Gary Pfeifer, a Penn Central and ConRail official (also a vice-President of the Phila. area trolley museum) described this about 1980, and his tale seems to match my memory of a trip to Cape May in late 1968.
PRSL (and New Haven) RDCs were considered as Diesel locomotives having less than 89,000 lbs. on the drivers (only 2 axles were powered), so no fireman was required by the unions for a single car, but more than one MU'ed did require a fireman. I'm sure he also said that each car required a trainman or flagman, and each train required a conductor.
At this time, a single car each left Cape May via Wildwood and Ocean City. Each 1 car train had an Engineer, Conductor, and Trainman/Flagman. At Tuckahoe, the 2 cars were coupled, one of the Engineers became the required Fireman, and the Ocean City Conductor got a Taxicab back to 10th St. to either rest until evening or repeat the process on a 2nd summer train. Gary said that conductor made about $38,000 per year for less than an hour's work in the winter, twice that in the summer. I don't know what happened with longer RDC trains, or when a separate car went to Wildwood (before the Fall of 1968). I don't think there was enough time for the same conductor to be driven between Wildwood Jct. and Ocean City.
I've read articles about steam days in 1955 that imply that the Ocean City steam engine, baggage car, Engineer, Fireman, Conductor, and Baggage Master deadheaded back to O.C. to be the next train. I guess the Trainman stayed with his car and passengers towards Winslow Jct. and beyond. A baggage master may have counted as part of the "Full Crew", since Employee Timetable instructions required him to help flag to prevent collisions between the 2 parts of the train at Tuckahoe after the first engine uncoupled.
