Inkjet cartridges!

If 1 museum needs to move 1 car, you are correct. It is more expensive to develop all that stuff you said, than it is to simply hire the job done.

If 1 museum needs to move 100 cars (from 100 different places), that is a different matter. Developing the capability is abosolutely worth it, and the break-even point will occur within the first few moves, and the rest will be gravy.

If 100 museums each need to move 1 car, and they insist on working in isolation, then you are again correct, same reasons as the first case.

However, that would be madness. The better plan is to team up and share resources, so the joint economics resemble case #2.

With locomotives, removing the trucks takes away a lot of the weight issues, but doesn't save a lot of height. Height becomes a major issue. For an ALCO switcher, the steps can be removed, and it becomes straighforward to use a beam trailer if the reservoirs are removed. This one fit neatly between the battery boxes. However, height was still a major issue and to get the height down on the cab end, the coupler pocket had to be removed (not an easy task). For an EMD switcher, the steps and fuel tank cannot be removed, making it much harder to get the height down and requires a much more serious trailer.

In the last 12 months I've been involved in one way or another on the movement of 4 heavy weight passenger cars over the highway and 3 locomotives over the rail line.

I can say this with out a doubt, I wish we could move locomotives over the highway as cheap as passenger cars. The rates we've gotten for the over the road moves are equal to that of moves of the locomotives over the railroad for a nearly equal distance.

The cars show up the next day, are unloaded, and we all go home and sleep well at night.

The locomotives spend days in yards, lots of phone calls to track them, lots of hours to worry about them, and plenty of headaches.

I understand why industry trucks.......

As to owning the rig, We moved 4 cars in 12 months, I don't think it would have paid for it self. My company has moved something like 25 pieces over the highway over the last 15 years and my gut feeling is it would be a hard sell to make it look good on paper.

On the other hand if you had voulenteers on staff that knew the trucking industry and permit buisness and did it for a living. It might go a lot easier. I prefer to work on trains and let some who like to drive a truck worry about the truck.

In the above picture, the 3 axle jeep, 3 axle trailer, 3 axle stinger, will run around $270,000. used.
http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=3873657

add another $125,000. for a decent, used, quad axle tractor, and go from there (or here below).........



New York is kinda unusual with their permits (Non Divisable Loads). we are allowed
102,000 lb's's on 5 axles
107,000 on 6 axles
117,000 on 7 axles
My Rig can haul a 33 ton load legally on 5 axles, and there are trucks hauling a 41 ton load on 7, on a $1500. a year permit.

Just a photo.

About the railcar: "It was built in Butler in June 1974 and was originally owned by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad. It has a capacity of 4,750 cubic feet and was known as a jumbo grain car."

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/loc ... ty-213650/

Oh. Way too expensive. Good thing you explained that to us. Now we all can throw up our hands and give up, rather than try to find alternate ways to make these types of moves.

Mister................

I Didn't Make that post to be a DICK..................
I Made that post to give everyone , Just An idea, what that Equipment Costs..........
No OTHER Reason whatsoever...............
I May Not Know Much about Railroad Preservation ...........

But after , Either being In, Around and Underneath, "Trucks", Since I was Old enough to say the word............ I Think, I do Know a "Little Bit", about what goes on with the trucking Industry

Take It Any Way you want Mister............

Now that , that is over with..................

I have kinda been kicking around an idea with this trailer. Extendable, 42-62 feet long, sits close to the ground, detachable neck, the beams also relocate a couple of feet closer to the center. Ad says it was rated for 75 ton (In the days before the "Bridge Law" became the rule) ........

Don't let the year of the unit scare ya.......

http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=2310544

would it be possible, (after being detached), with a set of small dollies on the front, to winch this unit under most freight cars , while they were up on jacks..?

How many items hang down under most cars...?

The opperating height of this trailer would be a plus in height clearance on the road........
(Other then rail crossings.......)

Any thoughts.........??

Farmer.

Very interesting idea. I've pondered a spine type trailer for moving cabooses that would have a long thin center tube with an adjustable spreader that would fit under the cars bolster near the front with a probably fixed bolster under the rear axles that would keep the caboose (or any freight car) as low as possible.

This one could be used the same way depending on the clearance between the telescopic side tubes. If the car's undercarriage fits between the tubes, then two adjustible bolsters could support the car. Disadvantage of this trailer over my design is the greater width and the longer length with a load since the rear wheels would behind the load, where with mine, the rear wheels are under the car where the trucks would have been.

This trailer would have a lot more universal uses though.

Greg

Thanks Greg..........
Only thought on this is, with the wheels behind, it keeps the height problems away.......
A "Winch Tractor" , with a air hose reel for the maxi brakes, pull it under, let the car down, rehook, drive away....... No Crane hires, No over height problems, Might need an exscort for the length depending where you are.
This rig along with a "Roll back" type trailer (Traveling axle Type) to haul the wheel sets, jacks and Blocking , person ought to be good to go...........

Farmer.

Does anyone have contact information for a firm called "KC's" of Elizabeth, NJ, that has moved some rail equipment by truck?

Sorry, that's all the info I have at the moment.

I'm just going to leave this laying here...

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IPZX1n_gnIM/T ... h+2009.jpg

...I actually came across it when searching for the whale on a railcar info, but thought to myself, it is a lot easier to truck something across town or between two counties than it is across multiple states sometimes...

Regards,
Sully

N.C.Guest

You might be thinking of these guys.
W J Casey, they use to be in Union, now in Branchburg, NJ
One of the best in the business.




http://www.wjcasey.com/

Scott Kwiatkowski
Pennsy Railcar Restorations LLC