The Roger Williams
After World War 2, American railroads sought innovative solutions to combat growing competition from airlines and automobiles. In 1955 the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad ordered three new streamlined trainsets. These would be designed for high speed and efficiency – and for the Roger Williams – operation into New York’s Grand Central Terminal.
Existing technology would be used in new ways, and coupled with new technology, would make these three new trains distinctive. The New Haven’s timetable announced the new trains as the John Quincy Adams, the Dan’l Webster and the Roger Williams.
A Different Streamliner Design
The New Haven had already made its mark with its famous Comet, but the Roger Williams, pushed the boundaries of what it meant to be a streamliner. It had to push some boundaries, the New Haven had to meet some specific goals for these trains.
President of the railroad Patrick McGinnis had revitalized the railroad with new trains, a new paint scheme and freight traffic was up. Now he wanted the same for his railroad’s passenger traffic. He turned to a solid name in rail car, and in particular, streamlined rail cars, the Budd Company. The Budd Company also had something else McGinnis and the New Haven wanted: Budd’s RDC units.
The distinctive design for the Roger Williams was based on Budd’s self-propelled, diesel-powered railcars. What set it apart was lightweight construction and the use of independent, cab-equipped power units at each end of the trainset. This flexibility was a significant advantage in busy terminals like New York’s Grand Central Terminal (GCT) and Boston’s South Station, where it shuttled passengers several times daily on a tight four-hour schedule. Not having to turn the power or train around saved time and money.
The Roger Williams trainset was also equipped with third rail electric collection shoes, just for access to GCT. The “Roger” trainset was essentially 6 Budd RDC units semi-permanently connected, with modifications such as fully corrugated sides and being 6 inches lower. The biggest change however would be the full cabs (see above) on each power unit. The crews really liked this feature. Other RDC units just provided the operator with a control stand at the end of the car.
upgrades and Challenges
The interior of Roger Williams offered an experience that matched its forward-thinking design. Architect and Designer Marcel Breuer took a fresh look at commuter train interiors, with accommodations that catered to both first-class and coach passengers. The train provided a level of comfort that was a notch above the standard service of the day. Each car was air-conditioned and fitted with plush seats that allowed passengers to relax or work during their journey between two of America’s largest cities.
However, the implementation of these innovations was not without challenges. Initially envisioned as a high-speed service, it faced limitations due to the existing track conditions, complex interlocking systems and congestion on the Northeast Corridor.
The Roger Williams gave it her best, but after a three year run – the New Haven gave up. Because of the third rail issues at GCT and the other Northeast Corridor track issues, the run to New York City was dropped. The six car trainset was broken up into two sets, and now ran between Boston and Providence. Eventually the sets were broken up into individual cars or smaller sets, as passenger traffic warranted.
End of the Line
So the innovative trainset didn’t last long in the way Patrick McGinnis envisioned, as a high-speed multi-daily service. But the units were good runners and were useful on commuter runs that didn’t need a lot of seats. They continued to be used throughout the New Haven system.
The Roger Williams and the other new passenger trains and other improvements that Patrick McGinnis brought to the New Haven couldn’t keep the railroad out of Bankruptcy. The New Haven sought protection from creditors in 1961 and the federal government forced the Penn Central to take on the New Haven. The Penn Central declared bankruptcy shortly after.
Even bankruptcy and then ownership by the Penn Central – and then the Penn Central bankruptcy – couldn’t end the career of these RDC-inspired Roger Williams units. Passenger railroads along the Northeast Corridor purchased these sturdy units. While they never came together as one train again, units served commuter routes for MARC and Amtrak. Amtrak retired all these units in the 1980s.
a new beginning
There was an immediate push to save these units from the scrapper. Both end cars and one of the middle unist were preserved by a private individual who stored the shortened trainset at the tourist line, the Hobo Railroad at Lincoln, New Hampshire. The image below shows the cars at there, where they sat awaiting restoration for more than two decades.
In 2023 the cars got a new lease on life when they were moved to the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum. The museum has plans to fully restore – operating condition – the Roger WIlliams set. In 2024, after some preliminary work, power was applied to the wheel and the trainset moved under its own power for the first time in over thirty years. More restoration work needs to be done, but it looks like ol’ Roger will be carrying passengers again!
For more info
For anything New York, New Haven & Hartford, the New Haven Railroad Historical & Technical Association is always a great first stop. Find them here: NHRHTA.org. The Syracuse University Marcel Breuer archives can be found here: Breuer Archives. To read more, and keep up on the rebirth of the Roger Williams you can check back here or check out Railfan & Railroad Magazine.
Bringing back this unusual trainset is a labor of love – and a lot of just plain hard labor. We’re coming up on the 70th anniversary of delivery to the New Haven, and over 60 years after the New Haven declared bankruptcy for the last time, who would’ve thought “Roger” would still be with us – and active!