How much does a railcar cost?
They have several for sale linked from the article page, for instance a 1989 diner car which I think would have everything you'd need for an office, add a bed, food, bathroom, nice big windows.
Privately-Owned Rail Cars
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Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars
#12How much does a railcar cost?
From https://railcardeals.com/
How Much Does a New Railcar Cost to Buy?
The cost of a train car varies depending on the type of car and its features.
For example, a passenger train car may cost more than a freight train car. The
cost also depends on the train car’s brand, model, and year. On average, a
train car costs between $100,000 and $200,000.
How Much Does it Cost to Buy an Old Railroad Car?
If you’re interested in purchasing an old rail car, there are a few things you
need to know. First, it’s essential to know how much money you’re willing to
spend. Rail cars can vary significantly in price, depending on their age,
condition, and amenities. For example, an older car might cost less than
$5,000, while a newer model with more features could cost upwards of $50,000.Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars
#13We’ve had the tiny houses, shipping container homes, then the van life or schoolie (school bus as a home) trend, al of which were clever interpretations on what a home actually is. I’m sure some enterprising YouTuber/lifestyle blogger could get us started on the private train car home era. I’m here for it.
Ok, you're subscriber number one then. Anyone else? I'm completely serious. Private Varnish (ie: private railcars) have always been something I love. It would be a hoot to live in one with my fam for a year (if I can convince them).
Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars
#14We’ve had the tiny houses, shipping container homes, then the van life or schoolie (school bus as a home) trend, al of which were clever interpretations on what a home actually is. I’m sure some enterprising YouTuber/lifestyle blogger could get us started on the private train car home era. I’m here for it.
I bet MrBeast could pull off a "I paid a guy $100,000 to spend a month in a private train car" or something.
Wouldn't even need to pay me to do it. The only thing stopping me is a lack of a private train car and presumably the significant expense of running it :(
Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars
#15How much does a railcar cost?
From https://railcardeals.com/ How Much Does a New Railcar Cost to Buy? The cost of a train car varies depending on the type of car and its features. For example, a passenger train car may cost more than a freight train car. The cost also depends on the train car’s brand, model, and year. On average, a train car costs between $100,000 and $200,000. How Much Does it Cost to Buy an Old Railroad Car? If you’re intereste…
I've actually been looking into refurbishing a newer railcar and kitting it out much more like a home. There's a lot you can do and equipment like older Metra gallery cars along with more recent commuter cars are an excellent starting point.
Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars
#16Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars
#17This is my "if I won the lottery" dream. Which it would have to be, since everything about it isn't cheap. Purchasing a Pullman car then upgrading it to Amtrak standards will cost at least $300k. Any interior upgrades are on top of that (renovating the galley with modern appliances, adding central air since some cars used block ice for cooling). Amtrak requires you add 480v head-end power (but you will likely want a diesel generator too), door control/communication wiring, and to upgrade the braking system.
Once you have your car and you have passed your annual inspection, you will need somewhere to park it, which usually means finding a short-line railroad or commercial business with a siding near you, and paying them a fee. Getting the car from there to the nearest Amtrak station will require you to hire a locomotive with crew (some tracks require a second car coupled to the locomotive so crossings & signals work correctly). Amtrak then has a whole schedule of fees they will charge you, from $4.09 per mile, overnight parking, fresh & wastewater servicing, transponder tags, and parking fees.
You will want to hire a chef to prepare your meals and perhaps also a steward to serve the meals, make drinks, and take care of the staterooms. I'm not sure if they need to belong to the union since they would be your employees, not the railroads (but probably).
For the less than 100 private cars in operation in America, why does Amtrak even offer this service? Like the first class section on an airliner, it's effectively all profit for them since the train was going there anyway and the extra fuel to haul it & supply power is minimal. Personally I wonder why Amtrak doesn't offer a "Presidential" fare, where 6 or so people can book a private car and get truly top tier service.
Here's what a restored Pullman car can look like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdroQ4JqlYQ
Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
I bet MrBeast could pull off a "I paid a guy $100,000 to spend a month in a private train car" or something.
Wouldn't even need to pay me to do it. The only thing stopping me is a lack of a private train car and presumably the significant expense of running it :(
There’s gotta be a Groupon for this. So long as anyone doesn’t have a major criminal record, I’m game.
Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars
#19In germany, the privatisation and segmentation of the railway company has created many "interface points" where private entities can rent vehicles or use the tracks. This resulted in a vast amount of companies specializing in engine renting or vehicle transport, like Captrain/ITL or MRCE. The diversity in companies results in a big variety of color schemes.
Train museums use these possibilities to run extraordinary trains [1]. Rarely you can see them as replacement trains in regular service[2].
Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars
#20We rode the New York Central 3, a private car built for a Vanderbilt a century ago, cross country, attached to the rear of the Lake Shore Limited, changing in Chicago to the California Zephyr. A great experience, watching the scenery go by for 4 days, with a 270-degree view from the sitting room in the rear.
Basically, there are hobbyists who buy and upgrade these cars, and try to break even on chartering trips on them. They’re clearly never happier than coming along for the journey (you need an official liaison on board anyway to interface with Amtrak staff) and fixing stuff along the way.