Write us a letter at: letters@modelrailroadnews.com
Budd RDC Shortage

Bravo to MRN for news of Life-Like’s Budd RDC Proto 1000 Series passenger/locomotive. I understand from your magazine this will be available sometime in September.

However, sources from my Hobby Shops in the Philadelphia area inform me that Life-Like will be having a shortage of these trains before they go to market. Can your publication confirm this. This Train was so popular in the early 1950s to the middle of 1980s that I would just like to obtain a couple of them for nostalgia sake.

Chris Carter
via the Internet
It seems as though the first batch of Budd RDCs was better received than Life-Like expected. According to Life-Like, the first production run was slightly oversold, but it is only the first run. Life-Like assures us that the PROTO 1000 line is not comprised of limited run items, and that they have already produced another run which should be available to consumers very shortly after the first batch. Life-Like also stated that as with all other PROTO 1000 items, the Budd RDC will be available for as long as the retailers continue to order. — ED
In America?

Good evening from Portugal:

I was looking for information on the Lafayette/King of Prussia locomotive set and was linked to these letters. I merely would like to comment about some other topic noted by Jeff Saxton. This is a reference to taxation detrimental to publishing certain quantities of books. It seems to be that today, and over the past 30 years, more and more decisions for business are tax based rather than supply and demand based.

Some of the letters I read discussed the future of your hobby. Well, the future is pretty bleak if manufacturing and supply decisions are based on punitive tax situations. The suppliers will not supply, the demanders will not get, and the tax department does not get either. So where is the sense? In Europe it is known that the government is no friend to small industry, but in America too? Oh dear me — lucky Asians.

Jerry Shaffer
via the Internet
Learning the Lingo

Dear MRN,

We were reading the September issue of Model Railroad News and came across the letter to the Editor from Bernard Bossov of Wilmette, IL asking if there has ever been a dictionary of railway terms published.

There has indeed been a dictionary of terms published. My husband, who is a retired Southern Pacific Conductor (33 years of service) has a copy of a Golden West Book, 1966 American Railroad Journal. In this book is a section entitled, Railroaders’ Lingo. It has a list from A to Z of the terms the railroaders used.

I hope [that] this will be of help to Mr. Bossov. If he has any questions, he may feel free to contact us at [our E-mail address]: Tinewhistle@worldnet.att.net

Diane & Tom Wilson
via the Internet
Where’s the bug?

Dear MRN:

I own and operate an N EMC Gas Electric (Doodlebug). Where can I find / buy info on real units, 1930 type gasoline engines, etc.? Please advise.

Tom Henderson,
Newbury Park, CA
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