see Jeff Moore page about the McCloud River Railroad locomotive roster
http://mccloudriverrailroad.com/LocomotiveRoster.htm

includes most of the purchase prices
e.g.

#4 - Baldwin 2-6-2, c/n 16239, Built 10/1898. Drivers 44", Cylinders 16x24, Weight 96,000 lbs., Boiler Pressure 160 lbs., Tractive Effort 19,000 lbs. Purchased new, cost $7,730 plus $1,355.42 freight.

#8 - Baldwin 2-6-2, c/n 18595, Built 1/1901. Drivers 44", Cylinders 16x24, Weight 107,000 lbs, Boiler Pressure 160 lbs., Tractive Effort 19,000 lbs. Purchased new, cost $9,250 plus $1,427.40 freight.

#14 - Baldwin 2-8-2, c/n 30850, Built 5/1907. Drivers 48", Cylinders 20x28, Weight 179,000 lbs., Boiler Pressure 180 lbs., Tractive Effort 35,700 lbs. Purchased new, cost $15,305 plus $2,565.39 freight and $76.32 messenger.

#17:1 - Lima 3-Truck Shay, c/n 2402, Built 2/14/1911. Drivers 36", Cylinders 14.5x15, Weight 180,000 lbs., Boiler Pressure 200 lbs., Tractive Effort 40,450 lbs. Purchased new, Cost $13,140, plus $1,549.41 freight and $57.97 break in.

Interesting 20-23 are indentical lokies just the first two from Baldwin the latter from ALCO.
Is the price issue the thing that Alco was successful with the western logging related
railroads after WW1?

#20 - Baldwin 2-6-2, c/n 57617, Built 1/1924. Drivers 46", Cylinders 17x24, Weight 132,000 lbs., Boiler Pressure 185 lbs., Tractive Effort 23,700 lbs. Purchased new, Cost $27,082.96, including purchase, freight, and break-in costs.

#21 - Baldwin 2-6-2, c/n 57618, Built 1/1924. Drivers 46", Cylinders 17x24, Weight 132,000 lbs., Boiler Pressure 185 lbs., Tractive Effort 23,700 lbs. Purchased new, Cost $27,079.16, including purchase, freight, and break-in costs.

#22 - Alco 2-6-2, c/n 66316, Built 5/1925. Drivers 46", Cylinders 17x24, Weight 130,000 lbs., Boiler Pressure 185 lbs., Tractive Effort 23,700 lbs. Purchased new, Cost $18,450, plus $1,854.62 freight and $185.53 break-in.

#23 - Alco 2-6-2, c/n 66317, Built 5/1925. Drivers 46", Cylinders 17x24, Weight 130,000 lbs., Boiler Pressure 185 lbs., Tractive Effort 23,700 lbs. Purchased new, Cost $18,450, plus $1,854.62 freight and $185.54 break-in.

Attention Diesel

#28 - Baldwin DRS-6-6-1500/ISC-8, c/n 73653. Acquired new. Cost $161,830.66 f.o.b. Eddystone, Pennsylvania, with freight equalized to Chicago, plus California use tax of $4,045.77, Eddystone to Hambone freight charges of $5,337.61, and $809.09 to prepare for service at McCloud shop.

#29 - Baldwin DRS-6-6-1500, c/n 74812, blt. 7/28/1950. 1,500 horsepower. Acquired new 8/1950. Cost $174,414.78 f.o.b. Eddystone, Pennsylvania, with freight equalized for Chicago delivery, plus California use tax of $5,269.92, freight Eddystone to Hambone of $5,800.70, and $567.70 to prepare at McCloud.

#36:2 - EMD SD38, c/n 34880, blt. 4/1969. 2,000 horsepower. Acquired new.
#37 - EMD SD38, c/n 34881, blt. 4/1969. 2,000 horsepower. Acquired new.
#38 - EMD SD38, c/n 34882, blt. 4/1969. 2,000 horsepower. Acquired new. Total purchase price of #36:2, #37, and #38 reported as $714,573.

The Arkansas Railroad Museum in Pine Bluff (Cotton Belt Historical Society) has the St Louis Southwestern equipment register cards for the early diesels... through 1958. Those cards contain original costs, both purchase, freight, and any additions. I won't be there for a week but this could provide original costs for a variety of locomotives.

Randy Hees

I for one would like to se the cost of the two PAs.

Speaking of gold, and looking at the prices of the various McCould River engines, it seems that the V&T got ripped off by Union Iron Works for the Lyon in 1869. The original contract is still extant, and as I recall, the price was $16,000 in gold for the 22 ton engine.

I suspect that the V&T paid in gold because that was the form of specie most conveniently available then.

Bretton Woods pegged the dollar at $35/oz only for a limited time: 1944 to the early Seventies (when Nixon let the dollar float). I believe many of the earlier 'dollar' values were tied to a fixed exchange rate (of 1:20 for the English pound (which is why stories relating to a 'five-pound note' intend the equivalent of a $100 bill.

Cliff Downey's Tennessee Central book has locomotive purchase prices, although I don't have a copy handy to quote.

About $435,000 in 1952 (2 Alco PA cab units).

PC

In 1924, Maine Central paid $62,296.90 for Alco Pacific #470 which is currently being restored to operation by New England Steam Corp.

What is really great about this discussion Is that some of the random price verifications being provided are closely coinciding with scribbled entries in a notebook on locomotive prices kept by an industry retiree in the 1950s. If this continues to verify accuracy, I can try to assemble those notes into a spreadsheet soon. The work is worth doing if the info is confirmed to be accurate by multiple independent sources.

PC

I just pick up a booklet from a used book store, from The Ontario & Western Railway Historical Society, from 1989, titled the "The FT's." It states that the cost, in 1945, for a FTA unit was $121,500 and a B unit was $111.000.

I read years ago, that diesels, back in the late 40's cost twice that of a new steam locomotive. On a horsepower basis. I realize on a tractive effort basis, it was a different story.

Tom Hamilton

It appears that EMD maintained the same prices for most of the FT production run and that the FT short booster used in A-B-A sets was priced the same as the long booster used in A-B sets.

I am going to attach a couple night shots from the 1989 50th Anniversary event.

PC

The Erie RR Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, dated September 20, 1955 shows that they intended to purchase "four 1200 hp Diesel switching locomotives" at an estimated cost of $117,000 each, and "six 1750 hp Diesel road switching locomotives" at $195,000 each.

The former were (most likely) SW1200's, and were eventually not-purchased, while the latter were clearly GP9s, which eventually became Erie 1260-1265 the following year.

JR

John, I can confirm the $117,000 SW1200 price but not the $195,000 GP9. I show $159,000 for the GP9. Any chance there is a typo in the documents?

PC

Preston,

Agreed that the $195,000 does seem a bit high. Attached is a snip from the file. Perhaps they made a mistake at the Board level?

JR

From Nickel Plate Road Diesel Locomotives, Kevin J. Holland, TLC Publishing:

PA-1s delivered between December 1947 and March 1948 - "Just under $205,000" each

Also, perhaps of interest:
Spare PA-1 truck, complete, $28,960 on 1-March-48
Spare NW-2 truck, complete, $13,400 on 16-February-48
Spare "Blomberg" road truck, complete, $17,750 on 16-February-48

(The last one was a billing error that was later corrected; NKP did not own any EMD road power at the time, and they were purchasing a spare yard switcher truck).

JR