Built as a steel caboose for the Southern Railway, retired and sold into private ownership. Some of the car details include: recent interior and exterior paint, original interior, rotating end cap bearings, excellent body and roof, ABDW brake valves. Great as a museum piece or for shortline/tourist operation.
Shipping Tips
Regardless if a caboose can be shipped on its own wheels (like a box car in a train) or by truck, shipping can be expensive and often meets if not exceeds the purchase price. If the caboose is on live rail and the final destination is on live rail, you will normally have approximately $5,000-$8,000 in prepping the car for shipment. The railroads charge by the mile so it will depend on where the car is and where it has to go. The tariffs range from $5.00 per mile to $25.00 per mile. A total shipping costs by rail can easily cost a minimum $10,000-$15,000+.
If a caboose is off live rail or the destination is off live rail, then the car will have to be trucked. Trucking involves cranes at origin and destination (normally a 25 ton crane will do the job). The caboose will need to be lifted off it's wheels and loaded on a flatbed trailer. Often the steps will need to be cut off (can weld back on at destination) and depending on the type of trailer and the road weight limits, the wheels can be loaded on the same load. If not it will take a second trip to pick up the wheels. Some of the cabooses we sell come with rail and ties, if not you will need to source some used rail from a local railroad, scrap yard or railroad museum. For railroad ties, you can purchase them as landscaping ties from most landscapers and then flip them over so the bottoms with no spike holes can be used.
If the trucking company you choose has never moved a railcar, they may quote a high price or not quote at all. If that is the case, feel free to have them contact our office (with the listing #) and we can explain what needs to be done. Normally the trucking company will be more comfortable with providing a shipping quote.
