12 ms·
Buy a train, bridge or tracks from the Swiss Railway
- voidUpdate 3mo agoIs it pickup only, or do they deliver as well?
- MrBuddyCasino 3mo agoWhen SBB has a bridge to sell you, you should pick it up in person.
- wongarsu 3mo agoWhen London Bridge was sold in the 1960s it was also on the buyer to pick it up from its original location and transport it to the US
- dhosek 3mo agoI remember the day I decided to finally go see the London Bridge and I drove over it three times trying to find it.
- GJim 3mo ago> I drove over it three times You tried driving in central London? Are you mad?
- dhosek 3mo agoIn case you’re not joking, London Bridge was purchased an American entrepreneur in 1968 and rebuilt in the city of Lake Havasu, Arizona. There is a persistent rumor that he thought he was buying the Tower Bridge, but in contemporaneous newspaper accounts he denied it. Nevertheless, that’s what I was expecting to see when I drove off I-40 that day—I envisioned the Tower Bridge in the middle of the desert connected to nothing which would have been something worth the trip. The actual bridge is not that much to look at.
- hydrogen7800 3mo agoI have to look this up each time I am reminded of it, to make sure it's not some absurd urban legend.
- stevekemp 3mo agoIn the TV show "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet" the plot revolves around a gang of Geordie brickies who are contracted to dismantle an iconic bridge, The Tees Transport Bridge, from England and rebuild it for a wealthy buyer in Arizona
- antonvs 3mo ago> to pick it up That was necessary because it was falling down
- bluGill 3mo agoThey can likely arrange delivery for a fee, you would need to ask.
- garyfirestorm 3mo agoDo they ship internationally
- mplanchard 3mo agoYou 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 https://www.amtrak.com/privately-owned-rail-cars
- kortilla 3mo agoIs there someone that does this frequently with a breakdown in costs and their experience? This sounds lit as a goal for an eccentric millionaire.
- mplanchard 3mo agoIf I ever get to be a millionaire, it’s certainly on my list!
- sailfast 3mo agoBuy a house first - then make another 20 million, then maybe consider this haha
- kirubakaran 3mo ago"Mark, do you have live quite so relentlessly in the real world?" -- Jeremy, Peep Show
- sailfast 3mo agoIt’s a question I ask my therapist all the time :)
- skinfaxi 3mo agoThere is a fee schedule available: https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/privatecars/Amtrak-Private-Car-Rate-Addendum-8-100125.pdf https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/p...
- xattt 3mo agoA 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 http://www.locomotives.ca
- tacostakohashi 3mo agoWhat a charming little website!
- fidotron 3mo agoCurse you. Now I have a new objective in life. For those of this persuasion in the Montreal area we have https://exporail.org https://exporail.org
- deleted 3mo ago[deleted]
- Svip 3mo agoIf 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 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSB_Class_MF [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSB_Class_MF#IR4_%22InterRegional_4%22 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSB_Class_MF#IR4_%22InterRegio...
- AnimalMuppet 3mo agoOr maybe donate it to the Illinois Railway Museum (irm.org) so that they could run it for more people than just yourself.
- user_7832 3mo agoIf we're doing hypotheticals, why not both?
- bluGill 3mo agoMost people do this as part of a club. You join the club and combine everyone's money to buy the things needed, and then everyone in the club can enjoy it.
- embedding-shape 3mo ago"Clubs" as a thing is such a great concept, and if you feel like there is some humanity missing because of all the things going on, they're real places with lots of humans and humanity in them. They work great for lots of things, from trains, computing, music to boats, puppets, gardening and whatever else. If there is no club where you live, you'll surely find at least one other member if you start it yourself :)
- james_pm 3mo agoThat is exactly how the Halton County Railway Museum near Toronto came to be. A bunch of dudes bought an old streetcar (tram) to save it from the scrappers and built a track on some property to have fun driving it around. https://hcry.org/ https://hcry.org/
- mwexler 3mo agoI 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 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_railway_clock
- hydrogen7800 3mo agoAfter my first visit to Switzerland, I knew I needed one of those clocks for my home. Unfortunately the ones available are cheap (though expensive) and don't have the second hand dwell at the top of each minute.
- game_the0ry 3mo agoThe central clock dependency is cool, but I wonder is there were any problems with latency -- like does the centralized electrical impulse reach a train station 10km away and another one at 20km at the same time? Did they factor that in?
- madaxe_again 3mo agoI know the Swiss are known for punctuality and timekeeping, but I don’t think anyone is going to notice a 33μs delay to their train.
- bluGill 3mo agoThe speed of light is copper wires is fast enough that you don't need to factor this in. At least not for human purposes.
- extraduder_ire 3mo agoEven if you did, I think the time it takes to move the second+minute hand from a stop is longer than the time it takes the signal to get there.
- bauruine 3mo agoIsn't that propagating with around the speed of light? Switzerland is only about 1 light ms wide so even if they only have one master clock instead of one per train station the latency should be negligible especially in the 1950s.
- drcongo 3mo agoI 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.
- herbst 3mo agoSome things are actually interesting and useable (as kinda normal human being, without the need for a new bridge or train)
- ez_mmk 3mo agoIf anyone is looking for a german train: https://www.db-gebrauchtzug.de https://www.db-gebrauchtzug.de
- PeterStuer 3mo agoUnfortunately no HO scale, so that's a pass for me.
- classified 3mo agoHoly fuck, they do have a bridge to sell you. Although it's only available from 2027-04-01. April fools?
- deleted 3mo ago[deleted]
- nairboon 3mo agoIt's available from 2027-04-01 to 2027-05-01, so basically deconstruction will be done during April. The bridge seems to be legit from 1876. Local news says they'd rather sell it to someone for cheap to support circular economy than throw it into the trash. https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/sbb-verkauft-historische-bruecke-aus-hinwil-678862127108 https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/sbb-verkauft-historische-brueck... You might be able to make a good deal here, buy a bridge for 100 bucks.
- fp64 3mo agoBut please note that the bridge will be available without the guard rail / fence, parts of the concrete might be missing, and the rust proofing needs a refresh!
- Leherenn 3mo agoI love how they clarify that it is used.
- secretsatan 3mo agoPretty sure that here in switzerland, demolition has to be as recyclable as possible, straight up selling the whole thing would be cost effective i guess.
- kylehotchkiss 3mo agoDo you think the Swiss have time for April fools?
- folli 3mo agoReminds me of this classic: https://youtu.be/tVo_wkxH9dU https://youtu.be/tVo_wkxH9dU
- 999900000999 3mo agoIf 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
- panick21_ 3mo agoMonorails suck and are properity garabage. Is a recepy for bad transit at increase cost.
- Zopieux 3mo agoThis. The general concept of "terrible public transport tech disguising as a good & novel idea" has a name: gadgetbahn.
- rsynnott 3mo agoThis one seems to work... surprisingly well, considering how bonkers it is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuppertal_Schwebebahn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuppertal_Schwebebahn I've always wondered why they've been so generally unsuccessful; conventional elevated rail works fairly well, and at least in theory they should be much cheaper and less obtrusive.
- panick21_ 3mo agoI didnt say they dont work. You just end up with highly costume properitery stuff.
- rsynnott 3mo agoSure, but there's no reason that _has_ to be the case. Like, there've been attempts at standards; the volume is just never really there to make any of them _the_ standard. Underground metro systems mostly started off as deeply weird and proprietary, as well (look at this one, weird gauge, tiny little trains, originally _cable_ operated: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Subway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Subway), but nowadays they're _fairly_ standard, say.
- DubiousPusher 3mo agoIf you're in the US and this excites you, you'll probably enjoy GSA auctions. https://gsaauctions.gov/ https://gsaauctions.gov/
- thazework 3mo agothought these would be NFTs but i guess we're not in 2021
- kylehotchkiss 3mo agoWow CA HSR should just buy these and put them down between the lanes of the 5.
- adityamwagh 3mo agoThey are selling a bridge?? https://sbbresale.ch/offers/6a19702ea15ad61283c952ae https://sbbresale.ch/offers/6a19702ea15ad61283c952ae
- cybrox 3mo agoWhy not? I'm pretty sure they know roundabout what it would cost to tear it down, so why not see if someone is willing to buy it because they think they can get the work done cheaper and make a profit off the raw material.
- extraduder_ire 3mo agoThere's an idiom in US english, "and if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you", meant to imply that someone is gullible. It's usually what's being referred to when someone is talking about selling a bridge, and is a source of humour when someone actually sells a bridge. It's in reference to the criminal exploits of confidence man George C Parker.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_C._Parker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_C._Parker
- adityamwagh 3mo agoI'm not against it. It's just that it's the first time seeing a bridge being sold in my life.
- Symbiote 3mo agoThe opposite -- it said elsewhere they will accept a low offer if it means the historic bridge is preserved.
- Stevvo 3mo agoThe 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.
- throwaway85825 3mo ago3000 is the address not the price, which is "upon request".
- Stevvo 3mo agoThat is the RABe 520. On the 2nd page of vehicles there are ABt trains with a listed price of CHF 3000.
- TylerE 3mo agoThat last bit is the killer, from their website,machine translated: "The buyer is responsible for organizing loading, transport, customs clearance, etc., as well as any associated costs. The vehicles are available immediately and are delivered uncleaned from the storage location (Bonfol train station). " It's always the same deal with rail stuff. You can find old cars for cheap (locomotives not so much, they tend to be worth a lot more than scrap value in spares). The catch is always the transport. I've seen this more than a time or two on rail enthusiast forums. Somebody buys an old caboose or boxcar to just drop behind their house for a couple grand.... and then discovers it's gonna cost at least 3-4x that to move even a few miles. Usually need a heavy duty low boy trailer (https://heavyhaulers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/lowboy-2-768x576.jpg https://heavyhaulers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/low...) and a fairly heavy duty crane at both ends.
- lynguist 3mo agoThis 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.
- s1artibartfast 3mo agoThe 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.
- s1artibartfast 3mo agoThis is different from the swiss air resuce and ambulence fleet Rega, which is entirely private. It is funded by volunatry insurance paid by the swiss citizens and the annual premium is about 40 CHF for coverage.
- Matumio 3mo agoNot quite, at least 50% of rescue costs will be paid via normal mandatory health insurance (just like when you need an ambulance car). Or 100% if you have a supplementary health insurance for transport. For CHF 40 you can become a Rega patron and then they will usually pay whatever the insurance didn't cover, I think, but technically they don't have to.
- amunozo 3mo agoAnd employee told me that SBB is the second biggest landlord in the country and real state is its most profitable branch. I cannot confirm it, though.
- mamonster 3mo agoThey are the 2nd biggest after Swisslife (I think?), but the profitability is kind of a bad metric because they are required to both fund their pension fund (36 thousand employees) and invest into infrastructure from this money. They make something like 250mio CHF before their commitments to infra + pensions and only have 30 million left over. There are now a lot of complaints/demands that they should be required to make more affordable housing with their portfolio.
- amunozo 3mo agoI wonder how usable are these trains for other European countries. Seems like a steal if any of them can fit your needs.