M-K "Boise Budd" question

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I am thinking about making a full early MBTA commuter train with Osgood Bradley and rebuilt RDCs The OB cars are easy as I have a few Rapido cars painted in MBTA, but the Boise Budd cars a bit more problematic. I am thinking of using CC RDC-1 as a base because the Kato versions are long sold out. Does anyone know how the engine bays were plated over? Were the corrugations matched, or did they just plate the roof over after removing the blister?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I am thinking about making a full early MBTA commuter train with Osgood Bradley and rebuilt RDCs The OB cars are easy as I have a few Rapido cars painted in MBTA, but the Boise Budd cars a bit more problematic. I am thinking of using CC RDC-1 as a base because the Kato versions are long sold out. Does anyone know how the engine bays were plated over? Were the corrugations matched, or did they just plate the roof over after removing the blister?

Go with the Kato cars. There are plenty still floating around the secondary market.

[nickelplate759]

My recollection is that the roof corrugations matched but there were some visible artifacts  of the patching process.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I wish I could use the Katos, but the RDC-1 are very hard to find now.

[nickelplate759]

Here's a link to picture of an MBTA former-RDC coaches on Flikr
https://flic.kr/p/LHzLAo


You can see that the corrugations continue through the top but there are some gaps.

[thomasjmdavis]

I wish I could use the Katos, but the RDC-1 are very hard to find now.

Wow. After years of seeing them on sale, I figured that couldn't be, but sure enough....  I did a quick search around the web, and all I found were folks selling second hand Con-Cor dummy RDC-1s- and not many of those. At one time, there were so many Katos that there were discounts on top of discounts.  Maybe it is time for a second run (with somewhat more limited production than the first time around)?  But honestly, I can't see them doing them again- lately they seem reticent to even do a run of F7s in more than 1 or 2 roadnames, and then only to go with a set of passenger cars.

It strikes me that the RDC would be a great project for Lowell Smith, or even MTL, if they have an extra $100,000 lying around to buy a production run of undecs from Kato.  Could then release a new road name in small batches every few months for the next 10 years.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Wow. After years of seeing them on sale, I figured that couldn't be, but sure enough....  I did a quick search around the web, and all I found were folks selling second hand Con-Cor dummy RDC-1s- and not many of those. At one time, there were so many Katos that there were discounts on top of discounts.  Maybe it is time for a second run (with somewhat more limited production than the first time around)?  But honestly, I can't see them doing them again- lately they seem reticent to even do a run of F7s in more than 1 or 2 roadnames, and then only to go with a set of passenger cars.

It strikes me that the RDC would be a great project for Lowell Smith, or even MTL, if they have an extra $100,000 lying around to buy a production run of undecs from Kato.  Could then release a new road name in small batches every few months for the next 10 years.

It would be a good project for Rapido as Kato left a lot of road names on the table. They could also do the Canucked versions as well as the RDC-9 and Boise Budds based on the same tooling. They already have the research done.

[peteski]

Daniel, here are couple of photos which, while not addressing your question, I think you might still find interesting.   Few abandoned RDCs in Alewife part of Cambridge.  The one placed on its side is unusual. It was probably done for obtaining spare parts from it.  Photos taken in August 1990. Cant' believe it was over 30 years ago!

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Daniel, here are couple of photos which, while not addressing your question, I think you might still find interesting.   Few abandoned RDCs in Alewife part of Cambridge.  The one placed on its side is unusual. It was probably done for obtaining spare parts from it.  Photos taken in August 1990. Cant' believe it was over 30 years ago!

I wonder if these were used for rescue training.

[peteski]

I wonder if these were used for rescue training.

No idea, but that would make sense, especially since some of them look like they were burned, and then the one lying on its side.  Plus, the seem to be fenced off.

[Mike C]

   Must have been some fire! It looks like the frame is bent on the nearest one .