How Much Does It Cost For A Private Rail Car?
There currently are about 150 private railcars (also called “varnish”) in good enough shape to be certified to run attached to Amtrak trains in the U.S., according to the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners. Cost of the cars ranges from $25,000 to more than $800,000, depending on the condition.
Leasing and owning railcars is a serious legal and financial commitment. Enforcement of terms tends to favor the lessor – which may be a bank, a third-party or the railcar manufacturer. Storing excess railcars when there is a downturn in the nation's economy can be expensive as well.
Commentary: The complexity of owning or leasing freight cars
Can you book a private car on Amtrak?
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How much does a used rail car cost?
Typical prices for steel-bodied boxcars and cabooses run between $2,000 and $4,000. Wooden cars, when they can be found, are generally cheaper.
Life Aboard Your Own Caboose: How to Buy a Train Car
How much does it cost to have Amtrak pull a private car?
If they are an expensive hobby for train buffs, private rail cars are good business for Amtrak, which pulls an average of 35 private cars monthly. Amtrak charges $2.10 a mile to pull a private car — each additional car on the same train is another $1.60 a mile — plus about $100 for overnight parking at most stations.
Private rail car owners enjoy 'yachts on tracks' - The ...