Budd RDCs

Were these MU-capable? Were they run in multiple very often? —Morven 21:43, Dec 28, 2004 (UTC)

They were MUs, and ran that way frequently. Some still run, but I can't say where. I rode RDCs on The Crusader and The Wall Street from Newark or Hoboken to Philadelphia with RDC MU trains. An interesting operation was the PRSL run from Philadelphia to Cape May. It left Philadelphia as a single train, then peeled off RDCs (singles usually) for Ocean City (one branch) and Wildwood (another) with the remaining train making Cape May. Reverse procedure westbound of course. -- Cecropia | explains it all ® 22:30, 28 Dec 2004 (UTC)

They should have their own article, and so should the Budd company. (anonymous, 2005-01-22, 05:06 UTC)

as indeed they now do. See: Budd Rail Diesel Car and Budd CompanyFawcett5 19:43, 22 Mar 2005 (UTC).

Organization

"Multiple unit" can mean either (1) a system for controlling multiple railway vehicles from a single driving station, or (2) an independently powered rail car capable of being joined into a train controlled in this way, or (3) the resulting train. MU control can be used for locomotives, single cars (sense 2), or trams/streetcars.

Currently we have these articles (at least), with a severe shortage of links between them:

• diesel multiple unit - disambiguation of sense 1 (applied only to locomotives) and 2
• diesel multiple units - uses sense 2
• multiple unit - uses sense 3, overlaps the above article but is better written
• multiple-unit train control - defines sense 1 (ignoring locomotives)
• railcar - this term can mean sense 2 or a strictly independent powered car; the article touches on this and links to "multiple unit"

In addition there is conflicting information. "Multiple unit" says that the term diesel multiple unit (DMU) means one with a mechanical gearbox, which I have also seen called a DMMU (diesel-mechanical), while one with electric transmission is a DEMU (diesel-electric). On the other hand, "Diesel multiple units" says that the term DMU implies electric transmission. Neither one mentions the third option, hydraulic transmission (DHMU), as I believe the Budd RDC cars had.

Not only does the terminology need to be sorted out (perhaps some of the differences reflect British vs. North American usage, or other limited points of view), but I think the structure we need is:

• multiple unit - disambiguation
• multiple-unit control (renamed and expanded to mention locomotives)
• multiple-unit train (acknowledging senses 2 and 3, and combining the "multiple unit" and "diesel multiple unit")

As railcars are not necessarily MU vehicles, I would leave that article substantively alone except for tidying up; the "multiple-unit train" article should link to it, though.

(anonymous, 2005-01-22, 05:06 UTC)

River Line in New Jersey

Since the rolling stock for the river line consists of Diesel-Electric self-propelled units, should these be referred to as "DEMU's" in the North America sub-section?TimeriderTech 05:20, 14 Apr 2005 (UTC)