The RDC Fleet Rebuild: Work That Body!

In our last article about the RDC Fleet Rebuild we showed an RDC’s inaugural test run. In this article, you’ll get to climb on board, and learn about some of the work that needs to happen in order to get the car rail-ready.   

As the overhaul is a pretty big endeavour, this summary will be the first of three that will provide a nice scope of the RDC overhaul from start to finish. In this article we’ll describe all the work done to the casing of the car…we’ll call it the “body work”!

Similar to many of the other fleet overhaul projects, the first order of business is to strip the interior of the car. In the case of the RDC cars, nothing was spared. From the mechanical system to the wiring, everything was removed. Once stripped, the RDC was truly a “shell” of its former self.

The biggest advantage to doing a full rebuild is that you get to construct the car up from scratch and ensure that the job is done right from beginning to end.

Once the car is completely empty, a sound and water-proofing ceramic coating is sprayed to the interior of the casing. A good sound barrier is a very important addition to the car, as it can improve the enjoyment of the ride immensely. The sound of a train cha-chugging along the rails may be music to some people’s ears, but others prefer a quieter ride.

A water test is then done to ensure there are no leaks, after which the insulation process begins. The car is equipped with fibreglass insulation from floor to ceiling, and then a vapour barrier seals the whole thing up!

During this time, the exterior doors are also checked. They undergo a  wear-and-tear / damage assessment and preliminary repair work, if needed, in preparation for a more detailed rebuild of these doors later on in the overhaul process. 

The final stage of the shell work involves the fenestration. The updated RDCs are being equipped with new windows which will be easier to change (if need be) and will have a stronger seal. In order to accommodate these windows the window frames are modified.

And that concludes the body work! The next stage of overhaul involves installing the electrical conduits, the HVAC system and the… well, we wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise. Better to check back soon to read about the next stage!

The RDC Fleet Rebuild has been funded through the Government of Canada’s billion-dollar Capital Investment program. Most of VIA’s fleet is being overhauled or upgraded. To read more about the trains projects, click here.