Sure, if you have the money anyone can buy a loco. The important part would be finding a place to run it yourself. if you have the money to construct your own rail line to nowhere then you are all set. otherwise you need to make an arrangement with a line to place your loco, have the proper insurance (good luck with that) and more problems than I can list here. Would be nice, but unless you have money like Bill Gates...
Marc
wisandsouthernkid wrote:i was just wondering if there is a way that someone like a citizen can buy a locomotive when you have a liscense to drive it that would be so cool and buy cars too??
The Late Ward Kimball, who was Walt Disney's right hand man in the animation department (during the "golden Age" 1930's-1950's) and later became a major collector and restorer of Narrow Gauge equipment had a full size (not a model) Narrow Gauge steam engine and a couple of cars that he would operate on a short length of track (maybe a couple hundred feet straight) on his property. There was an article in TRAINS a few years back about the operation...
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
There are any number of places that sell locomotives and cars. On the web, check out Ozark Mountain Railcar (company, general inventory), D. F. Barnhardt (company, general inventory), Rail Swap (bulletin board), and Multipower International (Chinese steam locomotives).
Asking prices I've seen for operational locomotives have ranged from about $15,000 for a very small old Diesel, in mediocre condition, on friction bearings, to $800,000 for Southern Pacific 1744, an operational 1901 Baldwin 2-6-0 (recently sold).
Asking prices for operational cars run from maybe $3,000 for an old boxcar to $500,000 for a lavishly-restored, Amtrak-certified private coach.
If you want to operate on the general system of railroads, you need a license. If you want to set up some track away from other trains and public roads, you can avoid at least most FRA regulations.
if you look on my forum there are is a good website that they have some locomotives for sale or really anything about trains for that matter is www.ozarkmountainrailcar.com i had found a ge loco for 15000 but as you can imagine it needed alottttttttt of work
carnej1 wrote: wisandsouthernkid wrote:i was just wondering if there is a way that someone like a citizen can buy a locomotive when you have a liscense to drive it that would be so cool and buy cars too?? The Late Ward Kimball, who was Walt Disney's right hand man in the animation department (during the "golden Age" 1930's-1950's) and later became a major collector and restorer of Narrow Gauge equipment had a full size (not a model) Narrow Gauge steam engine and a couple of cars that he would operate on a short length of track (maybe a couple hundred feet straight) on his property. There was an article in TRAINS a few years back about the operation...
It was I think more then a couple hundred feet. And of course, Ward was an inspiration for his boss. If you really want to run a railroad, just build your own themepark like Walt did. Then build your own engines like Walt did for the first 2.
Every now and then, CN (or was it CP, I can't remember) will put units up for auction.
Also, just so you know, Ward's Grizzley Flats railroad is on display at the Orange Empire railway museum in Southern California.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.