by mplanchard
4 subcomments
- You can pay Amtrak to haul your train car around[0], so you’ve just got to figure out a way to get the car from Switzerland to the US, and then you can really get around in style.
[0]: https://www.amtrak.com/privately-owned-rail-cars
- I just want the clocks. Mondaine tries, but they aren't the same. That 58.5 second rotation then pause is quite clever.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_railway_clock
- If I was filthy rich, I'd buy a plot of land near a railway line (that is at least attached to the main lines), build my own siding, and buy one of DSB's IC3 MUs[0], maybe also an IR4 MU[1], so they can together ride on electrified and non-electrified tracks. Then refurbish their interior, install as many signal compatibility systems, and, for the IR4, have it support as many overhead voltage systems as possible. I have a soft spot for the MF/ER class trains.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSB_Class_MF
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSB_Class_MF#IR4_%22InterRegio...
- A similar option is available in North America (1).
Very niche, and it’s run by Larry Paikin, 93-year-old father of legendary Canadian journalist Steve Paikin.
(1) http://www.locomotives.ca
- If anyone is looking for a german train:
https://www.db-gebrauchtzug.de
by 999900000999
3 subcomments
- If I was rich I’d go to a small town in a developing country and create a monorail. I’d buy up a 4km by 4km plot of land and create a car free city ( aside from emergency vehicles).
Free public transport, bikes and shoes for everyone
- The prices are really quite good for a country where everything is so expensive. Only 3000 for an aluminium rail car. Probably the scrap metal value is higher than 3000, although you could spend far more than 3000 transporting it to the scrap yard.
by s1artibartfast
2 subcomments
- The Swiss Federal Railways is a really interesting organizational model. It is run as government owened private corporation. it can issue it's own bonds and the swiss states (cantons) enter purchase contract negotiations with it for service.
The federal goverment beurocrats provide arms length objectives, and the coorporation figures out how to acheive them.
SBB profits do not feed into the government general fund, but must be used by the corporation to pay down its debt or invest in future infrastructure and services.
- I wonder how usable are these trains for other European countries. Seems like a steal if any of them can fit your needs.
by DubiousPusher
0 subcomment
- If you're in the US and this excites you, you'll probably enjoy GSA auctions.
https://gsaauctions.gov/
by PeterStuer
0 subcomment
- Unfortunately no HO scale, so that's a pass for me.
- I came quite close to buying a tube carriage a couple of years ago but it was slightly too long for where I wanted to put it.
- Some things are actually interesting and useable (as kinda normal human being, without the need for a new bridge or train)
by kylehotchkiss
0 subcomment
- Wow CA HSR should just buy these and put them down between the lanes of the 5.
by garyfirestorm
0 subcomment
- Do they ship internationally
- This makes me think of two things:
1: Everything can be bought and sold in this economy, and all the large and weird machines we pass by in our lives have whole production lifecycles where there are firms specialized in making them, and those that use them, and for money everything can be had.
2: In the 90s and 2000s in Switzerland the "warehouse sales" resulting from decommissioning companies and offices were rampant! There was a certain wealth and breadth and a minimum of equipment needed to do any work, and there was also a certain pride in using good equipment. The 90s/2000s switch to the neoliberal economy and getting by with less and less led to many mergers and obsoletions and the like and many beautiful products could be had. Some had also just ran their time. For example drawing tables from the pre CAD days. The world is grand and I'm nostalgic about the days of abundance and overengineering, but I don't mind they won't come back.
by classified
3 subcomments
- Holy fuck, they do have a bridge to sell you. Although it's only available from 2027-04-01. April fools?
by voidUpdate
2 subcomments
- Is it pickup only, or do they deliver as well?
by adityamwagh
1 subcomments
- They are selling a bridge??
https://sbbresale.ch/offers/6a19702ea15ad61283c952ae
- thought these would be NFTs but i guess we're not in 2021
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