The Reading (“RDG”) also ran RDCs - it had a fleet of 12 of them. I know one route was from Phila./ Reading Terminal (and/ or Lansdale, end of the electrified commuter territory ?) to Bethlehem in the early 1970’s. My wife (now - then girlfirend) rode them quite often, esp. during the 1st “gas crisis” (1973 - 74).
Believe they also ran on the Newtown Branch, to Pottsville, and the namesake city of Reading, and maybe 1 or 2 others.
Yeah, now I remember boarding one at Ambler and riding it downtown, too. The RDC had pretty good acceleration, and a smoother and quieter ride than the old Bethlehem Steel-built electric M.U. cars.
Because the Terminal was one of those great big arched open-air sheds that was designed to handle steam locomotives, a little diesel exhaust was not a problem. Unlike the since mid-1980’s and present-day 4-mile (?) long Center City Commuter Connection Tunnel . . . [:-^]
I believe Glouster is on the Rockport line, and I rode it several times when visiting the C. B. Fisk organ factory or Charlie’s home. Often was able to ride the front platform. Too bad I did not take the oportunity to ride to the end of the line at Rockport.
Metro North West of Hudson operated Buds to Port Jervice for a while oiut of Hoboken. Also they were used on numerous Metro North shuttle runs on all three divisions connecting with mu electrics out of GCT. I think I ended up riding all of them except Norwalk - Danbury, which I had covered in a through train from Pittsfield boarded at Lee.
Yes, Dave, Gloucester is near the end of the line to Rockport. For readers of Rudyard Kipling, Gloucester is famous as the home port of a fishing vessel (the We’re Here?) in Captains Courageous.
I do not remember all the details of the service, but the Rock Island did use RDC’s in service out of Memphis.
Another tourist operation that used RCDs was a Lewis & Clarke Bicentennial Committee, from 2004 to 2006, between Portland and Astoria. It was a 3 car train with a RDC1 at each end, and an unpowered RCD2(?) in the middle converted to a cafe car. I was riding in the front of the passenger cabin, with my face pressed against the door window looking thru the vestibule down the track. The engineer motioned me into the cab, and eventually other people joined us. Sad to see that the operation ended after the 3 year celebration. Quite an interesting line with three hand-cranked swing bridges and some street running.
For a while, until cutback and then train-off, the RI ran a Budd Memphis - Tucomcari replacing or run as the Choctaw Rocket. Never rode it, but saw it at Memphis Station.
Susyq@ University of Syracuse 1990something, Air Conditioning was always a problem on this and the need to keep Walter Richs wife as far away from the railroad as possible.[8-|].
