Long Island Rail Road Budd RDCs


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

 

RDCs-3121-3101_Whitepot-Jct_4-28-57_WilliamRugen.jpg (131683 bytes)
 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
LIRR RDC Route map - Suffolk County


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

LIRR Press Release - 11/10/54

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_front.jpg (66503 bytes)
East Ender Brochure front 
Archive: Brad Phillips

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East Ender Brochure inside 
Archive: Brad Phillips


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

East-Ender-brochure_reverse.jpg (286170 bytes)
East Ender Brochure reverse 
Archive: Brad Phillips

"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
BUDD RDC2-3121-Trailer-East Ender Svc-Southampton-View NW-1955 (Edwards-Keller).jpg (105066 bytes)
"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.


RDC2 #3121 "East Ender" at DIVIDE Tower - View  E 10/1955 Archive: Robert Emery-SUNY Stony Brook		 Budd RDC2 No. 3121-East Ender-At Station-Riverhead-1956.jpg (70192 bytes)
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

RDC's RPO trailer westbound approaching PD Tower,
Patchogue 1956 (Huneke-Keller)


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


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

RDC1-3101_East-Ender_Babylon-Deer-Park-Ave_eastbound_winter-1955.jpg (135138 bytes)
RDC1 #3101 "East Ender" - Crossing Deer Park Ave., 
Babylon eastbound in Winter of 1955

lirrRDC3101-3102patchogue.jpg (68964 bytes)
 The “Budd Cars,” as most people called them, were usually seen coupled together in later years in Patchogue-Babylon “Scoot” service.

RDC 3101, 3121 entering the Central branch west of Babylon to Hicksville 1957 Info/Archive: Dave Keller
RDC-RailfanExtra-EvergreenBranch-PalmettoSt.-Ridgewood-9-9-56.jpg (153210 bytes)
 RDC Railfan Extra Evergreen Branch Palmetto St. 
Ridgewood 9/09/1956 Archive: Dave Keller

RDC-Railfan-Extra_3101- 3121_Bushwick-Brooklyn_9-09-56.jpg (100009 bytes)
 RDC Railfan Extra LIRR #3101 and  #3121 Bushwick  9/09/1956 Photo/Archive: Art Huneke

RDC-RailfanExtra-EvergreenBranch-PalmettoSt.-Ridgewood-9-9-56closeup.jpg (89222 bytes)
 RDC Railfan Extra close-up Evergreen Branch Palmetto St. Ridgewood 9/09/1956 Archive: Dave Keller

Evergreen-Branch_Ridgewood- Station_Budd-RDC_1956_fantrip_ ArtHuneke.jpg (166810 bytes)
 Evergreen Branch - Ridgewood Station 9/09/1956 Photo: Art Huneke 		3101-3121_NEWTOWN-LANE-EAST-HAMPTON_WESTBOUND_SPECIAL-03-61_ArtHuneke.jpg (74758 bytes)
 RDC Special Newtown Lane, East Hampton view westbound 03/1961 Photo/Archive: Art Huneke

RDC-2_3121_Riverhead_c.1956_(Edwards-Keller.jpg (89250 bytes)
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
 

lirr3121MPkNov60.jpg (67860 bytes)
 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
RDC1-2-Babylon-1955.jpg (35427 bytes)
 RDC1 #3101  RDC2 #3121 
Babylon 1955 Collection: Dave Keller

RDC1-2-OBay-1956.jpg (59689 bytes)
 RDC1 #3101  RDC2 #3121
Oyster Bay 1956
Collection: Dave Keller

 RDC3101-Morris Park.jpg (58955 bytes)
  RDC1 #3101 at Morris Park
Photo: Steve Hoskins c. 1960's

LIRR3121montauk.jpg (55855 bytes)
   RDC1 #3101 at Montauk  02/22/1961
Photo:  J. Claflin  
Collection: Craig Zeni 

 RDC1-2-BabylonTwr-1955.jpg (72744 bytes)
 RDC1 #3101  RDC2 #3121
  Babylon Tower
Collection: Dave Keller

RDC3121-Morris Park1.jpg (65036 bytes)
 RDC2 #3121 at Morris Park 
Photo: Steve Hoskins c.1960's
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RDC2 #3121 at KO Ronkonkoma 
view W 1956 (W .J. Edwards-Keller) 		 
RDC1 #3101 RDC2#3121 Special at Old Northport 9/195
RDC1 #3101 RDC2 #3121 9/1956 Northport Photos: Merritt
RDC3101-Bay Shore.jpg (79387 bytes)
 RDC1 #3101  RDC2 #3121 
Bay Shore c. 1960's Photo: Steve Hoskins 		Fan-trip_RDC on Old Northport Branch_11-01-64_BradPhillips.jpg (133597 bytes)
 Fan trip RDC on Old Northport Branch
11/01/64 Photo: Brad Phillips 		Fan-trip_RDC_at-Old-Northport_11-01-64_BradPhillips.jpg (226028 bytes)
 End of line at Route 25A - Fort Salonga Rd. Fan trip RDC on Old Northport Branch 11/01/64  Photo: Brad Phillips

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