MTH ELECTRIC TRAINS

As passenger rail traffic declined in the 1940s, the Budd Company spotted a need and set out to find a workable way for railroads to continue providing passenger service at a profit. Their solution was the RDC (Rail Diesel Car), a self-propelled passenger car railroads could use on low ridership routes and branch lines. Commonly known as "Budd" cars, these streamlined RDCs were a cross between a locomotive and a passenger car. The diesel motors were placed beneath the car frame, and the exhausts, radiators, and air intakes were mounted in a top section above the roof that resembled a vista dome found on streamlined passenger cars. This arrangement kept the equipment out of the way and allowed for more passenger room, multiple unit (MU) capability, and bi-directional operation. A testament to their excellent design, RDCs were common on US railroads for more than 30 years. RailKing lets you serve your branch lines with the addition of Budd cars in four new roadnames: Amtrak, Long Island, New Haven, and PRR/Reading. These 2-car sets will take you back to the beginning of many of today's modern commuter railroads. Did You Know? The Budd company started out by making pressed steel frames for the auto industry. They later boasted that no Budd railcar body ever wore out.