# Budd RDC question



## astrayelmgod (Jan 2, 2008)

The Budd Rail Diesel Cars had a... cyst, for lack of a better word, on the roof. What was it for?


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## s-4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi,
The "blister" was actually the exhaust housing from the two diesel engines beneath the car body and also contained the main radiators for the engine cooling. There may have been some AC stuff up there too, but I'm not sure of that.


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

As s-4 says, according to my book, radiators vents and exhaust fans.
Due to the size of the pipes involved, there was a bulkhead in the centre of the RDC's to carry those pipes.
When the temperature rose above 160 degrees in the radiators, the cooling fan motors started, and the noise was so extreme that at times it caused many to think that the car motors themselves were on the roof!
I rode on them twice back in the 60's, but don't remember that problem at all, so maybe they kept cooler on those trips!
There is no mention of any of the a/c being up there, so I don't think so.
Cheers,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## astrayelmgod (Jan 2, 2008)

I was wondering because I recently came across the M497, jet powered RDC. It had two J47 jet engines mounted on the leading edge of the roof, and the exhaust would have gone right over the blister. Not a great choice if it had been the intake for anything. Although blowing hot jet exhaust across the radiators probably didn't improve the engine cooing any.

Thanks for your answers.


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