This does seem to be a horrible waste; as Paul Marynowych has suggested, these could be used as low-cost start-up equipment for new services all across the continent. Often a new route never gets off the ground (sorry—poor choice of words!) because of problems with funding expensive new trainsets, as well as cost overruns and technical issues. Get the service up and running ASAP without waiting for the new stuff to arrive! Although, the cost of making the RDC’s ready for service might not be cost effective.
I might add that these RDC’s would probably require an EPA waiver due to the age of the PM to run in the US.
It appears the lesser examples are running at $20k each not including transport costs.
To make it economical you would probably have to buy several to always have a working group lest parts become difficult to acquire. Use the worse one as your donor.
RDC’s were great for their era, and it is tough to see them pass into history like their Zephyr cousins, but they have clearly run their course.
I think the RDC is a correct answer to limited pax traffic with baggage. Back in the mid-1950’s, I would ride one from Troy, NY to Eagle Bridge and back while in college. on the B&M. Then in the early '90s, rode the RDC flag stop from Anchorage to Hurricane Gulch on the Alaska RR…marvelled at the folks with guns and dogs getting on and off (talk about your Wild West in AK), and also, at one point snaking our way up some steep inclines over streams were the red “torpedos” of spawning Salmon were fighting their way back to home. At the start of the return, we stopped in the middle of the tall bridge over Hurricane Gulch, and frankly was nervous at the thought of What if? should an earthquake strike at that moment.
John Rice: how 'bout a couple running from Jacksonville to Cocoa, on the FEC via St. Augustine, connecting with the AAF trains until that segment can be built out? We could use a couple (or more) in Montana, since Greyhound was ‘put down’.
Hello Amtrak. The cars appear to be in decent shape. You’re in need of equipment. Can’t add much in the way of extra cars or trains at peak travel periods. Why not give these a shot?
Talk about insane “business” decisions. Being the most successful self-powered lightweight railcars ever, that these reconditioned and repowered versions – which should have been good for at least another 20 years of duty thanks to their stainless steel construction – are being bitten up when the price of scrap steel is at its lowest in decades.
I can’t imagine that there are not plenty of places rebuilt RDC cars would be helpful; for instance, out east on Long Island providing a ‘scoot’ service.
Charles Town, WV train service?
Surprised a tourist outfit hasn’t bought them.
Winchester, Va service?
Are the ones in Saudi Arabia still in service?