This is a great companion to the shot you took of the consist in Reading colors. It's too bad this service didn't last. I assume not many people commuted that way?
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I rode the RDC's to Philly quite a few times, but generally on weekends. It always seemed like there were only a few people boarding at the northern stations, and ridership got heavier south of Quakertown. If I recall correctly, south of Lansdale the RDC's were express trains, skipping most stations until Wayne Jct. I also recall a trip where passengers had to change to a Silverliner at Lansdale. Whether or not ridership was an issue, the diesel-powered units were becoming less reliable and required increasing maintenance. In 1981, SEPTA dropped all non-electrified routes, and of course service on the North Penn beyond Lansdale was a casualty of that decision.
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I'd have really liked to have ridden this train - and photographed it. Had I the opportunity, it likely would've been captured on 110 film. How things have changed for teen rail photographers which I was still several months from becoming. Great shot - who'd have thought then? The F's survived - what happened to the cars?
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Five of the coaches went to the Danbury Railway Museum by way of CONNDOT. In this photo there are only five coaches vs. six in the photo that I uploaded yesterday. I don't know what happened to the sixth.
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| Posted by Thomas on April 9, 2015 | |
Having worked for the Reading (and later Conrail) I used to refer to this color scheme as "The circus train."
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