Purchase or rent private car

[Airren]

Has anyone purchased or rented a car? I am interested in how much and where to look for available cars. I don’t know where to start. Thanks.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

https://ozarkmountainrailcar.com/railEquipmentGrid.php?category=Passenger Equipment

https://www.amtrak.com/privately-owned-rail-cars

https://www.rpca.com/charter

Just some web sites to start to look and drool.
One of our members is/was an owner of a PV car, not sure if he active right now.

In my opinion it’s a lot of work with limited rewards. Just to rent one is very time consuming.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Another website to check out is https://www.aaprco.com/ - this is the association of private car owners.
They have a list of private cars available for rent - and also a page for "Travel opportunities" for public trips.

Also... if you are a member you can participate in the annual conventions which include private car trains, often on rare mileage trips. You can buy tickets in the various cars, and that is a great way to chat with the owners of the cars and learn about the challenges of owning them.

If you have deep pockets, you can of course rent a car to take you anywhere you want to go (well... anywhere Amtrak will let you go...) - but if your schedule is flexible you can often reach out to owners and ask about scheduled moves where they have to reposition the cars for a client... you can often rent the cars on these repositioning moves for a lot less!

 

[railiner]

https://ozarkmountainrailcar.com/railEquipmentGrid.php?category=Passenger Equipment

https://www.amtrak.com/privately-owned-rail-cars

https://www.rpca.com/charter

Just some web sites to start to look and drool.
One of our members is/was an owner of a PV car, not sure if he active right now.

In my opinion it’s a lot of work with limited rewards. Just to rent one is very time consuming.

You left this one out...I believe the oldest and largest association.... https://www.aaprco.com/

Edit: just noticed that @crescent-zephyr had already posted about it...

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

You left this one out...I believe the oldest and largest association.... https://www.aaprco.com/

Edit: just noticed that @crescent-zephyr had already posted about it...

I am getting old, was planning to post that link, but failed to. Thanks

 

[Airren]

Thanks guys, I have joined aaprco. I really want to find someone who has done this. Seems like it might be difficult without someone to sort of guide me through this. So many questions. I appreciate the help!

 

[caravanman]

Here was me thinking this was about cars, as we call automobiles in the UK...

 

[Airren]

Here was me thinking this was about cars, as we call automobiles in the UK...

Ha! So, as I go down this rabbit hole, I wonder if there would be a community we could build and share the car.

 

[TinCan782]

Purchasing a PV is just the tip of the ice berg!

 

[Brian Battuello]

I subscribed to Private Varnish for about two years. Then decided I was just deluding myself. My spouse won't even let me put a caboose in the garden.

BTW, if you are remotely serious, buy the most expensive car you can possibly afford. Every $ you put into the sale price is $10 saved on repairs. Anything under about $350,000 is just going to be a money pit.

Here's a classic in great shape:

https://ozarkmountainrailcar.com/railEquipment.php?itemId=3700&category=Passenger Equipment

My personal favorite would have been "Sierra Hotel". Not currently for sale, but was in great shape and fully Amtrak certified when sold a few years ago:

https://ozarkmountainrailcar.com/railEquipment.php?itemId=1907

And by the way, if you think it will be anything like the old "Wild Wild West", think again. Any "moves" are very expensive and have to be planned weeks in advance, and with very very few exceptions, only to places Amtrak already goes. And you have very few choices of where you will be parked at night, usually in somewhat challenging locations.

But definitely subscribe to a paper copy of Private Varnish for a few years. You'll get the whole story.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Also... to answer another question by the OP - I did look into buying a car when they were selling off the Iowa Pacific cars (these were some of the cars they used for the "Pullman Rail Journeys" on the back of the City of New Orleans and also on the Hoosier State) - I got to ride both operations and the cars were really lovely. There were some great deals on some of the cars and I seriously thought about purchasing one of them.

Not only did I have a place to store it, but said place would also have used the car occasionally and paid me for the use.

One of my biggest concerns was moving the car - my understanding after talking to people in the know... when a class I agrees to move a historic piece of equipment - they do not guarantee anything - since it's not typical for them to move passenger cars, they may damage it, and the damage is on you.

And then of course all types of yearly maintenance fees can pile up.

Even so... when I think about, it sure would have been fun to own! haha.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Here's a classic in great shape:

https://ozarkmountainrailcar.com/railEquipment.php?itemId=3700&category=Passenger Equipment

Virginia City was built in 1928.
Current price is $695,000

 

[railiner]

Private rail cars probably have one thing in common with private boats, airplanes, and RV’s…your happiest day is the day you buy it, followed by the day you sell it.

 

[BlackDiamond]

Here was me thinking this was about cars, as we call automobiles in the UK...

Two nations divided by a common language . Hard to come up with a term that works for both. If you say "coach" for the UK that means a long distance bus e.g. Flixbus. "Carriage" in the US suggests something horse drawn.

Although doesn't the London Underground call their rolling stock "cars", perhaps due to the influence of one Charles Tyson Yerkes, American entrepreneur who ran many of the lines in the early 20th Century as Underground Electric Railways Ltd.

 

[basketmaker]

Here was me thinking this was about cars, as we call automobiles in the UK...

So was I.

 

[Brian Battuello]

And it's been mentioned several times above, but it is easy and free to sign up for

https://ozarkmountainrailcar.com/

You'll get a roughly weekly ad with all sorts of stuff you didn't know you needed. Also, you get to see the prices on rolling stock.

Instead of a private car, may I suggest:

https://ozarkmountainrailcar.com/railEquipment.php?itemId=4113&category=Cabooses#

Also, they don't have any at the moment, but every now and then they list a complete backyard rideable scale railroad for sale!

 

[GariYaMoshi]

And it's been mentioned several times above, but it is easy and free to sign up for

https://ozarkmountainrailcar.com/

You'll get a roughly weekly ad with all sorts of stuff you didn't know you needed. Also, you get to see the prices on rolling stock.

Instead of a private car, may I suggest:

https://ozarkmountainrailcar.com/railEquipment.php?itemId=4113&category=Cabooses#

Also, they don't have any at the moment, but every now and then they list a complete backyard rideable scale railroad for sale!

Now a caboose would be cool to have as a secondary living unit in my backyard. Sigh - it would be tough to get it moved in given the topography of our lot and I'm not sure about zoning laws either.

And then I remembered that we live in an area subject to tornadoes so guess it isn't the best idea.