Long Island Rail Road Budd RDCs

Creedmoor Branch Trip  April 28, 1957 at Cross Island Parkway in Bellerose 
Photo/Archive: Art Huneke

Creedmoor Branch Trip  April 28, 1957 at Whitepot Junction  Photo: William Rugen Archive: Art Huneke
 

"The Keystone" Summer 2022 - LIRR RDCs 21 page article by Mike Boland

"The Keystone" Summer 2022 - LIRR RDCs copyright 2022 with permission by the Pennsylvania Technical and Historical Society (PRRT&HS)  www.prrths.org

Babylon-Patchogue westbound "Scoot" at PD Tower, Patchogue 4/06/1963 Photo: William Lichtenstern Archive: Dave Keller

READ THE LIRR RDCs ARTICLE

A Brief History of the  LIRR Budd RDCs: by Dave Keller
Research/photographer/archive: Dave Keller, unless as indicated.

LIRR Press Release - 11/10/1954

RDC1, #3101, (passengers only) was built by Budd in 8/55 and given LIRR modernization #49.

RDC2, #3121 (with baggage compartment), was built by Budd in 3/55 and given LIRR modernization #1

Budd Sales Photo

Schematic of RDC1

Budd RDC Sales Flyer

"EAST ENDER" Service

East Ender Brochure inside 
Archive: Brad Phillips

East Ender experimental schedule using RDC #3121 4/10/1955 Archive: NY Transit Museum

Here we have an early example of a shuttle/scoot as the
transfer to the RDC East Ender at Babylon for East Hampton

East Ender timetable - 7/18/1955
Archive: RMLI

MU Train 120 passenger transfer to Babylon-Patchogue RDC #3121 Train 64 7/29/1956 Photo: William D. Middleton
 

"East Ender" Experimental Schedule:  Since this is April 10, 1955, only the first RDC had been delivered, RDC-2 #3121.  The “builder’s date” from Budd was March 21, 1955 followed by RDC1 built in August, 1955.  I don’t have the General Orders for Timetable #1, dated June 20, 1954, so I don’t have the actual G.O. putting this new timetable into service on April 10.  Timetable #2, dated May 8, 1955, includes the East Ender service.  These RDC trips had train numbers in the 1900s (weekdays) and 5900s (weekends).  Early images show only one car in use as the photo in October, 1955 (post 8/1955 construction date) shows, as come 6/12/1956, both cars are on the property and operating coupled at Babylon.  Both cars appear to have the end doors painted orange and stenciled "East Ender." Info: Jeff Erlitz and Dave Keller

"East Ender" BUDD RDC2 #3121 Trailer - Southampton view NW 1955 (Edwards-Keller)

The LIRR voided their warranty with the Budd Company as a result of the practice of coupling a “ping-pong” car to the RDC.

Budd RDC2 # 3121 "East Ender" at station Riverhead 1956 
Archive: Dave Keller

When they first arrived on the LIRR, they had the logo “East Ender” painted in script on their orange end doors

The "Budd Cars" at Morris Park.
Photo: Steve Hoskins

RDC1 #3101 "East Ender" - Crossing Deer Park Ave., Babylon eastbound in Winter of 1955

RDC Railfan Extra Evergreen Branch Palmetto St. 
Ridgewood 9/09/1956 Archive: Dave Keller

RDC Railfan Extra LIRR #3101 and  #3121 Bushwick  9/09/1956 Photo/Archive: Art Huneke

RDC Special Newtown Lane, East Hampton view westbound 03/1961 Photo/Archive: Art Huneke

RDC2 #3121 Riverhead c.1956 (Edwards-Keller)

RDC2 #3121 & RDC1 #3101 
Greenport dock 1956

Greenport - RDC fan trip  Transit Improvement Association
 10/1958 (Smith-Morrison)

RDC1 #3101 Greenport 9/27/59

They were also used in Greenport service. It was during one of those trips that #3101 was destroyed in a grade crossing accident on 10/18/67 while headed eastbound along the Main Line. It hit a LIZZA sand truck at the Blue Point Road grade crossing just east of the Holtsville station. The truck was being used in the construction of the LIE in that stretch between Holbrook and Calverton 71 year old Engineer Patsy Molese was killed. 

Engineer “Patsy” Molese and the Budd Car
by Dave Keller 2006
 

LIRR #3121 Morris Park 11/1960

Degnon Terminal, Macy's - RDC fan trip  3/23/1958 Photo/Archive: Art Huneke

There were actually three (3) fan trips around that time involving the Budd RDCs. I've listed them here from latest to earliest:

1. The TIA fan trip to Greenport was in October of 1958. It's believed that it only went to Greenport and return.
2. The fan trip to Oyster Bay and various other locales was in April, 1957.  It ran to L. I. City, Bushwick branch, Creedmoor branch, Maspeth, Babylon, Old Northport branch, Oyster Bay branch and Rockaway Beach branch.
3. The fan trip on the Bay Ridge branch, Evergreen branch and W. Hempstead branch was in September, 1956. The RDC's ran at other times on the Main Line, Oyster Bay, Montauk, Central and Port Jefferson branches as scheduled trains, not railfan extras and also ran as the Patchogue-Babylon Scoot. Info: Dave Keller

RDC1 #3101  RDC2 #3121 
Babylon 1955 Collection: Dave Keller

RDC1 #3101  RDC2 #3121
Oyster Bay 1956
Collection: Dave Keller

 RDC1 #3101 at Morris Park
Photo: Steve Hoskins c. 1960's

  RDC1 #3101 at Montauk  02/22/1961
Photo:  J. Claflin  
Collection: Craig Zeni 

MODEL LIRR RDCs

Disposition of the Budd cars:  #3101 was taken out of service as the entire front end was crushed in. #3121 was salvaged and stored. #3101 was sold in 12/71 to Sarnelli Brothers and scrapped at the LIRR’s Corona Yard. #3121 was traded to the B&O for their closed-end observation car “Napannee” in 7/68.  Annotations provided by Dave Keller  6/2004