Engines of Metro North Budd RDC

[@jhardman4534]

What a wonderful tribute to the BUDD Company. During those years of the 1940 and 1950 I lived in Bethayres, PA and as such always kept an eye out for the new RDC's being built at the BUDD Company plant on Red Lion Rd just up the road from my home. I always watched for the new RDC's being built for their customers as they would park the new cars on a siding near the Bethayres RR station for pickup and delivery to customers around the country. Im now 90 and remember those times like they were yesterday. What a great story the BUDD Company has to tell about those trains. Jim Hatboro, PA

[@F40PH-2CAT]

It's amazing that no one could manufacture a quality replacement for these things....they still make sense today.

[@hughmoore786]

F40PH-2CAT I am sure they could . . . but money talks . . . and what is says is usually nonsensical ! ! !

[@rwboa22]

With today's technology, you would think that they could take the RDC-I car design and make a hybrid version out of it (as well as a single cab-end version that would be half of a "married pair" consist like SEPTA's Silverliner II and Arrow electric m.u. used by NJT's predecessors).

[@nyrailfan202]

It is for sure possible

[@Shipwright1918]

RDC's are like Douglas DC-3's, only replacement for 'em is to get another one.

[@nyrailfan202]

Yup

[@trainglen22]

Agreed. Lord knows that VIA could use some for some corridor trains.

[@leecornwell5632]

IF they would have kept the Putnam railroad line tracks up these trains would of been running on the Harlem Hudson river line for private sure line. Look at maybrook Connecticut line they have a trailer and rails. This is what the Putnam has now is the green way Putnam trailer. The next thing is definitely gonna happen again is the rails . If you ride your bike pass Tibbitsbrook putmam trailer where the Putnam railroad tracks used to be you will see painting numbers tryakl 4 T and six white lines. Something is about to come back I'm telling you. As you go to vancourtland park putmam dibble trestles you will see the righting numbers 104 . You know they are definitely setting back up is to have trains alone side the Putnam trailer just like maybrook Connecticut.

[@douglasgreene923]

And I truly second that motion I remember very well, and I, too, am going on 81 years. It was a special time in a child’s life for sure even Lionel model elect.trains had the same thought.

[@dirt_lot_photography]

That music at 8:09 made me thought I changed videos for a minute lol 😅 sorry, big fan of Technology Connections, but I’m also an increasing fan of your work!

[@glenbearh9109]

I used to take them often. I'd get on at Yonkers Getty Square and get transfer to the Budd's at Croton to Poughkeepsie. Two things I recall is one, how warm they were on Winter rides and two, some were very slow! I watched the driver laugh about how he had it full throttle and it was barely going 40mph. Getting on in Poughkeepsie often had several style cars and diesels which was very neat. I was visiting my brother as lived in the Bronx. I ended up moving there to work for the State hospital and now am in Manhattan and Dutchess county-lucky me!

[@manningburke421]

Back in early 1970s I was riding near the front of a CNR RDC eastbound to Sydney Nova Scotia,just cruising at about 40 mph near the remote village of Monastery N.S. A preceding freight ahead had a couple of cars and a caboose still on the main line from a siding, but they had put out two track torpedos and a flagman, the torpedos went off like two shotgun blasts under the RDC, luckily as a rail fan I was ok, but it sure woke up the passengers. We stopped in lots of time of course.

[@TomHoffman-uw7pf]

I rode a very strange commuter train in the fall of 1967. B&O train #37 (Washington-Brunswick MD). It consisted of an E-8 or E-9, two RDC-1s, and a B&O office car. The normal consist was just the two RDCs. That night, though, B&O gave a royal sendoff to a longtime conductor on his last day before retirement. It made a bizarre-looking train, but I've never seen a photo of it. Apparently, the local railfan community didn't get wind of it in time. I made my way to the rear platform of the office car. A trainman soon shooed me off. I detrained at Silver Spring. As I worked a short distance from Washington Union Station, I did this all the time. The rail fare was 40 cents if I had a ticket, 50 cents if I didn't.

[@davidking3096]

I use to ride the Budd RDC between Owen Sound Ontario and Toronto. We called them Dayliners. Loved it. Every day we use to watch for the Dayliner from Toronto. Miss those days

[@nyrailfan202]

Yes

[@trainluvr]

As Johnny Carson would say repeatedly "Did not know that". Great report, and it felt like ten minutes, not 24. When I worked at Metro North planning in the 80s I was on a job to Dover Plains on a hot day. The two car RDC shuttle was supposed to terminate at Brewster North but for some reason was needed at GCT. So me and any passengers that wanted to got a non-stop or one or two stop ride on the whole electrified portion of the Harlem line. The A/C was out and there was a strong wind through the cars, seasoned with diesel exhaust all the way to the terminal. Another memorable ride was on the Waterbury shuttle. I heard what sounded like a rock hit the car body, we made an emergency stop and the police soon arrived. It wasn't a rock but a trespasser's noggin. That fatality added an hour to the trip.

[@nyrailfan202]

The olden days

[@gandlar5489]

These were great trains👍 Remembered these trains when I was younger

[@nyrailfan202]

of coarse

[@oliviawhite8833]

Same

[@tom-and-mom]

20:56 20:57 do to the city

[@RobertValinsky]

I used to see these RDCs all the time on the new haven RR waterbury branch. I loved the hancock chime whistles that these RDCs had. I remembered that sometimes the NHRR borrowed an RDC from if I remember correctly the new york central RR . I remember that the nyc RDCs had leslie S3K horns.

[@Dbodell8000]

The WCRA museum in Squamish BC Canada has preserved two retired RDC's. Both former BC Rail units RDC - 3 BC 33 and RDC-1 BC 21.

[@marcleslac2413]

Dont forget rapido trains inc saving a via unit

[@hughmoore786]

💜✌ I was commuting from Acton to Boston North Station during the winter of 77-78 on these B&M commuter cars . . . They were smooth . . . quiet . . . and very comfortable . . . the B&M rail system was entirely different story ! ! !

[@johndonlon1611]

Terrific video. Amtrak's short-lived Blackhawk service (1974-1981) from Chicago to Dubuque, IA used these in 3-car sets. They were comfortable on the Illinois Central's sketchy track and did their job well.

[@qdogccfc8258]

It was the jet engines used on M-497 that were also used on the McDonnell Douglas F4E phantom

[@marcusfountain1694]

I grew up on the Reading at Wayne Junction and waited for the RDC into PHL over those ancient Electrics they were running . and also lived a couple blocks from Budds Hunting Park complex, and a bunch of our neighbors worked there. Although im sure these were built at the Red Lion rd plant.

[@nonewherelistens1906]

Well researched video. My cousin, and his father before him, worked for the Budd Company in Philadelphia. I am sure they had a hand in the production of the units.

[@BruceFJRay]

Thank you for this video. Sure brought back memories for an old man. Many years ago, when I was young, I saw the RDCs of the Susquehanna running all the time. I grew up two city blocks from the Susquehanna, in Paterson, NJ. Remember them well on the Paterson City branch, at the downtown Paterson passenger station..

[@ICUNA22]

Excellent presentation!! This is the most comprehensive RDC video that I have found! Thanks!

[@trainglen22]

Fantastic video. I have only been on a CP RDC on a Montreal West Island commuter train.

[@bruceraykiewicz6274]

Thank you for this very interesting video. BTW, I grew up two city blocks from the New Yor, Susquehanna and Western RR, in the north end of the city of Paterson, NJ. The Susie Q had like 4 of the original demonstrator Budd cars(no low pilot shields on the car ends). I saw their RDCs often when I was a kid. I remember them sharing terminal trackage with ERIE RR commuter trains in Jersey City terminal. I recall, that they always sounded like a NJ Public Service bus. BECAUSE, when new, they had GMC bus engines.

[@POUNCEMAN1]

Terrific Video ,, about 40 plus years ago ,,, i would ride RDC's from Toronto to Niagara Falls,, I truly remember the smell of diesel in the car,, always loved them ,, I have a HO Scale Model of one in the collections ,, thx for sharing ,,,

[@wigsy99]

Yes remember those RDC’s from VIA, took them many times from Hamilton to Toronto and a couple of times to Niagara Falls

[@paulgoodman8476]

Remember these bad boys on Waterbury division of the New Haven. Ran right by a crossing at grade down the road from my house in the late 50's and all through the 60's. Love the simple efficiency.

[@michaelgilmartin1507]

Awesome video, I remember these running through Harriman, Central Valley NY in the 80's. They sure did smoke!

[@Mark-Milw42]

Well done! "A" plus homework and presentation!

[@jerryconnors8663]

Great video and the best I’ve seen on the Budd RDC’s. As a kid, when visiting Niagara Falls (‘51-‘53) I’d see them in the the Falls sta, the NYC “Beeliner”. They shuttled between Niagara Falls and Buffalo.

[@jafo610]

Outstanding Job! Very detailed.

[@nah_144]

The boost of confidence is great! I enjoyed it. I am inspired to start a series called Engines of LIRR.

[@holdenleeb2312]

Sounds like a good idea!

[@nah_144]

@@holdenleeb2312 Thanks!

[@McDonnellDouglasMD--]

Great video, it said like it was very well researched and great work I’d like to say Over here in Australia, where the middle state did known as South Australia in 1950 we hed three bud cars CB1 CB2 CB3 and they were used as a trial period to test the capabilities, which latest designed into own train based on the bud, car known as the red hen and the blue birds the blue birds, where are regional rail train blue named after the bluebird of course 21. With built. For baggage cars that were Trail cars and powered cars. Oh for baggage car, sadly enough, someone told me they were bought by Indian Pacific and scrapped because I didn’t meet the standards or whatever reason some reasonable scrapped I can’t remember the exact story, for the reason of them being scrapped I just know they were scrapped. I know there was a reason I can’t remember off the top my head. As for the others, they were all sent to storage and they were going to be used again on regional rail for the Barossa one Valley line and no one is the boss of win train but in 2003. That line closed and all of them as of now excluding one accrue cars over here in 2020 or 2021. The Barossa one train was sold to one rail and aurizon when one rail was bought out by aurizon then in 2023 January 5, they were taken away from the railway museum which the museum didn’t own, but the guy who owned them sold them off to be converted to crew car so now there’s only one bluebird left in existence that is operational and as for those three bluebirds, the Barossa win train, they were unique as as they’re driving cab in the Trail cars were removed They buff a car installed in one of the trial units on the windows for the front driving cab in the Trail cars were removed along with the back windows in the power cars they had up to 810 kW engines, I forget what that is in horsepower As for the red hens, we had them the nineteen fifties to 1997 but yeah if it wasn’t for the bad car we wouldn’t have the red hands are blue birds but this is just a cool story that I know about the blue birds and the red hen

[@RobertEHunt-dv9sq]

Great video. Excellent presentation and background information. Very interesting. Used your video to help me build my RDC for my HO layout. The details shown in your video assisted me greatly. Many thanks.

[@nyrailfan202]

Thank you

[@mariogrenier7707]

Très intéressant . Merci beaucoup.

[@crotonwest533]

I saw them at Croton Harmon during the 70's . I miss that era !

[@stephensardos6418]

Great video on the RDC's. Just to clarify... The Pennsylvania RR never owned rdc cars. They used Brill "doodlebugs". However, their subsidiary, Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in which the Pennsy owned 2/3 of with the Reading, owned 12 of them. 9/12 still exist with 8 of them being preserved in Tuckahoe, NJ on the Cape May Seashore Lines. And I saw that the rdc split (where 2 cars would go to Cape May-Wildwood, 1 car Ocean City) in Tuckahoe was featured in a couple clips throughout the video.

[@NeedtoSpeak]

Absolutely correct. The Reading Railroad used these cars on the Fix Chase Newtown line through the early 70’s, as well as other lines.

[@kevinwong6588]

@@NeedtoSpeak Fox Chase-Newtown until 1983, later years as a transit (not rail) service. There was a fatal crash with a fuel tanker around 1982.

[@mikeingeorgia1]

I was fortunate to be able to run one of these on the Fayette Central Railroad in Pennsylvania before the RDC had to be returned to the B&O Museum. It was a very unique experience. There’s no cushion between you and anything you might hit though, like on a regular locomotive.

[@rayisland23]

My uncle was plant manager of Budd in Philadelphia back in the 60's and 70's

[@BudTheDrummer]

The only RDCs I saw on the New Haven at Peck or State Street from the mid '60's to the mid '70's were RDC1s in service to Springfield from New Haven with stops in Hartford and Berlin, (I assume Wallingford, also) on tracks 5 and 6. Mr. Guilianni of Savin Rock Fame had one with a rare NH nose in storage at Cedar Hill Yard's former transfer Facility until it was razed and I believe it now resides at the Danbury Railway Museum in CT. They sure burned oil as indicated by the blue smoke.

[@AndrewTheRadarMan]

Can you make a video about the Stadler RS1 VT650? It's a single car DMU used all around here in Europe. It looks like a modern interpretation of the RDC.

[@ginogalante]

Great video! You should do the SPV-2000, GP35, and the West of hudson locomotives

[@nyrailfan202]

Thinking about what will come immediately next

[@cats0182]

As I remember it, the SPV-2000 was supposed to be the successor to the RDC. Unfortunately, it was a colossal failure. It was derisively called the "Seldom Powered Vehicle". It was based on the then-current AMFLEET coach body. It, directly or indirectly, led to the demise of the Budd Company. I continue to wonder how they could have failed so badly given the iconic reliability/status of the RDC.

[@isakjohansson7134]

Why do you not have more subscribers? Great video! 👍 The RDC is really cool

[@nyrailfan202]

Thanks

[@alphatangovideo5308]

Can anyone shed more light on the configuration shown at 10:26 - it looks like the RDC is pulling an unpowered streamlined car of some sort (note no radiators on the roof). I noticed this arrangement in a couple of the other photos. Was this a regular configuration for some operators? Did the other coach have a cab that could control the RDC, or would it have had to run around at the end of the line and recouple?

[@Neillan]

Glad to see this series is back!

[@nyrailfan202]

So am I

[@leecornwell5632]

I have a Question. How long ago did this train came back and how long you saw this?

[@trainst]

At 11:46 there is another set preserved at the hobo railroad in NH

[@iannarita9816]

ian narita 1 second ago Budd's Achilles Heal was their inability with propulsion systems. This played out with the R-32's(to a lesser extent), Metroliners, and the SPV's(seldom powered vehicles). With Sephora trainsets, the RDC's, and others the propulsion systems were by and large designed by others. Sometimes they got good subcontractors , sometimes not.

[@naddyt6520]

Great video!

[@nyrailfan202]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@rainbowrailroadcrossing7798]

11:33 I saw that at the hobo railroad in Lincoln NH

[@bobbates373]

In Walpole nh there are 2 RDC units parked with ny central railroad logo

[@beelineenthusiast]

Geez from 1949-Present Day. Impressive!

[@beelineenthusiast]

68 Yrs is crazy

[@nyrailfan202]

Imagine something built today lasting anywhere near that long

[@beelineenthusiast]

@@nyrailfan202 Imagine! Surprisingly when I first saw this video, I thought "Man these trains dont sound to good" but overall I was suprised

[@sardu55]

I always wondered why the rail lines didn't work on business plans to augment RDC service. It seemed like they just purchased the cars and then put them on various routes which had low ridership or use. And, to comply with actual or possible ICC actions against them. This would have been a great chance for the government and private rail lines to come together and create something to provide this type of service. RDC didn't replace well used routes but became, in reality, a modern version of the old interurban lines. Working together they could have provided funding and the rail lines expertise to run and maintain the service. The ICC was constantly put in the position of playing bad guy to the rail lines by demanding they provide service to lines that fit the category of RDC routes. Often, they did use RDC cars to provide the service and hoped the ICC would allow them to end the service ASAP. Had they worked together, maybe established a concern to run these services, it might have worked and maybe created a blueprint for future operations. There are so many places in the history of US commuter and passenger service where had some people actually tried to make it work you have to wonder why they never did anything.

[@Wes8761]

Great video

[@nyrailfan202]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@oliviawhite8833]

Man I love your videos

[@nyrailfan202]

Thanks very much

[@Robbi496]

For a short time, they were also used on The Blackhawk between Chicago and Dubuque, IA

[@nyrailfan202]

On Amtrak?

[@JKeddy]

VIA Rail currently only has one RDC-1, three RDC-2s, and two RDC-4s.

[@SomeRamdomAhole]

This was really good man 💪🏾💪🏾

[@nyrailfan202]

Thanks very much

[@jonathanng2390]

LIRR had some RDCs but stopped using them after a fatal accident killed the engineer. I believed it happened in 1967 where the RDC struck a dump truck that failed to yield.

[@Dbodell8000]

BC 21 was a former Reading unit prior to being purchased by BC Rail in 1983.

[@kevinwong6588]

If ex-RDG would have been SEPTA when sold in 1983. Possibly surplus when R8 Newtown service got axed?

[@Dbodell8000]

@@kevinwong6588 Yes I believe #9156 was it's number

[@Dbodell8000]

Yes I believe it was # 9156.

[@thealexpshow782]

Wes owns 2 sets of budd rdc. So epic

[@warrenwilson4818]

Where did you get the pronunciation of "Om-trak" from? My memory of RDCs running through Bound Brook, NJ in the early '50s consisted mainly of their unusual throbbing sound, which I have yet to hear on any videos. Mar. 18, 2023, St. Joseph, MO. (I'm 78.)

[@NorthEasternMotionProductions]

20:31 that ones in North Conway

[@christherailfan5851]

Yay, great work!

[@nyrailfan202]

Thank you

[@christherailfan5851]

nyrailfan 202 no problem

[@christherailfan5851]

You are almost at 1,000

[@Trainzer767uR1ckr0l1]

Yay another engines of Metro North

[@nyrailfan202]

Yup its coming back!

[@kevincurtis6550]

Nice history on the Budd RDC's. I remember them running on the New Haven Railroad during the 1960's. We used to call them "beeliners" because how fast they ran on the rails. Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum in Lenox has in their possession former New Haven Budd RDC 42 the "Firestone." I rode the Budd New Haven RDC 41 at RMNE in Thomaston. I'm not sure if it's still down there with their other rail cars. Will you ever be doing a history of the Alco RS-3's? They were the workhorses of the New Haven Railroad.

[@nyrailfan202]

I touched on them in my work locomotives video

[@kevincurtis6550]

@@nyrailfan202 I will have to check out that video. Thanks.

[@rasputinlenin6699]

I hate saying this but the ex trinity Rail RDCs on trimet have yet to be repaired or even repainted. There is no word if they are going to be done.

[@trainsfacepaint4876]

Engines of Metro north Can you please make a video about the Port Jervis line

[@nyrailfan202]

Thinking about a lot of videos like that

[@haweater1555]

The highest speed recorded for a stock RDC was 108 MPH.

[@garydahill4240]

Boston and maine rostered 109 RDC's.

[@electromotive]

I have a question, What type of horn did the later RDCs have?

[@nyrailfan202]

Various horns it would depend on the railroad as many just got whatever was lying around at the time

[@railfangarrett6313]

Actually the 2 other RDC cars that tri met purchased were from the trinity railway express

[@nyrailfan202]

They were m, but they were owned by all earth rail after trinity

[@stuew6]

Hey Via Is Still Running RDC to Drifferent part of Canada

[@nyrailfan202]

Yes, up north that’s what they run

[@nyrailfan202]

Mostly on the Sudbury to white river line

[@stuew6]

@@nyrailfan202 Also Vancouver Island also in Vancouver Intro

[@nyrailfan202]

Not anymore, the Vancouver island line doesn’t exist anymore

[@g-manonthego6678]

Impressive video, but why weren't all of the axles on the RDC powered? Why were 2 unpowered?

[@nyrailfan202]

Ease of production. It also doesn’t really help much because it’s so lightweight it doesn’t need as much traction as a locomotive

[@Boris_1130]

Love it

[@nyrailfan202]

Thanks

[@hmitchell8618]

I like the RDC

[@nyrailfan202]

Indeed

[@Itz_Sonic57053]

Budd did well with the R32s for new york city subway

[@nyrailfan202]

Yes

[@YukariAkiyamaTanks]

Is it right to say the rdc is unkillable?

[@nyrailfan202]

For now at least

[@Mnrr6131]

R.I.P RDC. Also I dent lik d Amtrak RDC

[@jonathanng2390]

I heard if you used your Budd RDC to pull other non-powered passenger cars, your warranty with Budd would be voided.

[@qdogccfc8258]

My name is Quincy just like the CB&Q

[@qdogccfc8258]

It actually wasn’t a M46 patton it was actually the M26 pershing

[@nyrailfan202]

But which had rubber tires

[@qdogccfc8258]

@@nyrailfan202 I was talking about the tank

[@nyrailfan202]

Oh

[@maxhemenway]

3:49

[@Romans--bo7br]

The Detroit Diesels used in some US Army tanks were Not 6-110's.... they were 6-71's, just to be clear. lol Also, the "upgraded" 6-110 engines from 1956, that were rated at 280hp were the (then) new Roots blown (scavenged) blocks/engines. GM Diesel, NEVER should have dropped the 6-110 from their line-up in favor of the V block series 71 engines that were introduced in 1957. If for no other reason, the 6-110 would have become a hugely strong competitor against Cummins, Cat and AC in the Highway truck market. Power wise, it was "an engine ahead of its time"..... had they GM waited another 5 years, truck size and capacities, along with transmission and driveline metallurgy, would have caught up to the 6-110, as well as turbocharging technology... even though the first turbocharged 6-110's appeared in 1960, before most 4 cycles used in hwy trucks.

[@hectorhardy4781]

LikeTrains

[@maxhemenway]

11:31

[@michaelquinones-lx6ks]

They look like a pair of athearn rdc's lol

[@gunterfessler1520]

Super triebwagen

[@thealmightydoge5653]

20:03 *sus* quehanna railroad

[@nyrailfan202]

A bit

[@thealmightydoge5653]

@@nyrailfan202 wait was the susquehanna railroad stretched to northern states into the canadian border?

[@nyrailfan202]

It made it to Lake Erie, it now runs from Newark to Syracuse with a few branches

[@thealmightydoge5653]

@@nyrailfan202 so where IS susquehanna? New York?

[@nyrailfan202]

Yes, New York and New Jersey

[@robertojuarez959]

😯😮😲😍🤩💖🚃🚃🚃🚃👍‼️

[@djcb4190]

That is unfortunately the comtemporary taste.

[@drguppy7861]

This is a train

[@majorlee76251]

Mbta rdc were horrible!

[@LiamCochran13]

Great video!

[@nyrailfan202]

Thank you