Just how much does a redundant diesel locomotive cost to buy?

[4SRKT]

If the railway company concerned is going to sell it for scrap, does it have any value other than its scrap value? Obviously there are a lot of other costs to consider once you've actually bought the thing, but what is the first cost of something that would otherwise be scrapped?

 

[eos]

Scrap value typically £20,000 - £30,000.. but like an old car , its worth what someone will pay, even for scrap.

 

[4SRKT]

Scrap value typically £20,000 - £30,000.. but like an old car , its worth what someone will pay, even for scrap.

Thanks for that. £200-£300 per ton for scrap? That seems very high I have to say. Obviously if there are other bidders than scrap dealers it will put up the price, but what if the only fate for something is scrap (i.e. not a class 37 )? Surely you wouldn't have to offer much more to outbid the scrap dealers.

 

[eos]

£200-£300 per ton for scrap? That seems very high I have to say.

Eeeehhh ! must try that one on the second hand car dealer next time!!
That is scrap dealer price. Why not try finding out how much loco's have been fetching in the EWS tenders lately, about the only seller of 'scrap' loco's at the moment..

 

[4SRKT]

Whatever happens, if I want to buy something I'm going to have to start saving hard!

 

[theblackwatch]

Whatever happens, if I want to buy something I'm going to have to start saving hard!

And buying it is only a small part of the cost of owning a loco!

 

[Oracle]

Years ago, Dai Woodham told me that he bought the two WR diesels with a view to selling them on to preservationists. No-one was interested, and in the end he broke them. However the engines had an intrinsic value, and were sold for further use in fishing craft. I would imagine that, as in the States, diesel engines from scrapped locos are worth real money, and after refurbishment costs, could be useful to other operators or in a stationary set-up with generator.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

and there's not a shortage of used diesel generators on the market.

An older engine by itself could struggle to find a buyer

 

[royaloak]

The easy answer is naff all compared to the costs of restoration and running the thing.

 

[37401]

Whatever happens, if I want to buy something I'm going to have to start saving hard!

Ive got £2 you can borrow

 

[4SRKT]

Ive got £2 you can borrow

Well, I'm not Rockefeller, so every little helps! Seriously I'm not really trying to buy a loco, but seeing as so many locos seem to get preserved (especially 37s), and there aren't really that many enthusiasts (I work in a company employing about 1,000 people, and I am one of only two known cranks. If this is in any way representative, it means society is composed of 99.8% normals!), I got to wondering just how much these things cost.

If I came by a large sum of money I would of course consider buying something. Not a 37 though.

Are 37s the only type of mainline loco whose class number is lower than the number of examples that have been preserved?

 

[WatcherZero]

Quite often though you will see a preservation society buy something then spend more than a decade trying to get the funds for restoration, sometimes even giving up and disposing or selling them on.

 

[E&W Lucas]

Thanks for that. £200-£300 per ton for scrap? That seems very high I have to say. .

Don't forget that a loco contains a substantial amount of copper, which has a far higher scrap value.

There is also the value of components that can be salvaged for re - use.

 

[Multiple Unit]

Offten Leasing companies will sell off renudant / end of life Locomotives and such for arround £1,00 to forfill the books legaly but the cost of moving it and storing it is down to your self which increases your cost.

 

[37401]

Are 37s the only type of mainline loco whose class number is lower than the number of examples that have been preserved?

01s: 2
02s: 6
03s: 51
04s: 18
08s: 56
14s: 16
20s: 22
37s: 45


Thats all the locos whose preservation number is greater than the class number