Maybe we can get something positive from the whole ITM fiasco. It may help establish what it actually costs to move a locomotive or passenger car.

It would be interesting to hear what the actual costs are for moving cars, locomotives, etc. from the site. We constantly have discussions that seem to go "You'll need two cranes, special trucks, permits, $100K minimum" followed by a reply of "Give me some house jacks, a dolly and the guy who moves mobile homes and i can do it for $10K..."

If people are willing to share, this would be a nice way to have actual facts instead of just theory.

The thing is, both are correct!

I know a lot about what it costs to move stuff on its own wheels, I can even look up prices.

And the only piece of railroad equipment I have moved by truck, I did myself with my own equipment!

I am sure I will learn that lesson I soon enough.

As Rick said, both can be true, depending on the item in question, location, distance to move, and skill/willingness to help of the company doing the move.

The rail museum in our town is city owned, but some enthusiastic individuals make it work.

Their collection started out with a Baldwin switch engine and a bay window caboose the Katy donated after the UP merger. They built a replica of a depot for memorabilia.

Since then, some of the museum board approached the UP for more equipment to add to their collection. They were given a C&NW flat, a UP Burro crane and the MoPac car in the below photo....I think it was originally a mail storage car...repurposed into a MofW exercise car.



The railroad gave them the equipment... and it was up to the museum to get it moved. They hired a man who is handy with moving heavy things, and is currently employed by the railroad as a carman.

I should have taken pictures of the move... It took them no time to move the flat and the mail car... but the Burro was a little more involved.

In talking to one of the museum board, I believe it cost them $18,000 for the move... and it was less than a mile in length, and never down surface streets in town.. all down railroad right of way. All together, I don't think it took them more than 8 hours total.

Shipping a currently operable, compliant, and carded locomotive 3000 miles across the US dead in tow on its own wheels generally runs around $25,000 to $30,000.

PC

In the last few days exploring options for equipment at ITM, we've run across cranes for between $15-35k and trucking between $20-45k.

Over the years we've moved about half a dozen passenger cars and two steam locomotives by highway. We've typically budgeted $15k - $20k for these adventures. The longest truck move was about 350 miles and the shortest was about 50 miles. Our estimate includes loading/unloading although in some cases the seller was responsible for loading, saving us that cost.

Alan Maples
Everett Railroad

When Milwaukee Road sleeper "Jefferson River" was moved on her own wheels in freight service from Kansas City, MO to northeastern Iowa, roughly 16.5k was spent between the COT&S, transportation and overhead costs.

I moved a narrow gauge Plymouth, of the same model as the one shown in the second post by airforcerail from near San Francisco to Southern Nevada in December for $3,000... I have quotes to more a 40' 40-ton dump car from San Francisco to Southern Nevada which vary from $5,000 to $16,000... (it pays to shop about)

I have seen quotes to move diesel locomotives 100 miles up to $60,000 (via highway)

Some of the variances are due to loading and unloading (crane or ramp)... some due to weight and how to deal with it... some due to "urgency" (now or when convenient)

It pays to look at alternatives, and look at loading options...

Randy

There's an old saying about the shop that has three price levels:

"We need it yesterday!"
"We need it as soon as you can manage!"
"Whenever you get around to it....."

Consider a tow truck operator. He will respond, and charge, differently for a big wreck blocking a major highway at rush hour, a breakdown on the shoulder of a local road, and someone who just bought a collectible car and needs it flat-bedded 60 miles to his driveway.

With ITM, we are seeing the first category when it comes to trucks and cranes.

Most of us can manage the second or third category.

The standard approach of Northeastern traction museums with which I've worked is to contact one of 2-3 trucking companies known to have the right equipment and place an order for a "backhaul," meaning the first available time one of the company's trucks happens to be rolling past the origin empty on the way to somewhere else, or back from another haul. The car has to be ready to roll on at the proverbial moment's notice (more likely 24-48 hours or so), and someone has to be there whenever they show up with the truck.

From there, the variables are weight, permits, number of state lines crossed, police escorts if needed, etc.

Some years ago, the Baltimore Streetcar Museum was in the position to grab several Philadelphia PCCs and a snowsweeper, and then a NJ Transit (Newark) PCC, atop one donated. As I was told, a member of the Friends of the Philadelphia Trolley who owned a trailer specifically for Philadelphia gauge trolleys contributed the moves "at cost," but from Philly to Baltimore still cost about $4,000 each in permits, fuel, tolls, and whatnot.

Actually, figuring the co$t of moving a railcar depends on how big it is, where it is and where it's going.

A lot of times you can move a trolley intact on a detachable gooseneck lowboy, roll on, roll off. Penn Central moved some boxcars that way after a washout.

Alternately, there's a post on this forum about moving a landlocked 80-ton locomotive. They needed four side-boom tractors to lift it and walk it to the trailer, as well as another trailer to move the trucks and four trailers to move the tractors. Think $$$$$

Years ago, Reading Company used a single 250-ton relief crane to lift a standard gauge 0-6-0T onto a flatcar for a transcontinental move.

So it all depends.

Currently the go-to people I can think of are Silk Road Transport of Arkport NY.

Phil Mulligan

Folks,
I have rarely heard of crane companies donating their services. There are two reasons: they have to carry unbelievably high liability insurance and they also have a morgage payment at the end of the month, even it their crane spends the whole month sitting in the yard. Do not expect a donation!

It can be done however; look at the blog for the Pacific Northwest Railway Museum. they just moved a lounge/ passenger car in a complex sea and land move in Washington state.

A year or so ago the Mid-Continent Railway Museum took a wood sleeper to their campus. That one landed from the flat bed truck on to a pair of six-wheel trucks.

And IRM took a Pullman car from Mid-Continent to IRM via highway truck. The trucks are getting smarter all the time!

Silk Road Transport moved two LRVs from San Diego to Rio Vista on time and under budget. They too were back hauls as mentioned above.

I hope those help anyone who needs to move a rail car.

Ted Miles