NYC Beeliners on Auburn branch?

Did the New York Central use RDC Beeliners on the Auburn branch?

As far as I know, the Auburn Road passenger trains - 18 and 3 - were always pulled by a regular locomotive and did not use RDC's. I'll ask a couple guys I know to be sure that is correct. Seems to me there was another pair but will have to double check their numbers.

Also Trains 7 & 8, Sunday only. Trains 3 & 18 were daily except Sunday.

Trains 3, 18, 7 & 8 were all pulled off on 05 May 1958.

Believe these trains were powered by conventional diesel-electric locomotives including steam generator equipped Alco RS2/3 units.

I don't think RDC's were ever used on the Falls Road or the Auburn Road. Too bad, they would have been perfectly suited to the traffic levels!

There was a Pullman route on the Auburn Road until 1956, it was a connecting PRR sleeper from Washington put on the NYC at Canandaigua. That would have required the use of a conventional train to haul the Pullman to Rochester.

-otto-

The sleeper car that connected with NYC trains 3,7,18 & 8 to and from the PRR in Canandaigua, NY was pulled off on April 25, 1955.

PRR passenger service to and from Canandaigua discontinued January 1, 1956.

TB Diamond wrote:The sleeper car that connected with NYC trains 3,7,18 & 8 to and from the PRR in Canandaigua, NY was pulled off on April 25, 1955.

PRR passenger service to and from Canandaigua discontinued January 1, 1956.

Thank you!

-otto-

The only Beeliner (RDC) service I can think of off the top of my head in later years in western NY was Buffalo to Toronto on the TH&B or Albany east to Boston on the former B&A with a connection to Empire Service.

Thanks to everyone for their input.
Dave

Beeliner service never operated on the Auburn Branch. Back in the late 1930s and early 1940s a gas electric car furnished morning and evening commuter service between Syracuse and Geneva. Still earlier they operated on the "Peanut" line west from Canandaigua and in the early 1930s they were used extensively on the Pennsylvania Division out of Corning . The New York Central ran RDC cars for a short time between Syracuse and Buffalo. The service started on April 27, 1952. Two daily round trips were made. The first one left Syracuse at 7:50 a.m. and arrived in Buffalo at 10:30 a.m. It left Buffalo at 11:10 a.m. and arrived back in Syracuse at 1:50 p.m. On the second trip it left Syracuse at 4 p.m. and arrived in Buffalo at 6:40 p.m. Returning, it left Buffalo at 7 p.m., arriving in Syracuse at 9:40 p.m. Intermediate stops were made at Batavia, Rochester, Palmyra, Newark, Lyons and Clyde. Later a third daily round trip was put on. But this service ended on April 26, 1953 because it wasn’t very well patronized. These were Trains 665-666, 667-668. and 669-670. But I was told they had trouble tripping the signals. The same operational problem with the RDC's occurred on the Boston & Albany Division.
The RDC’s lasted much longer on other parts of the railroad in New York State such as between Albany south, Niagara Falls and Buffalo; on the Boston & Albany, the Chatham branch, and on runs out of Utica and Syracuse to Watertown, Ogdensburg and Massena. For a short time they operated on the Adirondack Division between Utica and Lake Placid. They were also used on New York Central lines west of Buffalo. Their main purpose was to provide minimal, no frills service.