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Just a quick check, as I am planning a trip in the fall, those warnings are not listed on my planned trip. Interestingly, they are offering food on board. So, that tells me that by then there may be a change in equipment. Looking at the May long weekend, it seems the same, so not sure.
Maybe there is some heavy maintenance planned for the RDC's?
 
One locomotive on each end?
Or just wye the locomotive, if they only want one.
Are the RDC's compatible to be run as can cars? But that would defeat the purpose of using locomotive hauled equipment.
There will be plenty of excess HEP equipment, so I don't see the need. VIA may just be wanting to retire the RDCs, instead of sending them out for another round of refurbishment. There is a cost advantage to standardizing equipment.
 
Is there any chance 6250 and 6251 turn up in the Gaspé? There was a rumour that was the next stop of the AllEarth Vermont passenger RDCs.
 
Two units seems like a lot for such a small consist, unless they want redundancy for isolated travel but, yes, they could just turn the power.
IIRC they had two back to back F40s leading either Jonquiere or Senneterre a while back when the wye was broken.

Could an RDC be used as a driving cab if all coaches between it and the power were push pull enabled?
 
How would an RDC have been designed with the capbility to remote-control locomotives built 30 years later?
What is the age difference between a Metroliner cab and its power while leading an Amtrak Regional consist, or an early series GO cab and an MP40-T4AC?

In any case, “no”, assuming you are correct in your answer, would have been perfectly satisfactory.
 
Two units seems like a lot for such a small consist, unless they want redundancy for isolated travel but, yes, they could just turn the power.

For a consist of ~2 coaches and a baggage car, you're right. However, it is a simple solution and gives redundancy.There is a wye in both places if they wanted to only run one engine.

They need to buy new RDCs. I don't think comparability with whatever they get in the 2060s is important right now.
Considering no one makes them anymore, the better option is to run what they can till the new LDF arrives.
 
What is the age difference between a Metroliner cab and its power while leading an Amtrak Regional consist, or an early series GO cab and an MP40-T4AC?

In any case, “no”, assuming you are correct in your answer, would have been perfectly satisfactory.
I might have focused on the wrong explanation: the entire purpose of cab cars is to remote-control a locomotive (which quite probably comes from a different manufacturer), whereas the entire purpose of multiple units is to run in tandem with multiple units of the same model (and thus manufacturer).

Also, the RDCs are self-propelled and thus not intended to run (and especially: lead) with their motors switched off, but that would be a requirement, as you can’t expect them to operate in sync with locomotives which have much larger motors…
 
Unless VIA did something fancy with the last refurb of its remaining RDC equipment, RDC MU cables and controls are not compatible with standard locomotive MU wiring and hoses. RDC brake controls are not compatible with brakes on a shoving locomotive either. And RDCs do not draw HEP power from other cars - the diesel propulsion for each car also provides HEP to that car.
Demotored RDC’s also require mods to the suspension to compensate for the loss of weight from removal of motors, transmissions, and fuel tanks - otherwise they ride like WWIi Corvettes in a heavy sea.

- Paul
 
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