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| width = | height = | floorheight = | platformheight = | entrylevelorstep = | doors = | art-sections = | wheeldiameter = | wheelbase = | maxspeed = | weight = | axleload = | traction = | engine = | enginetype = | cylindercount = | cylindersize = | traction motors = | poweroutput = | tractiveeffort = | transmission = Hydraulic torque converter | acceleration = | deceleration = | aux = | powersupply = | hvac = | electricsystem = | collectionmethod = | uicclass = | aarwheels = | bogies = | brakes = Air | safety = | coupling = | multipleworking = | gauge = | notes = }} The Budd Rail Diesel Car, RDC or Buddliner is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar. Between 1949 and 1962, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The cars were primarily adopted for passenger service in rural areas with low traffic density or in short-haul commuter service, and were less expensive to operate in this context than a traditional diesel locomotive-drawn train with coaches. The cars could be used singly or several coupled together in train sets and controlled from the cab of the front unit. The RDC was one of the few DMU (diesel multiple unit) trains to achieve commercial success in North America. RDC trains were an early example of self-contained diesel multiple unit trains, an arrangement now in common use by railways all over the world. ==Background== The self-propelled railcar was not a new concept in North American railroading. Beginning in the 1880s railroads experimented with steam-powered railcars on branch lines, where the costs of operating a conventional steam locomotive-hauled set of cars was prohibitive. These cars failed for several reasons: the boiler and engine were too heavy, water and fuel took up too much space, and high maintenance costs eliminated whatever advantage was gained from reducing labor costs. In the 1900s steam railcars gave way to gasoline, led by the McKeen Motor Car Company, which produced 152 between 1905–1917. J. G. Brill sold over 300 "railbuses" in the 1920s. Newcomer Electro-Motive Corporation, working with the Winton Motor Carriage Company, dominated the market at the end of the 1920s but had exited it completely by 1932 as the Great Depression gutted rail traffic. The Budd Company entered the market in 1932, just as EMC exited. Heretofore Budd was primarily an automotive parts subcontractor but had pioneered working with stainless steel, including the technique of shot welding to join pieces of stainless steel. This permitted the construction of cars which were both lighter and stronger. Budd partnered with the Michelin to construct several rubber-tyred stainless steel rail cars powered by diesel engines. These saw service with the Reading Company, Pennsylvania Railroad, and Texas and Pacific Railway. The tires proved prone to blowouts and the cars were unsuccessful. Nevertheless, Budd thought the railcar concept had promise, albeit with more conventional steel wheels. In 1941 Budd built the ''Prospector'' for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. This was a two-car diesel multiple unit. Each car had a pair of diesel engines and was capable of independent operation. The cars were constructed of stainless steel and included a mix of coach and sleeping accommodations. The design was popular with the public but undone by the difficult operating conditions on the D&RGW. It was withdrawn in July 1942, apparently another failure. However, several technical advances during the Second World War would encourage Budd to try again. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Budd Rail Diesel Car」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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