40th Anniversary
The Budd Fund
As the steward of the most significant collection of Budd RDC equipment in New England, the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum has launched a 40th Anniversary fundraising campaign - the Budd Fund. This campaign will allow for the operation and preservation of this unique and significant collection of mid-century Rail Diesel Cars built by the Budd Company in the 1950s.
The Budd Rail Diesel Car
The Rail Diesel Car (RDC) concept was pioneered by the Edward G. Budd manufacturing company in Philadelphia. During the post-WWII era, railroads faced severe competition for passenger traffic from automobiles and airlines. Looking for a modern and efficient rail car to attract riders, the self-propelled, air-conditioned passenger car concept was a revolution during the 1950s and kept rail passenger service alive in many areas of the country, including the densely settled northeast. In the Berkshires, all three railroads serving the region operated the RDC. The New York Central ran RDCs to North Adams, Springfield, Pittsfield and Albany; the New Haven between Danbury, CT and Pittsfield and the Boston & Maine to North Adams from Boston's North Station.
The Budd Company specialized in the fabrication of stainless steel components for the automotive business among other industries. It was extraordinarily successful in applying its unique and durable "shot-weld" process to railcar building. In addition to Budd's durable, stainless steel body, the Detroit Diesel Division of General Motors was the second reason the RDC concept was a success. Developed near the end of WWII for heavy equipment, marine, and power generation applications, GM adapted a propulsion system that consisted of a 6-cylinder diesel engine paired with a hydraulic transmission. For rail application, the power team was mated to a Dana-Spicer drive gear driven by a drive shaft. The RDC is equipped with two GM Detroit Diesel Model 6-110 engines and Allison "Hydra-Matic" Transmissions. With progressive concepts such as redundant propulsion & heating systems, fluorescent lighting, and air-conditioning, the RDC was a tremendous success and popular with both passengers and railroad management alike.
The RDC was flexible in that it had engineer controls at either end of the car for quick turnarounds at end terminals. The RDC was also capable of multiple unit operation (MU) - depending on demand, RDCs could operate alone or as a train with several RDCs coupled together but operated by one engineer. This design provided railroads with significant reductions in operational costs.
The Budd Collection
The Seven RDCs in Berkshires are owned either by the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum or the Budd RDC Foundation, founded by Jim Gagliardi.
New Haven 41
NH 41, An RDC-1, built in 1953 for the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. The New Haven owned the second largest fleet of RDC’s and was one of the first carriers to purchase the new, revolutionary rail car. The RDC was flexible in that there were engineer controls at either end of the car for quick turnarounds at end terminals. The RDC was also capable of multiple unit operation (MU) - depending on demand, RDCs could operate alone or as a train with several RDCs coupled together but operated by one engineer. This design provided railroads with significant reductions in operational costs. In fact, the New Haven added passenger trains to various branch lines due to the low cost of operating the RDC’s. This car ran in Berkshire County for the New Haven and is sister to RDC #42, which Berkshire Scenic also has in its collection. RDC #41 has been carefully preserved and restored by the Budd RDC Foundation over the past several decades.
New Haven 42
New Haven RDC-1 #42 holds a unique place in railroad history as it is only one of two Budd RDC’s ever specially named. Originally, NH RDC #26 was named "Firestone" after the Firestone tire plant in Fall River, MA which was one of the railroad's large freight customers. Sometime prior to 1956, the Firestone nameplate was placed on number 42 after NH 26 was wrecked. By April 1970, 42 was owned by New Haven's successor, Penn Central (PC), and was repainted into PC's New York Central style RDC livery.
At some point that year, the Firestone nameplate was removed from the car. 42 was transferred to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in 1976 and retired in 1989. The 42 was sold to the Old Colony & Fall River Railroad Museum in Fall River, MA. In 2017, the Old Colony & Fall River RR Museum transferred ownership of 42 to the BSRM. 42 safely made its way to our Lenox Yard in October of 2018 after $10,000 was invested to completely rebuild its air brake system prior to movement. BSRM is midway through a fundraising campaign which will be included in the Budd Fund to help restore 42 to full, operational conditional.
Baltimore & Ohio 1960
Boston & Maine 6126
B&O 1960, was built in 1956 to service the company’s “Daylight Speedliner” service, which ran from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. The car is extremely rare, being only one of two ever built. Accommodations included 24 long distance coach seats, booth style restaurant seating for up to 24 people, a modest kitchen, and a baggage section. We’re excited to offer this to experience to our passengers and expect the car to be in service later this year. B&O 1960 has been carefully preserved and nearly fully restored by the Budd RDC Foundation over the past several decades.
Former Boston & Maine Railroad RDC-1, 6126 was part of the largest single order for RDC's placed by a railroad and traveled all over New England. In 1976, the car was transferred to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and worked in the Boston commuter pool until it was retired in 1989 after an impressive 34 years of continuous service. 6126 was owned by two other tourist railroads before BSRM acquired it in 2014 and has since mechanically restored the "Buddliner" to full, operational condition. Presently, 6126 is operating on BSRM's Hoosac Valley line - restoring New York Central's "Beeliner Service" on one of the first routes in the country to receive RDC's in revenue service in June of 1951.
The Roger Williams
Originally a six-car trainset, “The Roger Williams” was built in 1957 as an experimental, lightweight, high-speed train for the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. Budd built the train using existing RDC mechanical equipment but used specially designed car bodies with a lower center of gravity. The trainset was also designed to utilize third-rail electric power so that it could operate in New York’s Grand Central Terminal.
By the mid-1950s, American railroads were desperately trying to compete with the growing attraction of automobile and airline travel. In an attempt to modernize passenger rail equipment and win back riders, the New Haven Railroad ordered three experimental prototype train sets from three manufacturers. This program, which explored high-speed, lightweight technology, can be considered a predecessor to Amtrak's modern-day Acela. The three manufacturers each developed their own equipment in the hopes that the New Haven and other railroads would make large orders after successful trials. The New Haven marketing department chose New England historical figures to designate the three different train sets. Of the three, “The Roger Williams” is the only one remaining.
Only three cars remain of “The Roger Williams”. The two RDC-A, or cab cars were transferred to Amtrak and operated into the late 1970’s. The only remaining RDC-B, or mid-car ended up in commuter service for Maryland DOT. The Budd RDC Foundation has worked over the past several decades to re-assemble what remains of the trainset and carefully preserve and partially restore it.
The Budd Fund Program Goals
Near Term
Get New Haven 41 and B&O 1960 fully operational on the Adams Branch this year. This will allow work to be done on B&M 6126
Mid Term
Continue the ongoing truck and other work on New Haven 42 in Lenox.
Work on the Rodger Williams to allow it property displayed in Lenox and available for static special events.
Longer Term
Rodger Williams fully operational
Have three fully operational RDCs operating in Adams
The Budd Fund Projects
Near Term Projects:
New Haven 41
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Install RR radios
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Install public address system
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Repair air conditioning system
B&O 1960
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Re-commission car to service
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Install RR radios
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Install public address amplifier
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Re-activate air conditioning system
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Replace Batteries
B&M 6126
Replacement of windows
Mid-Term Projects:
B&M 6126
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Body work and repainting
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Install permanent public address speakers
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Re-upholstery of seats
Ongoing longer-term projects:
New Haven 42
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Replacement of wheel sets
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Rebuild of trucks
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Body work and paint
Longer-Term Projects:
B&O 1960
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Re-activate galley
New Haven 42
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Re-install rebuilt diesel engine
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Repair floor steel inside car
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Replace interior floor
NH Roger Williams
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Restoration of HVAC systems
How To Help
SUPPORT BSRM'S MISSION
The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum, founded in 1984, is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) educational organization dedicated to the preservation of railroad history in the Berkshires. Train ride ticket sales are the primary source of fundraising conducted by our organization. However, artifact and additional monetary donations are always welcome and are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
We also can allocate donation monies toward specific projects. Please let us know to which project you want to contribute.