Last of VIA Rail Budd RDC's Endangered

[Jeff Smith]

Where: Trains

Last chance to ride VIA’s Budd RDCs

The days of the five serviceable Budd RDCs (Rail Diesel Cars) remaining on VIA Rail Canada’s roster may be numbered. As Siemens Venture equipment displaces the stainless and LRC coaches (and F40s and P42 locomotives) on the Windsor-Quebec City corridor, the aging RDC fleet assigned to train Nos. 185 and 186 between Sudbury and White River, Ontario, will likely become surplus.

If you want to experience the last of VIA’s Budd cars, now is the time to act.

RDC-equipped train Nos. 185 and 186 are lifelines for people living year-round in Ontario’s Algoma District and are supply lines for remote private camps, cottages, and fishing lodges. In the summer months, Nos. 185 and 186 transport as many as 80 to 100 passengers destined for northern adventures with up to 18 canoes loaded aboard the RDC4 along with packs and provisions. The Sudbury RDC fleet is composed of RDC2s Nos. 6217 and 6219, RDC1 No. 6105, and RDC4 No. 6250.
...

[dowlingm]

Does VIA's press department not take calls from Trains? It seems odd that this piece is constructed solely from the Venture replacement, without mention of a request for comment. Is it possible? Sure. There was even a rumour on UrbanToronto about it a while back. But the wye in White River is short - maybe not long enough for a summer length HEP consist plus power.

[Tadman]

I had the same thoughts. I read the article twice and never found any hints of Via's input. Where did the magazine hear this? If there is a source, credit the source or note that the source works for Via but wants to remain unnamed. this is just rumor mongering otherwise.