SOO Line Wood Caboose, built circa 1910, retired by the railroad and sold into private ownership. The car is not equipped with trucks and does need exterior and interior restoration.
Q- How much does it cost to ship a caboose by truck?
A- The cost to ship a caboose by truck is based on mileage and local crane costs. On an average, you can expect to spend a minimum of $8,000-$10,000 if a car is 1 to 2 hours from the final destination. And a minimum of $15,000-$25,000 if the car is further away. Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer and we do have several qualified companies we can recommend to assist in the shipping process. If the buyer plans on making the shipping arrangements with a service provider of their choosing, we can assist with speaking with the service provider on what will be required to get the car moved. Often a service provider will either quote high or won't quote at all if they have never moved railroad equipment. After speaking with us, they normally feel more at ease in quoting the job.
Q- How much does it cost to ship a caboose by rail?
A- Before a caboose can be shipped by rail it will have to meet all Federal Railroad Administration and the interchanging railroad's mechanical requirements. The car will need to have updated UMLER reporting marks & car number and UMLER tags installed. In addition, the air brakes may need to be recertified and any other mechanical work will need to be completed. On an average the prep costs including reporting marks and UMLER tags will run between $5,000-$8,000. The railroads shipping tariff will vary depending on the railroad, but will run an average of $5.00-$15.00 per mile. Often the railroads involved in the move won't have track that directly goes from origin to destination. And the rail tariff will including the total amount of miles the car has to be shipped.
