What is this?? Powered Passenger Car?

[Lulu's Trains]

I am probably an idiot but... what is this? It looks like a passenger car that confused and thinks it's a locomotive.

Someone ripped off part of the label on the box...

"Hallmark Models
RD ... Modernized
M&S .. &O-
Kra ... mer"

The car has decals on it for Western Pacific 200

 

[Lulu's Trains]

http://youtu.be/4brSWz5SQmM

 

[Selector]

Made by the Budd Car Co, it is called a Rail Diesel Car (RDC). There must be about 20 or 30 still in service across N. America. One ran between Victoria and Courtenay on Vancouver Island until the track was embargoed a year ago due to bad ties and no money to replace them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budd_Rail_Diesel_Car

 

[cajon]

The WP had only 2 RDCs #s 375 & 376 they call Zepherettes. They ran between Oakland & Salt Lake City - one in each direction. Attached is an image of a plastic version of the WP RDC. The Hallmark model looks like a RPO/baggage only version.

 

[cv_acr]

Specifically, the model pictured is an RDC-4.

They're self-propelled passenger cars, designed to be run in sets with other RDCs. They're NOT designed to pull other standard passenger cars behind them. (Apparently Budd's warranty was invalidated if you tried that.)

Here's one of the last RDC-4's currently still in service in northern Ontario:

 

[LoudMusic]

I'm mildly surprised Amtrak didn't buy these up for service in the north east. I'd love to have one running between Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA Amtrak stations.

I wonder how well they did for profit efficiency versus a traditional locomotive+cars train. In areas where there isn't enough population to fill a multi-car train I guess buses are used.

Is a Budd / RDC the same thing as a Doodlebug? If not, how do they differ?

 

[cv_acr]

Not really; a doodlebug typically refers to an older gas or diesel-electric railcar. Same sort of basic idea though.

 

[Enola Yard Tim]

The Long Island railroad had them too.

 

[diburning]

I'm mildly surprised Amtrak didn't buy these up for service in the north east. I'd love to have one running between Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA Amtrak stations.

I wonder how well they did for profit efficiency versus a traditional locomotive+cars train. In areas where there isn't enough population to fill a multi-car train I guess buses are used.

Is a Budd / RDC the same thing as a Doodlebug? If not, how do they differ?

Amtrak did try DMUs at one point. When Budd stopped making the RDCs, they made SPV2000s, which were Amfleet-style body DMUs. They were a mechanical nightmare and were terribly unreliable. Amtrak depowered them into trailer coaches.

Actually, Amtrak's 2012 Fleet Strategy document said something about cost efficiency.

They did a study and found that the space to cost ratio would be effective for DMUs up to 4 coaches, but anything above 4 coaches would cost more than a locomotive hauled train for the same capacity.

A Doodlebug is not the same as an RDC. A Doodlebug is a name given to various diesel or gasoline powered railcars (basically an oversized gasoline/diesel trolley) that pre-date the RDCs. In HO Scale, the most prevalent models are the ones made by the Electro Motive Coporation (not EMD, this was before General Motors bought them)

 

[ianacole]

D&RGW had a pair of paired RDCs as well...

 

[Lulu's Trains]

Thanks! You guys are awesome

 

[Lulu's Trains]

The WP had only 2 RDCs #s 375 & 376 they call Zepherettes. They ran between Oakland & Salt Lake City - one in each direction.

So whoever decided to decal this one WP 200 just pulled that number out of thin air?

 

[cajon]

So whoever decided to decal this one WP 200 just pulled that number out of thin air?

Probably done back in the day when modeling companies created models that where "Fig Newtons" of their imagination. LOL Look how many RR names Athearn put on their old caboose model.