Jack, this one is for you. I know that each RR was probably charged a different amt based on order size, RR specific requirements etc. What I am looking for is a best guess for A and B units around 1947.
Thanks.
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Got this info from google
EMD F7 (1950-52): $163,670~ (based on Cotton Belt paying $7,037,865 for 43 x F7A and F7B units from 1950-52) [1]
Glad SOMEBODY found it. I Googled for 20 min. or so, and then went upstairs to my "technical Library" , and couldn't find any pricing information.
Based on the value of the dollar compared to today, about 1 million and a half bucks. Not cheap.
jim pastorius posted:Based on the value of the dollar compared to today, about 1 million and a half bucks. Not cheap.
I suppose everything is relative. When I was working in the Sales Engineering Dept. at EMD, back in the early 1970s, we used to joke that the base price for a new GP40 was less per pound than the current price for ground beef!
Thanks guys. The reason I posed this question is I just finished watching a Green Frog video about the California Zephyr. One interesting fact was that the price of the CZ cars ranged from $135,000 to $149,000 each. That is very close to 1,000 times the price of the latest version of the Atlas -O cars, which carry an msrp of $135 - $145.
Looks like the price of the power from EMD is a way better bargain then the Atlas powered F-units.... msrp $520.
jim pastorius posted:Based on the value of the dollar compared to today, about 1 million and a half bucks. Not cheap.
What would a newly manufactured similar loco cost? I can't imagine you could get one for $1.5 million.
Which of today's locos would be comparable?
GVDobler posted:jim pastorius posted:Based on the value of the dollar compared to today, about 1 million and a half bucks. Not cheap.
What would a newly manufactured similar loco cost? I can't imagine you could get one for $1.5 million.
Which of today's locos would be comparable?
There are no locomotives today that are "comparable" to a late 1940s/early 1950s diesel unit. Today's modern AC traction units approach 2 million dollars each for over 4000HP.
There has been so much inflation in the last 40 years or more you have to keep things relative and I think the price of beef is a good benchmark. Using that, I paid $4,000 for a 69 Z28 new Camaro, one of the hottest cars on the road, and it weighed between 3200 and3500 lbs. A little more than $1/lb. Dog food is more than that today and you couldn't buy the equivalent car today. I tuned and fixed mine in the driveway-not today. So everything is relative.
