News & Reviews News Wire RDC trips scheduled on Reading & Northern NEWSWIRE

RDC trips scheduled on Reading & Northern NEWSWIRE

By Wayne Laepple | May 5, 2016

| Last updated on November 3, 2020

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RDCs
Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, Pa. – The Reading & Northern Railroad, through its Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway operation, will offer a number of RDC fan trips over its lines during the summer months. This marks the first use of the silver Budd-built cars in 15 years. Nos. 9166 and 9168 have been overhauled and feature open windows, the only such RDCs in service.

Trains will run from Pottsville to Jim Thorpe, as well as to North Reading. The Jim Thorpe runs will make station stops at Schuylkill Haven and Tamaqua, and passengers will have a 3-1/2-hour layover in Jim Thorpe. A picnic-style lunch, included in the ticket price, will be provided in No. 9166’s snack bar. The Jim Thorpe trips will run on May 28, June 18, July 10, and Aug. 13 and 28.

Additional trains will run from Pottsville to North Reading and will include a one-hour tour of the Reading & Northern’s Port Clinton headquarters. Visitors will visit the dispatcher’s office, car and diesel shops, as well as the roundhouse and steam shop, where crews are working on famed Reading 4-8-4 No. 2102. These trains will operate on June 11, July 30, and Sept. 10.

For more information, or to buy tickets, go to www.lgsry.com.

4 thoughts on “RDC trips scheduled on Reading & Northern NEWSWIRE

  1. I rode a lot of RDCs in NY, NS, AB, and IL. The ride depended on the railroad’s maintenance. I do remember that single units were a bit ‘bumpy’, but with one (or more) powered in trail, the ride smoothed out. Never did get to ride the Western Pacific’s long-distance RDC train. Yar! The SPV 2000 was a disaster.

  2. I lived in Bound Brook, NJ when I was just a child. It was then the greatest show on earth, train-wise. I recall the RDC cars. They had a distinctive sound that I loved. It hasn’t been captured on present-day videos quite right.

  3. Well, I don’t usually weigh in, but I can’t resist. I rode the RDCs to Newtown and Bethlehem and once to Pottsville. I cannot understand their appeal; they were noisy, smelly and rode very rough. Acceleration was pathetic. There was a replacement vehicle built by Budd I think it was the SPV 2000 or something like that. I rode it when I worked for Amtrak. Not much of an improvement. By contrast, the NJ Transit river line vehicles, with the power car isolated, are a million times better.

  4. There are still a lot of RDCs sitting in Moncton, NB awaiting the torch. I hope some more of them can be saved. Love the rigs, me.

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