Any known footage of the RTL-IIIs?

The RTL-IIIs had been in service for a few months, allowing lots of photos to be taken of it. However I have noticed the lack of any videos of it, sure there is videos of it in Adams yard. But, where is footage of it running in service? If you have any footage or know a source that may contain RTL-IIIs running revenue service, please let me know below!

Worked them as a conductor ran them once or twice as a student engineer/ engineer. Same junk as the old turbo sets. Anywho, A fellow raccoon I work with shot plenty of video back in the day. Maybe he has some of the last tin lizards to "run" on the Hudson.

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Sat Jul 27, 2024 9:53 am Worked them as a conductor ran them once or twice as a student engineer/ engineer. Same junk as the old turbo sets. Anywho, A fellow raccoon I work with shot plenty of video back in the day. Maybe he has some of the last tin lizards to "run" on the Hudson.

It's nice to meet an RTL-III Conductor/Engineer, it's such a unique experience talking with someone who has operated such machines before! Though might I ask Is there a way I can get into contact with the person you mentioned?

Galey wrote: ↑Sat Jul 27, 2024 7:54 pm

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Sat Jul 27, 2024 9:53 am Worked them as a conductor ran them once or twice as a student engineer/ engineer. Same junk as the old turbo sets. Anywho, A fellow raccoon I work with shot plenty of video back in the day. Maybe he has some of the last tin lizards to "run" on the Hudson.

It's nice to meet an RTL-III Conductor/Engineer, it's such a unique experience talking with someone who has operated such machines before! Though might I ask Is there a way I can get into contact with the person you mentioned?

I will contact him see if he has anything. He is quite active on social media.

To further answer your question, I contacted my buddy he has no video, the pictures you can find maybe the only evidence they ever existed. They just were not around that long. They were JUNK, their predecessors were JUNK, worked those too as a conductor and LSA. They were taken away in the night to be never seen again, good riddance.

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Sun Jul 28, 2024 10:01 am To further answer your question, I contacted my buddy he has no video, the pictures you can find maybe the only evidence they ever existed. They just were not around that long. They were JUNK, their predecessors were JUNK, worked those too as a conductor and LSA. They were taken away in the night to be never seen again, good riddance.

Well that's unfortunate that no video evidence exists of them running, but I'm glad I was at least able to meet a driver/conductor of one of them! Thank you for your help! Also might I ask if this was your buddy?

Galey wrote: ↑Sun Jul 28, 2024 10:50 am
Well that's unfortunate that no video evidence exists of them running, but I'm glad I was at least able to meet a driver/conductor of one of them! Thank you for your help! Also might I ask if this was your buddy?

Haha, no that's my brother, photo taken by me! There was a video clip online once upon a time, but it was on a site other than youtube (vimeo perhaps, not sure) and I think it is not longer online. It was just a short clip of the RTL-III slowing down and coming to a stop, but the power car did sound cool! In the absence of actual video footage, here is how I picture the typical startup sequence.

Matt Johnson wrote: ↑Sun Jul 28, 2024 4:07 pm

Galey wrote: ↑Sun Jul 28, 2024 10:50 am
Well that's unfortunate that no video evidence exists of them running, but I'm glad I was at least able to meet a driver/conductor of one of them! Thank you for your help! Also might I ask if this was your buddy?

Haha, no that's my brother, photo taken by me! There was a video clip online once upon a time, but it was on a site other than youtube (vimeo perhaps, not sure) and I think it is not longer online. It was just a short clip of the RTL-III slowing down and coming to a stop, but the power car did sound cool! In the absence of actual video footage, here is how I picture the typical startup sequence.

Lol that start up sequence is cool, id imaged it was complicated but cool to hear it roar. I bet it's crazy to think how your brother has gone down in history as the man with the RTL-III lol. Also might I ask, if I'm able to find the video would you mind if I re-uploaded to YouTube? (Ik it's unlikely, but in case I'm able too, i'd love to preserve it and make it easier to find for others! )

Galey wrote: ↑Mon Jul 29, 2024 8:43 pm
Lol that start up sequence is cool, id imaged it was complicated but cool to hear it roar. I bet it's crazy to think how your brother has gone down in history as the man with the RTL-III lol. Also might I ask, if I'm able to find the video would you mind if I re-uploaded to YouTube? (Ik it's unlikely, but in case I'm able too, i'd love to preserve it and make it easier to find for others! )

I wouldn't mind certainly - it wasn't my video or I'd surely give you my permission. I wish I had gotten some video footage of 'em! At least I got a few stills. Here I am on the other of the two trips I took aboard an RTL-III.

If y'all are really into these trains... the British HST looks somewhat similar although diesel. They were a raging success and some still run. Two more are in Mexico and one in Nigera now. But if you're into internal combustion HST's, Britain is the place to look for continued operation for a few more years.

Indeed, always thought those were cool, as were the LRCs up in Canada. I never got to ride aboard an HST though I've been on what I believe is basically the electric version, the IC225. I also got to ride aboard a Super Voyager back in '08.

The IC225 is a generation newer, maybe about 15 years in techology. I prefer the HST but that's strictly personal. I love the British MkIII coach. For all the build-quality issues they had, it was really comfy to ride in a seat or a sleeper.

The 225 is really cool because the locomotives have the traction motors hanging from the body and thus it's sprung weight rather than being axle-mounted unsprung weight. Also the transformer hangs very low - it looks like a fuel tank. A very innovative product. It was one of the last true British electric motors, as they now source their trains from Japan, US, and Germany mostly. As far as I'm aware there is no more BREL staff or anybody fulfilling the role of designing and making mainline trains in the UK anymore as anything more than a satellite of Hitachi or EMD.

I was never keen on the voyager becuase I don't like diesels aboard the car I'm riding in. The only really quiet one was the 170 class Turbostar but I don't love them either.

I've been aboard a LRC coach but never behind the MLW power car as those got the toss long ago. The Montreal-Toronto ride is nice but I wasn't bowled over. Eurostar it aint.

Interesting background on the 225, thanks!

Tadman wrote: ↑Wed Jul 31, 2024 8:43 pm I was never keen on the voyager becuase I don't like diesels aboard the car I'm riding in. The only really quiet one was the 170 class Turbostar but I don't love them either.

That's fair, I tend to agree. One thing I remember about the Turbos was that business class was a louder ride than coach. On one trip I traveled business class which put me in power car #2135, and the presence of the turbine was definitely noticeable! Now that the US has its own modern take on the HST, I must admit, as much as I thought the RTL-III was cool, these are clearly superior in virtually every respect:

My first ride aboard Brightline

I got to ride these turbos once, from Croton-Harmon to NYP (I was connecting to a Regional to PHL). As I recall they had some problem deploying the 3rd rail shoes before the entrance to the tunnel to NYP which delayed us 20 minutes or so. Otherwise it was a comfortable ride.

I also rode the UAC turbos that ran from Boston to NYP in the late 1960s and into the Amtrak era a couple of times, always in the "dome" section behind the cab where you could see out over the track. I wonder if there is any footage of them also.

I guess the Turbos do have one advantage over the Siemens sets - low axle loads but for a 125 mph train maybe it doesn't matter so much. The RTL power cars weighed in at 75 tons or so as I recall, vs I think close to 130 tons for a Siemens Charger locomotive.