The two motors are concealed by the housings between the painted seats.
Overhead lighting is provided by LEDs on the printed circuit board.DC-192 DC-19164 http://www.ModelRailroader.comProduct Reviews
For the first time in plastic the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry.’s rebuilt
pair of Budd Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs) are
available in HO scale from Rapido
Trains. The models aren’t merely deco-
rated in warbonnet paint but are super-
detailed to match their unique proto-
types. We reviewed a DC-only version of
a Rapido HO scale Budd RDC-1 in the
July 2018 issue. Our ATSF review sample
includes a dual-mode ESU LokSound
that provides sounds produced from
prototype recordings on both Digital
Command Control (DCC) and direct-
current (DC) layouts.The prototype. The Budd Co. built 398
RDCs between 1949 and 1962. Powered
by a pair of diesel engines, the self-
propelled cars were used primarily for
urban commuter service and passenger
service in low-traffic, rural areas.
The ATSF received its only two
RDCs, RDC-1s DC-191 and 192, in 1952.
The cars operated as a paired set between
Los Angeles and San Diego. After a 1956
derailment, the RDCs were rebuilt and
returned to service in 1957. Both cars
were upgraded and repainted with one
end receiving a red-and-yellow scheme.
DC-191 remained a coach while
DC-192 became a baggage/36-foot com-
bine. The rebuilt cars served the line
between Newton and Dodge City, Kan.,
until 1965. They were then transferred to
the El Pasoan, running between El Paso,
Texas, and Albuquerque, N.M., until- The cars were then stored, and
eventually sold in 1970. DC-191 is cur-
rently being restored at the Orange
Empire Museum in California.
The model. The Rapido RDC’s dimen-
sions match those of a prototype RDC
drawing published in the September
1953 Model Railroader. The molded
details match photos of the rebuilt proto-
types, including the end steps. The plated-
over windows and position of the bag-
gage door on DC-192 is also accurate.
Windshield wipers, horns, vestibule
chains, and all grab irons are factory
applied. The rooftop radiator and fan
screens are made of etched metal.
The underframe is completely
detailed with every pipe, tank, and other
component represented. The truck side-
frames depict the upgraded versions
added after the 1956-57 rebuild.
The body shell is smoothly painted to
realistically simulate stainless steel. The
trucks and most of the underframe are a
different shade of silver that accurately
simulates silver-painted, rather than
stainless steel, parts. All lettering and
striping matches prototype photos.Under the shell. After removing both
coupler boxes, I used a thin scrap of sty-
rene to disengage four locking tabs
between the body shell and car chassis.The tabs are located at each truck. Then
I carefully wiggled the shell at each end
until I was able to lift it off. Don’t be
tempted to pull on the trucks, as this can
permanently damage the model.
The interior floor is a die-cast metal
weight painted gray. The partitions are
separately applied and painted plastic
parts. The seats are especially well done;
they’re painted blue with white antima-
cassar detail. There are no figures, but
they would be easy for a modeler to add.
Each truck is powered by a flywheel-
equipped motor covered by a plastic
housing on the car floor. When the body
shell is in place, the housings are con-
cealed from view.
Attached to the interior partitions,
the main printed-circuit (PC) board is
concealed under the car ceiling. On our
DCC equipped sample, the ESU
LokSound decoder is plugged into a
21-pin socket on top of the PC board, as
is a flat, cell-phone-style speaker.
Lighting is provided by light-emitting
diodes (LEDs). The interior lighting and
side numberboards are controlled by a
latching reed switch on the main PC
board. To turn these lights on or off,Rapido Trains HO Santa Fe rebuilt RDC set
Motor housingSpeaker Decoder Main printed-circuit board