In 1943 it would depend on the passenger traffic. This was WWII. If there were no military bases on the line, gas electric with a trailer on some days, or a steam loco, baggage-RPO, and coach.
If there were military bases on the line there would be much more traffic. Full baggage, baggage-RPO (baggage section for storage mail) and two coaches. Plus occasional Pullmans when troops came in or out (assuming volume didn't justify troop trains). Two trains in each direction timed to meet the mainline trains. Possibly a lounge or parlor car, a refugee from mainline service due to not having enough revenue space.
By 1953 the passenger trains would either be gone or surrounded by railfans if there were no bases. If the bases survived, two or three RDCs would have covered the service.
BTW if I read your original post right, you're thinking of running three RDC's together. You probably only need one RDC or Doodlebug on a branchline like that, there wouldn't be that much passenger service...although if you do go with 1943, it wasn't unusual for a Doodlebug to haul one or two passenger cars behind it. On the Minneapolis Northfield and Southern, they even used gas-electrics to head up short freight trains - or as yard switchers!! RDC's however could only pull themselves.
The Minneapolis and St.Louis found this out the hard way when they bought an RDC and Budd streamlined coach after WW2 to replace a doodlebug and heavyweight car on a run. The RDC burned out (as the manufacturer told them it would) hauling a car, so M-St.L for years used an ancient gas-electric pulling a new silver streamlined coach as their normal passenger train.
Good information. Thanks to all.
Leaning towards '43 with doodlebugs.
The steam era equivalent of an RDC was called a Gas-Electric or "Doodlebug", a self-propelled passenger car. These first appeared before WW1 and were still in use into the 1950's. A rail line like you describe probably would have been using a doodlebug since the 1920's, since they were cheaper to run than a steam engine with one or two passenger cars.
Walthers and Bachmann have made HO models of these:
http://toys.shop.ebay.com/items/_W0QQ_sopZ12?_nkw=gas+electric&_sacat=479&_fromfsb=&_trksid=m270
As far as the RDC and steam, the Missabe bought an RDC-3 to take over it's remaining passenger run, but continued to use steam on ore trains and freights until 1960 when they became 100% diesel. No reason you couldn't run an RDC while still pulling freight with steam in 1953. Missabe's shortline neighbor Duluth and North Eastern ran steam freight trains into 1964.
Dan
The New Haven Railroad's Canal Line is just such a railroad. It ran from New Haven to Northamptom, Mass along the banks of the old Northampton canal.
It did have passenger operations in earlier times, but was freight only by 1943. There was a daily north bound and return local freight that served industries along the line. Power was likely a mogul until the RS-1s came along around 1944.
I believe that some rail fan trips were made using RDCs until the tracks were torn up to become a rails to trails show piece.
You might also explore the New Haven's Berkshire and Naugatuck lines which had passenger operations for a longer period of time. I know that RDCs operated from Bridgeport to Waterbury for quite some time.
1943 - Height of WWII - gasoline rationing, no new civilian vehicles. The kind of low-budget shortline you describe would probably have tacked a combine on the tail of the local freight and operated it as a mixed train. If it did run a scheduled passenger train (necessary to keep a mail contract,) it probably would have consisted of the lightest loco on the line, a RPO/baggage/smoker and a single coach. Civilian travel for anything but wartime business was NOT encouraged.
1953 - Eight years of recovery, and the economy being pumped by Korean War spending - fuel and vehicles readily available, marginal towns becoming ghost towns, Class 3 railroads being pinched (and stuck with either trying to maintain worn-out steam or paying for new diesels.) Passenger service would have been one of the first cost-cutting casualties. Very unlikely that any railroad not 'blessed' with commuters would have purchased a new RDC.
I won't say there weren't exceptions, but that was the general trand.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Steam equivalent of an RDC? An engine and a combine or an engine and a coach or an engine, a baggage car and coach or engine, RPO-Baggage combine and a coach.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Well, after ten years of interest in the hobby I am finally in the final "thinking about it" stages and am ready to nail-down what railroad I am going to build... I have really never been this close before.
Here is my predicament: I can't make a final decision on era... 1943 or 1953. I know, I know, era should be one of the first things you decide on but hear me out.
My railroad will be a representation of a 70 mile pike up into the hills serving smallish towns with a termination at one end and a connection to staging at the other representing a connection to the main line.
This kind of situation in my opinion would be perfect for Budd Rail Diesel Cars, I was thinking a RDC-1, RDC-9, and RDC-4 consist would be A-OK.
Of course the RDC wasn't invented until 1949.
So in 1943, what would the equivalent be? I suppose I could go with a baggage+RPO+coach+coach heavyweights with as small a steam loco as reasonable... hmmm
Or I guess I could go 1950 and use RDCs for passengers, and steam for freight... hmmm
Thoughts?