Maine MEDOT proposed RDC service brunswick-rockland

Hello everyone! I for one am excited for this to go through this summer as I have a house in friendship ME, 45 minutes from rockland! I love how MAINEDOT has chosen the RDC's for service because I think they look really cool (and personally, from images i've seen the horns are going to sound insane).
thats RDC 2003

It's actually Finger Lakes RR/Midcoast Railservice who will be providing the proposed service, since the RDCs are theirs. The idea is a similar service to what Maine Eastern used to provide, except FGLK plans to connect with Amtrak.

MeDOT didn't choose the RDCs, they simply own the track....

thank you NHV 669 for the clarification. I forgot it was a different company/RR doing the actual service. Hopefully I and others will see these many a time!

Are these the RDCs that were recently stored and refurbished at the Bombardier assembly plant in Barre, Vermont?

Cross-posted from Amtrak to NE Railfan, then General Passenger.

Service sounds cool. I wish more agencies would use some of these refurbished RDC's for extensions of existing service.

R36 Combine Coach wrote: ↑Fri Apr 28, 2023 6:45 pm Are these the RDCs that were recently stored and refurbished at the Bombardier assembly plant in Barre, Vermont?

Yes, I believe it's 3 that they have leased from AllEarth Rail.

I know that there are SEVERAL rdc's. #2003 is looking pretty nice. and the horns are unrestricted and old. makes for a GREAT combo!

Here’s a link from February for further info:

“We’re calling it a Coastliner,” Midcoast President Mike Smith tells News Wire, adding, “The Class 3 track between Brunswick and Rockland has been well-maintained by the state DOT; we’re planning on a running time of 1 hour, 50 minutes operating at a top speed of 55 mph.” In addition to restroom-equipped RDC No. 2003, Smith plans on making two other units available.

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... c-service/

I think we can all appreciate the quote at the end of the article where the President of Midcoast Railservice basically says “why study it when we can just run something and see what happens?”

I don’t know about calling the RDCs “Coastliner” cars. Wouldn’t want there to be some kind of.. ahem.. “disaster” (for anyone who knows late 1970s made for TV movies )

yeah lol. that article is 1 of 3 good resources i could get. but i hope dearly they use the RDC's as they are the only passenger units finer lakes Railway has. they mostly have older freight locomotives, like 15 B23-7's.

silly me! my last post sounds weird because i misread the last post! yes they should be called RDC's as they are.

I bet they are going to call the train (ie the service) the Coastliner, not call the RDC (ie the equipment) the Coastliner. As in, now departing on track 1, the 9:30 am Coastliner for Rockland, making stations stops at.... At least, that would make more sense. Most potential riders won't be concerned with the name of the equipment as such.

yeah. is anyone planning to go see these (other than me)

NH2060 wrote: ↑Mon May 01, 2023 1:43 am I think we can all appreciate the quote at the end of the article where the President of Midcoast Railservice basically says “why study it when we can just run something and see what happens?”

Correct. If a RDC type service can be started for a study price to see passenger loads that is the study. Of course, proper timing and advertising comes with any new service Just call it a trial.

Maybe Amtrak should have a enough portable equipment to start a trial? Mainly ADA lifts and portable lights? With CP agreement it might only take 90 days to start BTR <> NOL service. If loads prove then permanent stations could be built and rebuilding the bridge could start instead of waiting 2 years for everything. After each track improvement is complete then a small schedule improvement would be important for visibility every where new service is contemplated.

So for Rockland service the same applies.

So if i'm correct, the RDC's are the units for the "trial era". and most likely later on they will lease/buy more units to supplement further improvement/service? if so, what could they buy with little money, more RDC's or older locomotives that are push pull capable?

-Emmett

The RDCs are for the whole service, period. That's why they leased three of them to start... why would they need another locomotive when the RDCs are self propelled?

If they need more, AllEarth still has them sitting around.