PENNSYLVANIA-READING
SEASHORE LINES
RDC ROSTER
Last Modified: April 15, 1997
This page contains the following items:
- Facts about the Budd RDC
- A Description of the table collumn headings
- A Table describing the PRSL RDC's
- Notes about the table and the PRSL RDC's
- Sources of information for this table
The Budd RDC:
- The Budd Company sold its first RDC April 19, 1950 (to New York
Central)
- Initial cost for an RDC varied between $118,000 to $122,000
- Powered by a 275-hp General Motors engine
- Constructed of lightweight stainless steel
- Top Speed = 83 mph
- Top Speed (on a 1% grade) = 55 mph
- Top Speed (on a 2% grade) = 40 mph
- Top Speed (on a 3% grade) = 25 mph
- Acceleration (0 to 60 mph) = 2 minutes
- Five basic models of the RDC were available:
- RDC-1 = 90 seat Coach
- RDC-2 = combination Coach & Baggage Car
- RDC-3 = combination Coach & Baggage Car & Railway Post
Office (RPO)
- RDC-4 = combination Baggage Car & RPO (no passengers)
- RDC-9 = powered Coach with no controls
- could only be operated when coupled with another unit
- Price for an RDC in 1956 = $151,950
- included larger wheels + increased horsepower (300-hp) from earlier
models
- 398 RDCs were produced and sold by the Budd Company
- Budd delivered its last 12 RDCs in December 1962 (to the Reading Company)
The table below describes the twelve Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs) owned by
the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL).
Table Items:
- PRSL# - the number the car was assigned while owned by the PRSL
- where available, you can also view pictures of the RDC by clicking
on the car's number
- Builder - the company that orginally built the car
- Type - which type of RDC (RDC-1, RDC-2, RDC-3, RDC-4, or RDC-9)
- Serial# - the builder's number assigned to each car
- NJT# - the number the car wore while owned by New Jersey Transit
- Built - the date the car was completed and delivered to the
PRSL
- Notes- additional information about each car
- CMSL - 'Y' if the car is owned by the Cape
May Seashore Lines (CMSL) today, otherwise this column will be
left blank
| PRSL# |
Builder |
Type |
Serial# |
NJT# |
Built |
Notes |
CMSL |
| M-402 |
Budd |
RDC-1 |
5101 |
5180 |
9/50 |
Rebuilt 8/80 |
Y
|
| M-403 |
Budd |
RDC-1 |
5102 |
5181 |
9/50 |
|
|
| M-404 |
Budd |
RDC-1 |
5103 |
|
9/50 |
Destroyed in Fire 2/58 |
|
| M-405 |
Budd |
RDC-1 |
5104 |
5182 |
10/50 |
|
Y
|
| M-406 |
Budd |
RDC-1 |
5105 |
5183 |
10/50 |
Wrecked 8/26/80 |
|
| M-407 |
Budd |
RDC-1 |
5106 |
5184 |
10/50 |
Wrecked 8/26/80. Rebuilt ??? |
Y
|
| M-408 |
Budd |
RDC-1 |
5307 |
5185 |
5/51 |
Rebuilt 9/80 |
Y
|
| M-409 |
Budd |
RDC-1 |
5308 |
5186 |
5/51 |
Wrecked. Rebuilt 8/80 |
Y
|
| M-410 |
Budd |
RDC-1 |
5309 |
5187 |
5/51 |
Rebuilt 1981 |
Y
|
| M-411 |
Budd |
RDC-1 |
5310 |
5188 |
6/51 |
Wrecked + Rebuilt 11/80 |
Y
|
| M-412 |
Budd |
RDC-1 |
5401 |
|
6/51 |
Destroyed in Fire 2/58 |
|
| M-413 |
Budd |
RDC-1 |
5402 |
5189 |
6/51 |
Rebuilt 11/81 |
Y
|
Notes:
- The PRSL purchased six RDCs in 1950 and six more in 1951. These cars
were well suited for what would become very lightly traveled lines in the
years to come.
- Each PRSL RDC had seats for 89 passengers.
- A fire destroyed RDCs M-404 and M-412 in February, 1958.
- After the fire, The Budd Company allowed the PRSL to use its demonstrator
#2960 during peak periods. #2960 (built in July, 1949) was never lettered
to match the other PRSL RDCs.
- #2960 was used by the PRSL through the summer of 1964. Budd later
sold the car to Canadian National, where it was numbered #6110.
- The 10 PRSL RDCs not destroyed by the fire in 1958 were taken over
by the New Jersey Department Of Transporation (NJDOT). They retained their
PRSL numbers.
- New Jersey Transit renumbered the cars with the numbers 5180-5189,
though I don't know when.
- 8 surviving RDCs are owned by the Cape May Seashore
Lines (CMSL) today.
- The CMSL operates M-407 and M-410
between Cold Spring and Cape May County Park
and Zoo (in Cape May Courthouse) daily in the summer months and on weekends
through late December.
- There are plans to extend CMSL service to Cape May (in the south) and
Tuckahoe (in the north).
Sources:
- Stroup, John P. Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines In Color.
Morning Sun Books, Inc., Edison, NJ, 1996.
- New Jersey
Transit All-Time Roster
- Kramer, Frederick A. Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines.
Crusader Press, Ambler, PA, 1980.
- Riley, C.J. The Encyclopedia of Trains & Locomotives.
Michael Friedman Publishing Group, New York, NY, 1995.
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