On the Test Track: MTH RailKing RDC set

The RailKing RDC looks like a spiffy way for your commuters to get to work!

I used to say that I wasn’t a passenger train guy. Oh, I had the no. 2400 series cars from when I was a kid, but I rarely ran passenger trains. 

 Then I noticed that I had quite a New York Central fleet: Williams streamlined and heavyweight sets, a Lionel traditional heavyweight set, an AMT streamlined set, a RailKing Aerotrain set, the jet-powered RDC, and a bunch of Williams Amtrak gear including Amfleet and Superliner cars, and, oh yeah, that Metroliner set. Is there a support group for this? 

 So I guess that I’m not as passenger phobic as I thought.

I recently had fun playing with MTH’s RailKing RDC set. This was the no. 30-20303 Port Authority of Allegheny County commuter livery.

This is a traditionally scaled two-car outfit – a motorized power unit and an illuminated dummy/trailer. The powered unit has two can-style motor and MTH’s ProtoSound 3.0 system. This includes the regular locomotive sounds and the passenger train sound routine as well.

The design was a good rendering of a Budd Co. Rail Diesel Car. The shell has plenty of key detail points, but as the photos show, they were simplified. This includes baggage and RPO doors, stainless steel fluting, and interior illumination and seats.

All the seats are empty, and look a bit under scale (which would be expected). If you buy a big bag of 1:48 scale passengers, you just might need to do some surgery to get them to fit.

Painting was smooth and the Port Authority logo was well applied.

This was a nice little speeder that also ran smoothly at low speed.

Pulling passenger cars out of the box, on the track, and back in the box is the show-stopper for me. The RailKing RDC duo makes running passenger gear simple. It is easier to put on, take off the track, and re-box than a 10 car passenger train would be! So you might want to consider the virtues of the RDC for a short passenger train!

Go to www.MTHTrains.com for more information.

The design is simplified, but key detail points are represented.

Lighting is key to the visual impact of the car, with classification lights, headlights, and interior illumination.

The trailer headlights remains on when underway. With the press of a button, you are ready to roll the opposite direction.

Running through the test track tunnel, the light effects in the dimly lit tunnel is pretty neat.

I liked the rooftop bubble that houses the Diesel engines and radiators. The stacks are capped though, no smoke unit on this model.

The side doors suggest this is the RDC variant with baggage and Railway Post Office compartments.