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Just thinking

Old Doug

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Oct 16, 2013
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Mo
We have a RR caboose setting on some land that we want to sell so the caboose may need to be moved. I may get it sold and they will deal with it or i may have to move it to the farm or some were close buy. Its 13' tall so they hauled it on its side . I saw one years ago with a set of wheels behind it and a pintle hitch bolted to the coupling housing . I was looking at it the other day and a axle could be put under it about were the trucks were. Then the steps unbolted and a hitch built going into the coupler housing or maybe a wrecker to tow it. Its worth maybe $5000.00 so its not worth me spending alot to hire it moved. We sold anther one with its trucks in better shape a guy moved it for $3000.00 but he said that wasnt enough money to do it agin.
 

Delmer

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Jan 3, 2013
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WI
sounds reasonable to me. If you could buy/borrow a couple tandem running gears, you could put them side by side 2/3 back, then put the front on a low trailer behind a truck, or even add a hitch and pull it with a bigger truck, or farm tractor.
 

skyking1

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Nov 3, 2020
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washington
you've got me going now, Doug. I have a building in my yard that I constructed on a form panel from the sr520 bridge job. It is the double 2x6 steel channel whalers, 4x6 wood on 12" centers across that, and 1" form ply. I ripped it to 9' wide by 28' long, I think that piece is ~2000 pounds.
Then I stacked other form panels on that for the walls, and shed roof with eaves that make it 11' wide.
Best guess is it weighs 12,000 all in. I could weld on 3 mobile home axles and bolt on a tongue, and get a trip permit and wide load banner and tow it myself. I think it is 11' high from the frame up, so it would be legal height and only 11' wide if I do that. Deck loading it on a trailer pushes it right up there.
 

Old Doug

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Mo
Any guess at to what it weighs Doug?
I think around 15 tons a big one is said to weigh close to 20. Thats a deal trying to figure out what it weighs. My dad helped sell another one for a friend i called the guy that moved it he was very sketchy on any details .I ask how much and he wouldnt even talk about it until he know exactly every thing. I hope to see the guy that got it and ask how they did it. The caboose is setting on the property that is messed up. If it was simple to move i would move it to the farm and it could set until a better time or i could sell it to some one close buy.
 

gwhammy

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Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
602
Location
missouri
May sound funny but it might be easier to move on it's side on a flatbed. I know you would be 13 foot wide but that's better to deal with than 15 foot tall. Sounds like you would almost have to give it away to get someone interested. A couple big excavators or big track loaders like my 973 are the cheapest things to work with. A crane would be expensive I'm guessing. Take at least a 50 ton to get any reach at that weight I would guess.
 

suladas

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Jun 30, 2016
Messages
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Location
Canada
Can't get overheight permit to haul as is? Or get it on it's side and just winch it on a scissorneck? No cranes, hoes, or anything else needed that way and it would be a lot cheaper then $3k if it's a short move.
 

crane operator

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Mar 27, 2009
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8,275
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sw missouri
Or get it on it's side and just winch it on a scissorneck? No cranes, hoes, or anything else needed that way and it would be a lot cheaper then $3k if it's a short move.
You have no idea what you are talking about.

He's supposed to somehow get 30,000lbs from upright to on its side, and drug on a trailer, with no crane or hoes or anything? Is it just going to fall over? Have you ever tried to drag 30,000 of dead steel box onto a trailer? How is he supposed to get it back off? Hook a chain to a tree and drive away? If he's going to end up destroying it, he just as well scrap it where it sits, because there won't be anything left of the caboose when he's done. And will have ruined a trailer deck in the process. And I don't think the idea here is to destroy/ scrap the caboose.

You can get them on their side on a trailer, but you put the trailer beside the caboose and tip and let it down onto it. And then winch it back off the trailer to upright. With multiple crane/ hoe/ wrecker/ forklift. Which is probably how they got it there in the first place.

Is it on a section of rail where it sits Doug? Or just on the dirt? I like you're idea of jacking it up and getting a semi trailer axle under it. I think if you put the axle where the trucks are, you may be able to have a big wrecker with a wheel lift get under the front and pick it up and drive. How short could you get it if you extended the axle and got the wheels/tires outside of the caboose? Fab up a extended axle out of heavy square tubing? You might be able to weld up something onto the coupler and put the axle back there, but its going to make it tough if you have any tight corners.

Steps aren't bad to get off. I've also seen the top observation deck removed (cut off) for long hauls and then re installed (welded back on) once moved. But you would need a crane for that. But not near as big of a crane as if you want to load it.

I somewhere have a number for a guy that was buying and selling rail cars Doug. I also know where they are moving some static cars to, and making a rail display, and I can see if they are looking for a caboose- if you want to sell it, and then it can be their problem to move it.
 

cuttin edge

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Nov 9, 2014
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2,692
Location
NB Canada
Occupation
Finish grader operator
You have no idea what you are talking about.

He's supposed to somehow get 30,000lbs from upright to on its side, and drug on a trailer, with no crane or hoes or anything? Is it just going to fall over? Have you ever tried to drag 30,000 of dead steel box onto a trailer? How is he supposed to get it back off? Hook a chain to a tree and drive away? If he's going to end up destroying it, he just as well scrap it where it sits, because there won't be anything left of the caboose when he's done. And will have ruined a trailer deck in the process. And I don't think the idea here is to destroy/ scrap the caboose.

You can get them on their side on a trailer, but you put the trailer beside the caboose and tip and let it down onto it. And then winch it back off the trailer to upright. With multiple crane/ hoe/ wrecker/ forklift. Which is probably how they got it there in the first place.

Is it on a section of rail where it sits Doug? Or just on the dirt? I like you're idea of jacking it up and getting a semi trailer axle under it. I think if you put the axle where the trucks are, you may be able to have a big wrecker with a wheel lift get under the front and pick it up and drive. How short could you get it if you extended the axle and got the wheels/tires outside of the caboose? Fab up a extended axle out of heavy square tubing? You might be able to weld up something onto the coupler and put the axle back there, but its going to make it tough if you have any tight corners.

Steps aren't bad to get off. I've also seen the top observation deck removed (cut off) for long hauls and then re installed (welded back on) once moved. But you would need a crane for that. But not near as big of a crane as if you want to load it.

I somewhere have a number for a guy that was buying and selling rail cars Doug. I also know where they are moving some static cars to, and making a rail display, and I can see if they are looking for a caboose- if you want to sell it, and then it can be their problem to move it.
He makes a mention of where the trucks were, so I am guessing the axles are gone. That would be a lot of weight there. They moved one here that used to be a takeout. The trucks were removed and it sat on blocks. When they moved it, they removed the upper section with a boom truck, slid beams under it, and a house hauler too it away. I think it went some 2 hours away to a museum where it was used for parts. I know the railroad uses a special float for moving their own equipment, but then you are dealing with height. upload_2022-4-17_12-49-47.jpeg
 

suladas

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Jun 30, 2016
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Canada
You have no idea what you are talking about.

He's supposed to somehow get 30,000lbs from upright to on its side, and drug on a trailer, with no crane or hoes or anything? Is it just going to fall over? Have you ever tried to drag 30,000 of dead steel box onto a trailer? How is he supposed to get it back off? Hook a chain to a tree and drive away? If he's going to end up destroying it, he just as well scrap it where it sits, because there won't be anything left of the caboose when he's done. And will have ruined a trailer deck in the process. And I don't think the idea here is to destroy/ scrap the caboose.

You can get them on their side on a trailer, but you put the trailer beside the caboose and tip and let it down onto it. And then winch it back off the trailer to upright. With multiple crane/ hoe/ wrecker/ forklift. Which is probably how they got it there in the first place.

Is it on a section of rail where it sits Doug? Or just on the dirt? I like you're idea of jacking it up and getting a semi trailer axle under it. I think if you put the axle where the trucks are, you may be able to have a big wrecker with a wheel lift get under the front and pick it up and drive. How short could you get it if you extended the axle and got the wheels/tires outside of the caboose? Fab up a extended axle out of heavy square tubing? You might be able to weld up something onto the coupler and put the axle back there, but its going to make it tough if you have any tight corners.

Steps aren't bad to get off. I've also seen the top observation deck removed (cut off) for long hauls and then re installed (welded back on) once moved. But you would need a crane for that. But not near as big of a crane as if you want to load it.

I somewhere have a number for a guy that was buying and selling rail cars Doug. I also know where they are moving some static cars to, and making a rail display, and I can see if they are looking for a caboose- if you want to sell it, and then it can be their problem to move it.

Oilfield has trucks made for this purpose and moves things 10x that weight on and off trucks with only a winch. It's as simple as a winch truck with a scissorneck trailer with live roll. Unless it's a funny shape underneath with tons of places that will catch it may be a bit more difficult, there is no shortage of winch tractors that would either drag it on or tear it apart because that kind of weight ain't stopping them. Flopping it on it's side with only a winch truck is tricky, but if it was sturdy enough could be done, if it was also strong enough to be winched on it's side.

I mean my 6 ton mini hoe will drag around a 9,000lbs sea can like nothing.. A 50 ton winch wouldn't even be working on 30,000lbs.
 

gwhammy

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Nov 20, 2013
Messages
602
Location
missouri
Shows he is in Missouri so oil field equipment is basically non existent here. I think 15 feet in height is about the limit without lots of help moving around in Mo. I tore a house down a guy wanted to move about 20 miles but the cost of power line watching and moving made it cost prohibitive. The cabooses I've seen in a few towns around here are real close to the railroads. I would say a 50,000 excavator might lay it over and set it up but not sure.

Length over pulling faces of couplers 42'- 1"
Width over side plates 9'- 7"
Height, top of rail to top of smokejack 15'-6"
Weight of body 44,340 lbs.
Weight of trucks 15,560 lbs.

This is just a general spec I looked up. They are big and heavy. I also looked up an average price, it's not much I'm guessing just because of getting them moved. Basically scrap iron price.
 

cuttin edge

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CN says trucks are around 12'000 lbs each. I think he says in the OP that this unit has the trucks removed
 

Old Doug

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Mo
It was moved to the farm on its side . I dont have the trucks. I have a buddy that has a crane 2 miles away and there is a guy that i know well that has cranes he is about 12 miles away it wouldnt be free but the crane part would be ok. I dont want to spend alot to move it if its just to move it to storage if i cant get it sold. I would like to put axles under it then maybe i could move it . I need to do more measuring there is a trailer neck at the scrap yard.
 

Pops52

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Jan 19, 2016
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Penn Valley, CA
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Worn out lowbed driver "retired"
It was moved to the farm on its side . I dont have the trucks. I have a buddy that has a crane 2 miles away and there is a guy that i know well that has cranes he is about 12 miles away it wouldnt be free but the crane part would be ok. I dont want to spend alot to move it if its just to move it to storage if i cant get it sold. I would like to put axles under it then maybe i could move it . I need to do more measuring there is a trailer neck at the scrap yard.
Just thinkin here Doug, is there a railroad museum anywhere nearby that might be interested in it? Or a model railroad club? They pay the shipping & you get the donation deduction? I hauled a caboose to a railroad museum in Oceano, CA years ago. A guy gave it to them and they raised the money for crane & my lowbed.
 

Old Doug

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Just thinkin here Doug, is there a railroad museum anywhere nearby that might be interested in it? Or a model railroad club? They pay the shipping & you get the donation deduction? I hauled a caboose to a railroad museum in Oceano, CA years ago. A guy gave it to them and they raised the money for crane & my lowbed.
No but the town its close by would like to have it but them having the money to move it is another deal. I am working on several projects at the same time i need to concentrate on one at a time. I have a guy that says he wants it but he is trying to figure out what it would cost to move it. I am going to work on another prodject today getting a house ready to sell. If that guy dosent take it and i can keep my mind on the house i will put the caboose on the back burner. We dont have to do anything with the caboose or the house right away but i want to get rid of stuff that is just extra work and headaches.
 
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