jks
Continuous Lurker
Well, compared to the renaissance cars that currently run on the corridor, they ARE very much hideous.
![VIA_Renaissance_coach_car.jpg](http://www.viarail.ca/equipements/modele-train/images/VIA_Renaissance_coach_car.jpg)
I'm hearing rumblings on CPTDB that VIA Rail has purchased a set of like-new Budd RDCs for use on the Toronto - Kitchener - London - Sarnia routes. They will run in trains of three cars - two RDCs with a coach in the middle and VIA has acquired enough for 4 trainsets. There's supposed to be an announcement later this year for more departures.
Hurray for adaptive re-use?
Like new?... perhaps they bought them from a railway museum where they had been restored and preserved?
from VIA Rail's site
"The VIA Rail RDCs (used primarily on the Malahat and the Lake Superior) are the only remaining RDCs in the world still providing regular service."
Like new?... perhaps they bought them from a railway museum where they had been restored and preserved?
from VIA Rail's site
"The VIA Rail RDCs (used primarily on the Malahat and the Lake Superior) are the only remaining RDCs in the world still providing regular service."
Come on this is Canada not India, why retrofit junk, these RDCs should have been phased out 20 years ago. I guess when it comes to rail Canada still has a third world mentality. Hopefully (if for some reason we dont get the federal funds) the TTC does not start to retrofit the existing streetcars to last another 20-30 years.![]()
Keep in mind that these railcars aren't really 50 years old. Every component accept for the frame and the trucks is brand new. If you styled a 2002 Malibu to look like a 57 Chevy it's still a 2002 Malibu.
And it turns out there is a domestic DMU maker after all. American Railcar Company bought the designs for the Colorad Railcar DMUs.
http://amrailco.com/
http://www.amrailco.com/documents/ARC-Brochure.pdf
A couple were purchased by transit agencies in the US before Colorado Railcar went bust. Hopefully VIA's paying attention and will buy some of these, putting the rebuilt RDCs into off-peak service or use them for trial services on currently unserved lines.