Can You Buy A Train?

Question

My Idea is that can you buy a train car and have a train company rent it and you get the earnings from that train car? If not ill start a business based off that idea.

Answer 1

I probably could but I don't know about your financial situation.
There were investment companies that would put your money into sea containers making you a return on the leasing charge. A good idea until there was suddenly a surplus in sea containers and you started to have to pay storage fees rather than receiving an income.
I'm sure there are specialist investment companies who would offer you a similar deal on rail rolling stock.
The clue is the word investment, you would first need the funds to consider such a deal.
Me I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole but good luck with your idea you only have the main rolling stock leasing companies to deal with. Do you think large companies actually own any equipment these days? It's all leased.

Answer 2

There are businesses doing exactly that e.g. in the UK they are known as RoSCo's (Rolling Stock leasing Companies) and the TOC's (Train Operating Companies) lease trains from them. However no big operator would be interested in renting a single vehicle - they usually want a whole fleet of trains, provided by a leaser with a maintenance facility.

Answer 3

you obviously haven't thought this thru. Unless your intending on investing several hundred thousand, and already have an entity in mind that intends to lease them from you. I'm sure you haven't considered the federal licensing and certifications, liabilities, bonding,maintenance.Not to mention logistics,line fees,siding fees, huge medieval-aggressive competitors. Most large freight companies, shipping companies, power houses, factories, etc. own their own.
My impression is that you've got the same notion that someone else put to use 200 years ago.

Answer 4

Yes. But you pay by the mile to use there track to move it. As far as cars go. Many companies own there own. Railroads own very few cars. Just the track & engines belong to them.

Answer 5

There is something in the rail business called competition. The big boys will kill you. Just buy their stock. Dividends every 3 months, steady appreciation growth every year.

Answer 6

Instead buy shares in Real Estate Investment Trusts. (REITS). They seldom go up in value bit they provide a regular dividend that goes up with rents. With these you own a share of a large collection of rental buildings.
I have REIT share for office buildings, others for Malls, some for medical buildings and some for apartment buildings. I make a nice steady 5 to 9% return in investment.

I have shares in buildings all over Canada, the USA and Europe. I even on about 2 square feet of my primary care doctor's office through a REIT that owns several million square feet of strip malls.

Answer 7

AAAAAaaaaaahhhhhhh.....NO!

Answer 8

good idea but you will need your own tracks
the companies will make sure that your train doesn't run on time because your are competition

Answer 9

Buy stock in a leasing company like UTLX or GATX.

Answer 10

You are so far out of your depth.