# RDC-3 interesting.



## smcgill (Jan 2, 2008)

The new RDC-3 is a good looker!
I think it was worth the waite.
So I've had time to run this unit around the layout.
Well you will find all you track problems!!
I was told the sd-45 has some of the same track quircks.
Well we got the track tooned up.
Runs well.
Now for the seats inside ! HHMMMMMMMM.
I'm glad I do not have to sit in them!
I plan on putting some people inside.
Any thoughts on an engineer or conductor to place @ the throutle ?
I was thinging some clown!!








Sean


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Did you remove your 20 screws yet Sean? 

Greg


----------



## smcgill (Jan 2, 2008)

I did take some pics : http://www.aristocraft.com/vbulleti...post157291


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I was trying to ask if you had opened it up yet. 

Just want to hear your experience. 

Greg


----------



## Jerrys RR (Jun 28, 2010)

The C&NW RDC's finally arrived and I have enjoyed running them more than I had expected to. To be honest I never had much interest in buying and running RDC's as they seemed more like an interurban than train but now that I have been running a pair of C&NW RDC's I have started to really like them.

For one thing there are only two (heavy) items to pick up and carry to and from the track giving me two trains to run.

Second they fit my layout in that they carry a small enough number of passengers to be practical to carry folks from my small town to the sawmill and lumber yard.

They were surprisingly quiet when I first ran them and got quieter as they ran (as do most Aristo locos).

They were so quiet that I ended up using them to play with the deer. By getting the deer to focus on the RDC's running slowly and quietly on the layout the deer did not pay attention to me photographing them from the cupola of the caboose. I was controlling the RDC's with a regular Train Engineer where the extended antenna got the control signal through the front cupola window rather than being blocked by the steel caboose walls. 











The first RDC has passed and the fawn is watching the next RDC approach.

The 2nd RDC got too close for comfort. 












Jerry


----------



## smcgill (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg I'm confused!!
On my RDC-3 it only takes 12 screws to take it apart!
10 on the bottem and 2 on top.
You have to be carfull of the ones on the top ( strip easily)
I opened mine and glued the plastic seats to a thin piece of plywood .
I then used velcrove on the corners to secure it to the car.
This gives a nice wire chase for the miles of wire.
Oh ya when smoke fluid makes it way down below.... the tape holding things ... ( GOO - GOONE )
Just what I have found for now.
Sean


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

We did this on the other site... 12 screws will leave all 4 bulkheads in place. Pulling it apart this way tends to spring the shell open, since the bulkheads are wider than the bottom of the shell. I also removed the end bulkheads first, why risk it, and more trouble putting it back together. 4 bulkheads at 2 screws each is a total of 8 screws... 12 + 8 = 20. 

Anyway, just my opinion, it's a lot easier to pull apart my way, considering I had to do it twice (forgot the dad-blamed 19" wire to connect the QSI at one end with the speaker socket at the other!! 

Good idea about the chase for the wires... I'm going to eliminate all wires in the center... 

Regards, Greg


----------



## smcgill (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 11 Oct 2010 05:47 PM 
We did this on the other site... Regards, Greg 



You never said disembowel.You said take a part.The less screws you take out the less you loose/ strip!Just my thought and I'm sticking to it!!Sean


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

No problem, to each his own... the bulkheads are wider than the base of the shell... you have to yank pretty good to pull them out and spring the shell apart. 

After doing that the first time, I noticed that the bottom of the shell was open wider than before. 

I never strip screws... learned that long ago... 

I bolt the 2 center bulkheads back on then put it back together and then all the end bulkheads later. 

There's nothing near disembowelment.. but hang on, I will perform that later! I don't want any wires in the passenger compartment... nor am I happy seeing the QSI from the windows. 

It will be returned to wiring similar to the RDC-1. 

Regards, Greg


----------



## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

Jerry, what a great picture of that fawn watching your trains!!! Awesome!

Ed


----------



## Ward H (Jan 5, 2008)

Hi Guys, 
Getting ready to pick up a RDC-3. Has anyone put Kadees on the RDCs and if so, which Kadee coupler did you use?


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Ward, it's already on my site. 

*http://www.elmassian.com/trains-mai...u-72/rdc-3* 


Greg


----------



## Ward H (Jan 5, 2008)

Thanks, Greg. 
You mention that Kadee recommends three couplers but you don't specify which one you used. It looks like the 789?


----------



## Jerrys RR (Jun 28, 2010)

Posted By eheading on 11 Oct 2010 07:42 PM 
Jerry, what a great picture of that fawn watching your trains!!! Awesome!

Ed


Hi Ed,

This is my favorite time of year and I spend a lot of evenings in the caboose and nights in the camper. This morning, as usual, the cat was crying outside wanting me to take him to the house and get Marilyn off to work. As I opened the door two of the deer were standing less than 50 feet away. I froze and they froze and then they showed how accustomed they have become to seeing me as they went back to eating the grass and the corn I had put out. Before long two other deer joined them for a total of one small doe and three small deer with just a slight amount of spots remaining. After awhile I picked up the cat and just sat on the steps of the camper watching the deer as they watched me and ate around 50 feet away. This is the closest I have had deer come to me when they knew I was there.

Last week I took Al Taylor with me (a fellow train nut) out in the flat-bottom boat looking for deer to watch in the Wattensaw game management area when we had a 25 pound 32 inch Japanese (flying?) Carp jump into the boat at my feet. The last time this happened I was alone and it was an even bigger Buffalo fish that jumped into the boat but I managed to finally pick that one up and throw him back. I suspect most I told about it did not believe me but this time Al was a witness and he took the fish home where he weighed and measured it (boy was his wife surprised). 

Just after the fish jumped into the boat we saw a couple of deer that swam across the river around the curve. We know they swam the river because a game warden came around the bend and told us he saw them. 

Here we sat with a 25 lb fish and I did not have a fishing license (it was literally in the mail). Al had his license and I told the warden that I did not think I needed a license when the fish jumped into the boat. It turned out that the warden had a small pike that had jumped into his boat and he identified the fish for us.

Usually the trains are the main attraction but this time of year they play second fiddle to the wildlife.

Regards,

Jerry


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I updated the link Ward. The picture actually shows the "ser 900" on the coupler casting, so it is the new style "Prototype Head" coupler. 

I like the new Kadees, they have a more prototype appearance, and are even more robustly built around the shank and knuckle area. The mounting I show worked fine on 10' dia curves, I don't have anything sharper. 

I'll post more as I progress the modifications, I want to eliminate any view of wiring or circuit boards through the windows. 

Regards, Greg


----------

