Rolling Stock

Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society (BHRS) #9153

Budd Company | Rail Diesel Car | Serial Number 7001

Budd Company's Rail Diesel Car (RDC), serial number 7001, was built in November of 1962, in Philadelphia.  It was bought by Reading Company (RDG) and became #9153.  When RDG became Consolidated Rail Corporation (CONRAIL), this RDC was given to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), where it served until 1984.  This RDC was then sold to Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in June of 1985 and was retired in November of 1989.  Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society (BHRS) purchased this RDC in 1991, refurbished it, and placed it back in service.

Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society (BHRS) #9167

Budd Company | Rail Diesel Car | Serial Number 5718

Budd Company's Rail Diesel Car (RDC), serial number 5718, was built in March of 1953.  It was bought by the New York, New Haven & Hartford ("New Haven," reporting mark:  NYNH&H) and became #40 (see above photograph).  Due to the merger of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and New York Central Railroad (NYC) into Penn Central Transportation Company ("Penn Central," reporting mark:  PC), and then NYNH&H into Penn Central in 1969, the RDC came under the control of PC and served as #98.  In 1972, it was sold to a dealer.  Between 1975 and 1976, the RDC was leased to the Baltimore & Ohio.  In 1976, it was sold to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).  PennDOT refurbished the RDC at the Reading shops where it became #9167.  It was then used as an extra train to Valley Forge during the Bicentennial.  It was given to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).  In 1984, the RDC was given to the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission where it was held at Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania until April 2008.  It was loaned to Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society (BHRS) in 1984 and rehabilitated in June 1985.  It has been in service for BHRS ever since.  In April of 2008, title of the car was transfered to BHRS.

Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society (BHRS) Track Car #1

Bellefonte Central | Track Car

Under repair.

Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society (BHRS) Track Car #2

Pennsylvania Railroad | Fairmount M-9

Under repair.

Bellefonte Central Railroad Snow Plow

The snow plow is on display on an unconnected siding next to Bellefonte Train Station.  It is owned by Borough of Bellefonte.

It was acquired by Bellefonte Central Railroad (BFC), second-hand, in 1924 from a source that is now unknown.  It was built by Russel Snow Plow Company, in Ridgway, PA, on an unknown date.  Upon purchase, BFC installed a flanger apparatus, which it purchased new from Russel.  BFC also rebuilt the cupola.  The railroad made a few other modifications, in later years, as well.

Bellefonte Central Railroad Caboose

The caboose is on display on an unconnected siding next to Bellefonte Train Station.  It is owned by Borough of Bellefonte.

The caboose was built by former New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H). It is one of 269 class NE cabooses built by NYNH&H between 1914 - 1925.  It has a wooden superstructure and steel underframe.  It was acquired by BFC in 1960 through Rail Industrial Equipment Co., Landisville, PA.  BFC applied exterior sheeting and painted it gray and green to match the two locomotives.  It was removed from service soon after the abandonment of the line to State College, as it got in the way when the railroad shifted cars at its last remaining customer, the National Gypsum plant.

Budd Company's Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs)

RDCs were manufactured throughout the 1950s by Budd Company of Philadelphia.  The 1950s was the decade during which the popularity of passenger trains began to wane and railroads saw the versatile and compact RDC as an answer to declining ridership--RDCs were, in recent memory, a common sight on intercity passenger runs both before and after the beginning of Amtrak.

Between 1949 and 1962, Budd Company, in Philadelphia, built a total of 398 self-propelled passenger RDCs, which came in 5 types.  All were equipped with 2 Detroit 6/110 Diesel engines rated to 250-280 HP, each connected to the inner axle of each truck by a drive shaft.  RDCs were rated for a top speed of 85 MPH.  However, in 1966 New York Central modified RDC #M497 with jet engines on the top and ran it to a top speed of 184 MPH, which is still the record in the United States of America.  The car body was similar to Budd Company's streamlined, corrugated, passenger cars, and were all 85 feet long (except RDC-4).  While most of the RDCs vanished from regular service, a few survived, like the ones in service for Trinity Railway Express (TRE) in Dallas, Texas, or a few for VIA Rail Canada, Inc.

RDCs were produced in 5 types.  An RDC-1 is a full coach with 2 cabs and standard seating of 90 seats . This is the type of our RDCs, #9153 and #9167. The RDC-2 has a small baggage compartment at the F end of the car and is a coach with 70 seats.  Similar to this is the RDC-3, which has in addition a Rail Post Office (RPO) compartment at the F end of the car, a baggage compartment and a coach with 49 seats.

Special RDCs wer RDC-4 and RDC-5.  RDC-4 had only the RPO and baggage compartments.  RDC-9 had only one engine to drive one truck and also provide power for lights, air conditioning, and heat. It had no cab.  It was used as an intermediate car, between others equipped with cabs and dual engines, to allow for greater passenger capacity.  For more information about these different types of RDCs, please have a look at the Budd RDC organization's website.  Below is a 1955 advertisement for the RDC.

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