Budd RDC Demonstrator? and Roger Williams?

wesp · **Posted:** Mon Mar 28, 2011 7:34 pm

Recently I was traveling for work to Fort Worth and to my surprise was able to ride the TRE RDC train to the airport in revenue service. The units were in good shape and had that great "boulevard ride" suspension. Since then I have been re-reading Chuck Crouse's book The RDC Story. I have two questions.
1. What is the status of the demonstrator RDC. As of publication in 1990, the unit was still in service as VIA 6110 .
2. Where is the Roger Williams train set? Any current photos? I recall the MARC had one of the mid-train coaches in service for many years. Was it ever reunited with the cab unites?

Wesley

CPR4000 · **Joined:** Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:07 pm **Posts:** 150

The Danbury (Conn.) Railway Museum has three Roger Williams cars, Nos. 140, 141, and 162 (that's the two cabs and a trailer).

A quick Google search says that VIA 6110's last known owner was Farmrail. The Canadian Trackside Guide probably has the latest info on the car; I'll try to remember to look next time I'm in the office.

Walt L.

Brent S. Bette · **Joined:** Wed May 12, 2010 1:24 pm **Posts:** 82

The location of the Roger Williams is not exactly correct. The Roger Williams left Danbury quite some time ago and currently resides in New Hampshire.

CPR4000 · **Joined:** Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:07 pm **Posts:** 150

So it does, on the Hobo Railroad since about 2009. Now I remember having seen it in the background of a couple of photos Steve Barry took up there in the past year or so.

Walt L.

daylight4449 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 29, 2011 9:19 am

Brent S. Bette wrote:

The location of the Roger Williams is not exactly correct. The Roger Williams left Danbury quite some time ago and currently resides in New Hampshire.

The Roger Williams is at the Hobo for some wheel work (as far as i know). I saw her on my first visit to DRM about two years ago. To bad all i had for pics was my phone, and with it crushed, all i have is a picture of me and my sister in the CN caboose.

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 29, 2011 9:15 pm

Since it was brought up, I thought these clips of Trinity commuter trains in Texas, including the RDCs, might be of interest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPt29bjJ ... re=related

One more time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es644p6V ... re=related

I have to ask, what did Trinity do to their RDCs? They don't smoke at all like the MARC Budds I remember in Washington commuter service, and I'm not sure they sound quite the same, either.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Tue Mar 29, 2011 9:41 pm

The group that procured the Roger Williams cars from Amtrak and MARC originally went by the name Flying Cloud Enterprises. That's really all I know about them.

As for the non-smoking Trinity RDC's, I believe that the difference can be traced to re-engined units; I believe I recall reading that something like a new Caterpillar engine replaced the original Detroit Diesel 6-110 engines. I was always flabbergasted that parties like SEPTA, VIA, and MARC could keep those original or rebuilt engines running as long as they did, or procured replacements in kind...........

uboat2525 · **Joined:** Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:24 am **Posts:** 57

ok lets get everyone corrected on the Rogers Williams Set, yes the 3 remaining cars are in New Hampshire, Yes they did reside for a time at the Danbury Railroad Musuem, No Danbury does not own them, they are privately owned by a retired restauranter from Connecticut, he has spend a fortune on restoring them and are better than 80% complete, once this round of work by the hobo railroad is complete he has not stated to me weather he will return them to danbury, the fact is he wants to run them and i don't blame him, however he has no tracks to do so, I admire the ambition and gump he has put into these cars,

he also owns a RDC combine/buffett car from the B&O i don't know much about that particular car but it is looking equally as nice as the rogers set, and has as well as a New Haven RDC, I believe

to sum it up they are private varnish

daylight4449 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:00 am

uboat2525 wrote:

ok lets get everyone corrected on the Rogers Williams Set, yes the 3 remaining cars are in New Hampshire, Yes they did reside for a time at the Danbury Railroad Musuem, No Danbury does not own them, they are privately owned by a retired restauranter from Connecticut, he has spend a fortune on restoring them and are better than 80% complete, once this round of work by the hobo railroad is complete he has not stated to me weather he will return them to danbury, the fact is he wants to run them and i don't blame him, however he has no tracks to do so, I admire the ambition and gump he has put into these cars,

he also owns a RDC combine/buffett car from the B&O i don't know much about that particular car but it is looking equally as nice as the rogers set, and has as well as a New Haven RDC, I believe

to sum it up they are private varnish

I concur. The RW looks awsome, having seen it personally. If he wants to run it though, then maybe he could run it on some of P&W's excursions. But hey, i think you guys at the Naugy would be willing to host it, wouldn't you?

uboat2525 · **Joined:** Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:24 am **Posts:** 57

its a sticky sort of thing about having them at the Naugy, 3 or more blue cards, who'd be responsible for care and maintance, the lack there of budd service/care specialists, its a slippery slope, but not impossible,

Time will Tell, the owner of the cars is and has been very giving to our organization in the past, and present, and loves his collection, and some of ours as well, he has been nothing but nice to myself,

I do not want to say nothing else but i hope he gets to fufill his dream to see them run, weather it be on the nuagy in new hampshire or somewhere else, but it is my belief that he has the means to make things happen and it will be a matter of careful negotiations to see his dream through

daylight4449 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 01, 2011 2:33 pm

uboat2525 wrote:

its a sticky sort of thing about having them at the Naugy, 3 or more blue cards, who'd be responsible for care and maintance, the lack there of budd service/care specialists, its a slippery slope, but not impossible,

Time will Tell, the owner of the cars is and has been very giving to our organization in the past, and present, and loves his collection, and some of ours as well, he has been nothing but nice to myself,

I do not want to say nothing else but i hope he gets to fufill his dream to see them run, weather it be on the nuagy in new hampshire or somewhere else, but it is my belief that he has the means to make things happen and it will be a matter of careful negotiations to see his dream through

That's good to hear. Frankly, I'm hoping the Osgood Bradley coach gets some attention soon. Being a Central Mass native, I'd love to see it soon.

steamtown observer · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 3:11 pm **Posts:** 371

While not home turf, I would think the Roger Williams would work nicely covering some of the runs on the Maine Eastern operation between Brunswick and Rockland.

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:16 pm

Out of curiosity, are there any recent photos available of these Budd cars?

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:22 pm

Amazing! These almost came right up!

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 05&nseq=19

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 902&nseq=7

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 268&nseq=1

daylight4449 · **Posted:** Sun Apr 03, 2011 3:13 pm

steamtown observer wrote:

While not home turf, I would think the Roger Williams would work nicely covering some of the runs on the Maine Eastern operation between Brunswick and Rockland.

Hmmm.... That's not that bad of an idea.