To your question, RDC were not hydraulic
They got a tax break, as I recall, in exchange for running it (The theory being that they lost less money running the service, than they would've had to spend in taxes). Supposedly the parts for the bridge are still there somewhere in Syracuse, but it was never erected.
The RDC's in Texas were completely rebuilt. Mechanically, they date to the mid 1990's and have no such serviceability issues with their twin Cummins engines and their two speed Twin Disc transmission. At 600 HP, they're still good for 85 mph running and have plenty of cooling capacity and an APU able to keep the engines and passengers alike cool in the Texas heat. They're mostly (All?) in storage, but that seems to be due to being a victim of their own success as they migrated to higher capacity double decked locomotive hauled consists.
As far as I'm aware, there are no plans to eliminate them from the fleet since they're potentially still useful if the service is expanded. And if they ever did so, I suspect they'd find a good home hauling commuters elsewhere.
Wasn't that a privately funded commuter operation. A nice service that really ran no where. I remember it was to be extended into the new Syracuse inter modal station but it was delayed due to a bridge not being wide enough and nys delayed the funding. Did that bridge ever get done? I rode the train a couple of times boarded at the end line which was at the mall. Sorry my memory is a bit hazy, gee it was like 15 years ago.
The SUSYQ in Syracuse used the RDC in Commuter Service there as well as Trinity Commuter rail in Fort Worth but I assume they had to cannblise other RDCs to get parts. When they ran out of bodies away went the RDCs and in the case of Syracuse so did the commuter service
Technically you're both right -- the RDC used a torque converter when starting and locked up to direct drive at speed. This avoided some of the issues with multiple converters or other methods used by more complex forms of hydraulic transmission (like Voith).
There was at least one attempt to repower a RDC with 6-71 Detroits -- if you can believe it. Underpowered was apparently far too gentle a word.
The follow-on to the RDC was the SPV-2000 with 8-92 Detroits. If these had driven all four axles, I think most of the problems with them wouldn't have been observed. But there turned out to be union issues if the outer axles were powered...
RDCs used the Detroit Diesel 6-110 and Allison Torque converter (essentially an automatic transmission, so RDCs were Diesel-Hydraulic). This is the same pairing used in the Sherman tank, but the parts were all new. The 6-110 was discontinued in the mid 1960s, so parts got hard to find.
trackrat888 And that is why that many are left or were left in commuter yards for years as they broke down for lack of parts. The story I keep getting is that they used old Sherman tank engines.
And that is why that many are left or were left in commuter yards for years as they broke down for lack of parts. The story I keep getting is that they used old Sherman tank engines.
Johnny
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