Western Railroad Discussion > How much did an SD40-2 cost in 1972???

Does anyone know the price of an EMD SD40-2 in 1972, the first year they were offered? How bout a GP40-2?

Also, if you know, what was the price of an SD40T-2, i.e., an SD40 tunnel motor, in 1974, the first year of their production?

Appreciate any info you can provide.
--Schmo

---

Perhaps like the "400 Club" in Chicago (yes, right next to the C&NW main line), where hard boiled eggs were 10 cents each and two for a quarter.......

So, $100,000 each or two for $250,000.

MEKoch Wrote:
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> Perhaps like the "400 Club" in Chicago (yes, right
> next to the C&NW main line), where hard boiled
> eggs were 10 cents each and two for a
> quarter.......
>
> So, $100,000 each or two for $250,000.

That sounds a little cracked.

I recall two datapoints from Trains articles: the GP30 (1962) quoted at $250,000 each, and the SDP40Fs (1973) being $527,000 each. The SDP40F price was considered unusually high, and attributed to an unusually extensive warranty. I imagine that the SD40-2 was closer to the latter price.

TV-10, are you out there? Thought you might have some info on this.

--Schmo

Don't know about the cost of an SD40-2 but I recall
talking to a GE Rep. in Marion Ohio in March of 1975,
he said the 3 new UP U30-C's that were ready to depart
west that same day cost $350,000 each.

The road numbers were 2905, 2907, and 2909.

EMD's offering may have had similar pricing during that
era (early 1970's, adjusted for inflation of course).

Back in the early 70s, it was said that new engines cost about a dollar a pound. That would put them around $410,000 each.


Nudge

spnudge Wrote:
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> Back in the early 70s, it was said that new
> engines cost about a dollar a pound. That would
> put them around $410,000 each.
>
>
> Nudge


I was also told that this was roughly the price of a brand new GP9 (dollar a pound) when they first started coming off of the assembly lines back in the 1950s.

JDE

Steamjocky Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> spnudge Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Back in the early 70s, it was said that new
> > engines cost about a dollar a pound. That would
> > put them around $410,000 each.
> >
> >
> > Nudge
>
>
> I was also told that this was roughly the price of
> a brand new GP9 (dollar a pound) when they first
> started coming off of the assembly lines back in
> the 1950s.
>
> JDE


In the same time frame, you could buy a new car for about the same dollar a pound or maybe even a little less.

Do we win one if we guess correctly? Put me down for $375,000.

I am not sure how much the newest offerings from EMD or GE are running in terms of price...

I think it is interesting to note though that when one considers inflation from 1972 to 2005/2006 a $400,000 unit in 1972 would be equal to a $1,825,000 unit today.

It has been well established that the SD40-2 has a excellent track record, but in real terms it appears that the newest units offer a great deal more features for essentially the same money.

The new units might be less expensive than the old ones, adjusted for inflation. A BNSF employee riding on the Amtrak Cascades a few motnhs ago said that BNSF got a really good deal on their C44-9's, since they bought so many, paying "slightly more than $1 million each". I would imagine the newer GEVO based units are more expensive though.