me the push to go ahead and do it. Yes, we are still married.

Lessons learned:

1) I waited too long to do it. Its something I should have done at a far younger age. I spent too many years working on other people’s stuff.

2) If you go into it with a partner, be sure to have a back up plan. My partner on it died rather suddenly and I was left trying to figure out what to do with it. In the end it went to a good home, but it was emotionally painful to see it got. There’s something about steam locomotives in that they become like members of the family.

3) Unless you are destitute or dying, once you have such an animal, don’t ever get rid of it. Chances are you will never have another one like it.

J.R. May