Hmmmm.
Motorcoach buses use pretty much the same "hardware" (truck-sized high-speed Diesel, torque-converter transmission) as DMUs. Bus operators are happy with their buses but a DMU doesn't work on rails because Federal inspection/multiple engines and transmissions/high maintenance costs?
Someone is going to tell me, "heh, a bus is one thing, but don't kid yourself that engines and transmissions from a bus can stand up to the rigors or railroad operations." That may indeed be so. So the rail being such a hard environment on equipment, tell me now, what do rail operations "bring to the table" that motorcoach buses do not?
If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?
zkr123 DMU'S seem like a no brainer for commuter rail service outside the NEC. Especially for Metra, Coaster, and Metrolink. Maybe Amtrak for Surfliner/Capital/San Juaqian services.
DMU'S seem like a no brainer for commuter rail service outside the NEC. Especially for Metra, Coaster, and Metrolink. Maybe Amtrak for Surfliner/Capital/San Juaqian services.
Why would they be a no brainier? Each car has one or two engines and transmissions so say on a METRA 8 car train you could have 16 engines to maintain rather than one locomotive. In addition they would be considered "locomotives " for FRA inspection requirements. They might be a good choice for services requiring only a couple of cars but not for typical METRA sized trains.
They were successful from the late 1950's into the 1980's. Budd marketed them as RDC's and they were used in all sorts of services. Push-pulls pretty much took their place in suburban service.
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