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OlympianHiawatha

Engineer
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
4,367
Location
Norman, OK
I finally had the chance to ride a Budd RDC consist today between Fort Worth and Dallas (TRE) and was most impressed with these old dogs, considering they are as old if not older than I am. Now I am trying to figure exactly how the mechanics of these things are laid out; from what I understand each truck is directly connected to a diesel, but I am wondering what all is located in the "hump" on the roof? I did notice there are exhaust stacks for the engines up there and it was interesting watching the shadows of the stack covers bouncing up and down as the engines accelerated and decelerated

Can anyone offer a mechanical overview?
 
:eek:

OlympianHiawatha said:
I finally had the chance to ride a Budd RDC consist today between Fort Worth and Dallas (TRE) and was most impressed with these old dogs, considering they are as old if not older than I am. Now I am trying to figure exactly how the mechanics of these things are laid out; from what I understand each truck is directly connected to a diesel, but I am wondering what all is located in the "hump" on the roof? I did notice there are exhaust stacks for the engines up there and it was interesting watching the shadows of the stack covers bouncing up and down as the engines accelerated and decelerated
Can anyone offer a mechanical overview?
Click to expand...
The hump contains the bell and the 4 radiator banks and the fans to cool the two engines.

Each engine (Detroit 6-110) powers a torq converter and via a spicer drive powers the inboard axle on one truck. it also has a 15Kw 75 volt generator to provide the car with its electrical needs.

Since the power plant is 2 engines driving one axle on each truck the car does have redundancy in both power and electrica setup.
 
Dutchrailnut said:
:eek:
OlympianHiawatha said:
I finally had the chance to ride a Budd RDC consist today between Fort Worth and Dallas (TRE) and was most impressed with these old dogs, considering they are as old if not older than I am. Now I am trying to figure exactly how the mechanics of these things are laid out; from what I understand each truck is directly connected to a diesel, but I am wondering what all is located in the "hump" on the roof? I did notice there are exhaust stacks for the engines up there and it was interesting watching the shadows of the stack covers bouncing up and down as the engines accelerated and decelerated
Can anyone offer a mechanical overview?
Click to expand...
The hump contains the bell and the 4 radiator banks and the fans to cool the two engines.

Each engine (Detroit 6-110) powers a torq converter and via a spicer drive powers the inboard axle on one truck. it also has a 15Kw 75 volt generator to provide the car with its electrical needs.

Since the power plant is 2 engines driving one axle on each truck the car does have redundancy in both power and electrica setup.
Click to expand...
Thanks Dutchrailnut! That must mean some fairly elaborate plumbing running through the car. TRE has done a great job restoring these gems and it looks like they have at least a dozen or so in fleet. Hearing the engines ramp up and down almost made it sound like I was on a bus :)
 
OlympianHiawatha said:
Thanks Dutchrailnut! That must mean some fairly elaborate plumbing running through the car. TRE has done a great job restoring these gems and it looks like they have at least a dozen or so in fleet. Hearing the engines ramp up and down almost made it sound like I was on a bus :)
Click to expand...

sounds right the 6/110 power plants are basicly slanted 275 hp bus engines.

The plumbing is nothing more than a 3" riser pipe and a 3" return in same cavity where the muffler hangs.

The circulation tank with a 6" thermostat diverts the coolant either thru the circulation tank or via the radiators in the hump.
 
The bell is sometimes housed underneath the car body, I suppose it could have been moved to the dome in some models for security but it seems a rather non-logical place for a bell to me.
 
How many of these things are still around? I guess, as they were available for Texas, that there must be some quantity stored in one place or another.
 
zoltan said:
How many of these things are still around? I guess, as they were available for Texas, that there must be some quantity stored in one place or another.
Click to expand...
From what I've been able to tell watching and riding the TRE, they have about 12-15 in inventory but generally use them for slow off peak or special service, such as running to Fair Park in Dallas. I've only been able to ride them once but it made for a very enjoyable 45 minutes.
 
VIA Rail Canada also has some, although TRE is the one operator with the most RDC's.
 
Most of the TRE's RDC's are scheduled to be sold to the city of Denton to start off their new commuter line.

Eventually Denton will start using Siemen's built trains and I don't know what will happen to the RDC's after that.
 
Guest said:
VIA Rail Canada also has some, although TRE is the one operator with the most RDC's.
Click to expand...
The VIA RAIL "Railiner", the Malahat, runs from Victoria to Courtenay on a ride up beautiful Vancouver Island. The cars are very nicely refurbished with comfortable seats.

VIA's web site has a 360 deg. view of the interior.
 
RDC's have an interesting history.

They were meant for rural service mosty, though they wound up largely as commuter schedules.

A few were long distance. Such as Rock Island's Choctaw Rockette from Memphis to Amarilla.

And go to google and see the Daylight Speedliner, originally from Phillly to Pittsburg via Baltimore and WAS. Later shortened.A Batimore and Ohio train. They even worked in some diner space.

RDC's are a lot more than just "old". They were part of the brave initative to hold on to passenger traffic after the war. Place them wth domes,high level, slumbercoaches, etc.

Put it another way,"If it is stainless steel, it rocks".
 
Some time ago we stayed at Lake Winnipissake (spelling?) in New Hampshire. There was a tourist line with a handful of RDC's, old reefers and a dozen or so cabooses. I believe it was headquarters in Meredith and ran down the side of the lake at an average of 10 mph to Laconia. Anybody know if they are still running and if the RDC's are still around ?
 
Got quite a surprise when I called this morning. This tourist line has ten old RDC's; mostly of Boston & Maine origin. Most have been "de-motored" and are hauled around by an old Alco. Their season starts Memorial Day week-end. It's a very scenic ride and they even have a favorite of mine; an ice cream car !!! :lol:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Another example of an RDC which took a relatively long run was the Zephyrette. It ran at a basically opposite time of day from the California Zephyr in it's original Feather River Canyon route of the Western Paciic.

That was from Salt Lake City to San Francisco, or rather, Oakland.

It was much slower than the CZ and made many more stops.

Another example was the Meadowlark, a Chicago and Eastern Illinois train from Chicago to various southern Illinois points (these changed through the years). Also, it was not originally an RDC. Business shrunk until an RDC was adequate. Though I understand that standard coaches were still added to it when necessary, like when there would be a big load of college students.
 
Actually, DCTA will be leasing 10 of the 13 RDCs from the TRE until their 11 Stadler GTWs arrive in 2012. The DCTA plans to operate them as two car trainsets with 25 minute headways during rush hour (am and pm peaks) initially.

The TRE usually operated them between Union Station in Dallas and the Centerport Station near DFW as three and four car trainsets. I'm not sure what is planned for them after the DCTA lease.
 
The Tennessee valley rail-road museum in Chattanooga seems to have 2 or 3 of them.
 

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