All Aboard!
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All aboard the Bellefonte Historic Railroad Society's Budd Rail Diesel Car! The historic RDC arrived back in Bellefonte in early September. The BHRS acquired their first major piece of rolling stock in the form of a RDC-1#9167 in 1984. This self-powered, rail diesel car came to the BHRS after a long career that began in 1953 as part of the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad. The BHRS used the train to provide a variety of train excursions for train enthusiasts of all ages from all over the world.
In 2014, the RDC needed major mechanical work. It went by truck to Columbia, Pa., where Rail Mechanical Services, Inc, would complete the repairs. Volunteers from the BHRS took the motors off; the batteries were removed and all the fluids were drained prior to the transport. It was originally slated to be an 18-month project but due to the unavailability of parts; new issues that arose after the project started, the pandemic; and an accident in the rail yard; it took longer than what was originally expected.
The RDC came back by rail in September of 2023 and the BHRS organized a team of volunteers to oversee both mechanical and cosmetic concerns. This year the RDC will be 70 years old. Forty of those years were part of the BHRS fleet. The BHRS is proud of our railroad heritage. The Bellefonte Railroad was an important part in the transportation system in Central Pennsylvania. The Bald Eagle Branch was the busiest mainline single track in the U.S. in the 1940's with the recording of 47 trains per day and was the first to test for Centralized Traffic Control signaling apparatus.
The Bellefonte Historic Railroad would like to thank the following agencies and organizations for their support over the years: PennDOT, the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission, Rail Mechanical Services, Inc, and most recently, the 100+ Centre County Women Who Care, Roy Brooks Welding, Wizards Janitorial Systems, Seda COG JRA, North Shore Railroad, Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad, Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc., Confer's Trucking, Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and the Bellefonte Chamber of Commerce.
They are pleased to announce that once again the BHRS is ready to provide their very popular excursion rides to passengers of all ages. They will welcome our RDC back to its home at the Bellefonte Train Station on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, at 3:15 p.m. Please join in welcoming the RDC back. The first set of excursions will be on Saturday, Oct. 28, and Sunday, Oct. 29. Please check their website, bellefontetrain.org, for more information.