US Double-ended railcars?

[Guest Jack Benson]

Hi,

 

Did the US follow the trend of using reversible (double-ended) self-powered passenger vehicles? I am aware of the Budd RDC but was there anything earlier that merely needed the engineer (driver) to walk to the other end of the train at the terminus in order to leave?

I did hope that the Bachmann gas-Doodlebug was suitable but have been informed that it required turning…..

Any hope of a suitable device in HO, my best guess is that most passenger accommodation on rural shortlines was either a combine or a time-served car within a mixed train.

 

Thanks

[2E Sub Shed]

There were double -ended railcars in the US , and I have seen at least one comment on a forum that it would have been more useful if Bachmann would have chosen one of those to model.

 

See this video for an example of a double-ended example   A Pennsy Doodlebug in Reading Territory 

 

Useful bit of background here EMC Doodlebugs which may explain why single ended cars were used, as they were seen as locomotive replacements..

 

Of course you can always run a pair of the Bachmann models  back to back !

 

 

 

 

Edited August 27, 2022 by 2E Sub Shed
Update

[Guest Jack Benson]

Whilst browsing I found this:-

 

It appears to be different to the Bachmann and has a cab at both ends……otherwise it is a complete mystery.

 

Or a Budd RDC or a chopped Bachmann Doodlebug, I wonder if a 3D cab is available?
 

Thanks

 

 

[Patrick SPF]

The Walthers doodle bug is effectively double ended as it has rear windows, however you would need to add some sort of pilot and a headlight to the rear of the car.

[melmerby]

Strasburg RR has one in working order:

https://www.strasburgrailroad.com/our-locomotives/l-o-s-self-propelled-motor-car/

[barkingdigger]

Single-car trains were not usually a "thing" in the US - short trains were often a loco and single unpowered car outside the big cities of the east coast.  There are plenty of self-powered cars, but usually with only one cab so two or more were coupled back-to-back because train lengths were not an issue.  Exceptions are the diesel-powered RDC (from the 50s through about 2000 in some places), and many types of electric interurban cars that are essentially trams on steroids.  Interurbans are as old as electric traction, but mostly died out in the 70s/80s as cheap cars finally dried up their customer base and clogged the roads they needed to run on.

 

If you need a single double-ended unit pick an RDC - loads of railroads used them to support otherwise-nonviable routes they were forced to keep open...

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, barkingdigger said:

Single-car trains were not usually a "thing" in the US - short trains were often a loco and single unpowered car outside the big cities of the east coast.  There are plenty of self-powered cars, but usually with only one cab so two or more were coupled back-to-back because train lengths were not an issue.  Exceptions are the diesel-powered RDC (from the 50s through about 2000 in some places), and many types of electric interurban cars that are essentially trams on steroids.  Interurbans are as old as electric traction, but mostly died out in the 70s/80s as cheap cars finally dried up their customer base and clogged the roads they needed to run on.

 

If you need a single double-ended unit pick an RDC - loads of railroads used them to support otherwise-nonviable routes they were forced to keep open...

Most interurbans had their own reserved track, often alongside a mainline railway and most closed in the 1930s, there were just 5 left by 1960

The street trolleys lasted a little longer.

Some former interurban Right Of Way has been re-used for modern light rail.

 

The Ohio Interurban network was huge, linking much of the state.

 

A notable surviving Interurban is the South Shore line which runs from Chicago to South Bend Airport, Indiana which has a mixture of rerserved track and street running, although they are currently converting the remaining street trackage in Michigan City to roadside reservation. It uses full size EMU type vehicles.

[Guest Jack Benson]

Digging deeper into the perceived failure of US railroads to embrace the EMC  gas-electric as an economy measure revealed a tale of both mismanagement by the railroads and some later success for EMC, the link below is rather illuminating.

Gas-electrics article 

 

I will not be pursuing the purchase of an example, instead the purchase of a suitable time served combine for the Appalachian shortline and Bachmann’s new mogul will suffice.

 

One question, can anyone help, the N&W used a switcher on the Virginia Creeper to Abingdon just before closure, what type was used?
 

Thanks

[mdvle]

4 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

One question, can anyone help, the N&W used a switcher on the Virginia Creeper to Abingdon just before closure, what type was used?

 

Can't help with that late, but this website (with a track plan for a largish room) indicates in the 60s they used a pair of GP9's

 

https://appalachianrailroadmodeling.com/nw-abingdon-branch-va-nc-track-plan-ho/

 

[jasond]

Wild guess Jack ... it's in Virginia ... T6

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4559987

Jason