| BUDD SPV-2000 at a railroad trade fair on the site of IC's Central Station (demolished in 1974) on an unknown day in July 1982, Ektachrome by Chuck Zeiler. Built in 1977 at Budd's Troy, Michigan plant, the SPV-2000 demonstrator was powered by two 360 horsepower GM diesel engines coupled to twin disc torque converters driving the inboard axles on the Pioneer III trucks (the original design was for all axles to be driven, but that would qualify the car as a locomotive requiring a full crew). Introduced at Washington D.C. on January 18, 1978, it was planned to show at it at seven cities, but was cut short when both the MBTA and Chicago's RTA requested revenue tests. On the Chicago tests, the car failed to activate signals, which was traced back to the disc brakes. The brakes were not at fault, however, since the wheel treads were not polished by brake shoes, and a single lightweight car with less than optimum clean wheels was insufficient to shunt the low voltage signal current across the rails. Budd later developed a scrubbing device to keep the wheel treads polished. Later, problems developed with the manifolds and starters on the diesels, which were addressed by GM, but tainted the reputation of the SPV-2000. Only 24 units were sold. This particular unit was never sold to a railroad, and was cut up for scrap when Budd's Red Lion plant was demolished around 1999. |