This brochure doesn’t really tell how Budd built passenger cars, but it does repeatedly emphasize that everything “underneath that deep-piled carpet you’re standing on” is stainless steel, not ordinary steel with a stainless steel covering like some manufacturers made. The … Continue reading
While most name-train booklets are aimed at attracting passengers, this one is aimed at selling passenger cars. The booklet provides details about the fine points of such things as Budd’s disc brakes, which weighed 1,000 pounds less per car than … Continue reading
In 1949, Budd once again proved itself the most innovating passenger railcar manufacturer with the introduction of the Rail Diesel Car. RDCs were updated versions of the motorcars made early in the century, but after World War II, no other … Continue reading
This brochure is almost exactly the same size as yesterday’s, and specifically mentions “the Budd exhibit at the World’s Fair,” which is probably shown on the cover image. Unlike yesterday’s, it mentions both the Silver Meteor and Champion, indicating it … Continue reading
This brochure is undated, but it lists some of the trains built by Budd and includes a map of routes covered by those trains. One of them is the Seaboard Air Line’s Silver Meteor, which started service on February 2, … Continue reading
I found this illustration when going through a collection of photos of Budd Company-built trains in the Paul Crét collection at the University of Texas Architecture Library archives. The 1951 document is an artist’s conception of a train called the … Continue reading
I’ve already shown this ad from my collection of National Geographics once, but this mailer came with my new look RDC brochure, so I’m presenting it again. The mailer says the ad was featured in August, 1956, issues of Time, … Continue reading
In 1956, Budd introduced the “new look” RDC. Like the differences between a 1969 and 1970 Volkswagen Beetle, the differences between the old look and new look RDCs were slight. Outside, the headlight was raised a little higher, the air … Continue reading
The last of Patrick McGinnis’ three trains was the Roger Williams, which entered service between Boston and Washington on April 28, 1957. Budd built the train by modifying its RDCs into a six-car train that had controls only in the … Continue reading
Budd took the rail industry by surprise when it introduced the Rail Diesel Car, or RDC, in 1949. Though not really streamlined, RDCs had fluted, stainless steel bodies and could carry up to 90 passengers–more than the Pioneer Zephyr or … Continue reading
