AN ANALYSIS OF FREIGHT CAR INVESTMENT

This paper is a condensation of a study by the author on optimum freight car investment. He describes the model he has developed in which marginal revenue from a car is a function of the number of cars owned by the railroad, the number of cars in the national fleet, car service rules, per diem charge and car demand. He shows that marginal revenue declines as the number of cars a railroad owns increases, and examines the effects of various policies, such as government purchase of cars and a change in car service rules, on the size of individual fleets.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Included in Freight Transportation: A Digest of Technical Papers, a report sponsored by the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Dot, RRIS 17 144088 7701.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Systems Center

  55 Broadway, Kendall Square
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142
• Authors:
  • Oiesen, J F
• Publication Date: 1976-10-28

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 139-147
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Transportation Systems Center
  • Publisher: Transportation Systems Center

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Car service rules; Car supply (Railroads); Contract rates; Fleet management; Investments; Mathematical models; Planning; Policy making; Railcar ownership
• Uncontrolled Terms: Per diem
• Old TRIS Terms: Car supply; Fleet planning
• Subject Areas: Economics; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00157948
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: International Union of Railways
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-TSC-OST-77-68 Tech Paper
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 15 1977 12:00AM