Budd Company
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<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Budd-logo.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Budd logo]] -->
[[Image:OP-2289.jpg|thumb|350px|right|A rear view of Santa Fe's ''[[El Capitan (passenger train)|El Capitan]]'' and its Budd-built [[observation car]] as it approaches the [[Raton Tunnel]] ([[Colorado]] side) on [[June 26]], [[1938]].]]
The '''Budd Company''' (now '''ThyssenKrupp Budd''') is a metal fabricator and major supplier of body components to the [[automobile]] industry. The company's headquarters are in [[Troy, Michigan]]. It was founded in 1912 by [[Edward G. Budd]], whose fame came from his company's invention of the '[[shotweld]]' technique for joining pieces of stainless steel without damaging its anti-corrosion properties.
==An automotive pioneer==
In 1916, Budd built one of the very first steel car bodies, for [[Dodge]].<ref>Georgano, G. N. ''Cars: Early and Vintage, 1886-1930''. (London: Grange-Universal, 1985). Often credited as "first", others such as [[BSA]] were doing the same in this period.</ref> They held an interest in [[Pressed Steel Company]] ([[Cowley, Oxford|Cowley]], England), which built bodies for [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], and [[Ambi-Budd]] (Germany), which supplied [[Adler (automobile)|Adler]], [[Audi]], [[BMW]], [[Neue Automobil Gesellschaft|NAG]] and [[Wanderer (car)|Wanderer]]; and earned royalties from [[Bliss]] (who built bodies for [[Citroën]] and Ford {[[Dagenham]], England}).<ref>Georgano.</ref> The Budd Company also created the first "safety" two-piece truck wheel, used extensively in World War II, and also built truck cargo bodies for the U.S. military.
==A railroad legend==
[[Image:BuddMichelineLafayette.jpeg|thumb|300px|The first Budd passenger railcar, the '''Lafayette''', in 1932.]]
From the 1930s until 1989 the Budd Company was a leading manufacturer of [[stainless steel]] [[streamliner|streamlined passenger rolling stock]] for a number of railroads. After briefly dabbling with French [[Michelin]] rubber-tired technology, they built the ''[[Pioneer Zephyr]]'' for the [[Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad]] in 1934, and hundreds of streamlined lightweight stainless steel passenger cars for new trains in the USA in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1949, Budd built ten [[prototype]] [[stainless steel]] [[R11 (New York City Subway car)|R11]] [[rapid transit|subway]] cars for the New York Board of Transportation<ref>R-11 Datasheet</ref>; these were intended for the [[Second Avenue Subway]]<ref>NY Times March 24, 2007</ref>. In the 1950s Budd built a set of two-story or high-level cars for the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway|Santa Fe]]'s [[El Capitan (passenger train)|''El Capitan'']] and ''[[Super Chief]]'' passenger trains, which became the prototypes for the [[Amtrak]] [[Superliner (railcar)|Superliner]] cars of the 1980s. Budd also built two-story ''gallery'' passenger cars for [[Chicago]]-area commuter service on the [[Milwaukee Road]], [[Burlington Route]], and [[Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad|Rock Island]] lines during the 1960s and 1970s; most of these cars are still in service on today's [[Metra]] routes. Stainless steel Budd cars originally built for the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]]'s 1955 train ''[[The Canadian]]'' are still in service with [[Via Rail|Via Rail Canada]]. Since 1951 two formations of 6 Budd cars operated by [[Ferrobaires]], run a weekly service called "El Marplatense" from [[Buenos Aires]] to the ocean-side city of [[Mar del Plata]] in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, the cars were originally built for the Chesapeake & Ohio RR. Budd-patented processes and designs were also used in France and Belgium after World War 2 to construct SNCF electric-powered multiple-unit cars, push-pull suburban trainsets, Wagons-Lits [CIWL] sleeping cars and even a small class of SNCF and SNCB four-current six-axle high speed electric locomotives for [[Trans Europ Express]] service between Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.
==Train in one car==
[[Image:Long Island Rail Road.jpg|thumb|left|250px|A Budd [[M1/M3 (railcar)|M1]] train on the [[Long Island Rail Road]].]]
In 1949, Budd introduced the [[Rail Diesel Car]] or RDC, a stainless steel self-propelled 'train in one car' which both prolonged rail service on many lightly populated railway lines and provided a flexible, air conditioned car for suburban commuter service. More than 300 RDCs were built, and some are still in service in [[Canada]], the [[USA]] and [[Australia]]. In the 1960s, Budd built the [[Pioneer III (railcar)|Pioneer III]] electric m.u. coach for intercity travel. Six were built and were bought by the former [[Pennsylvania Railroad]], but in 1966, these Pioneer III cars, later called "Silverliner I" cars, were replaced with the "Silverliner II" cars, which used the Pioneer III body, but with many improvements, for Philadelphia-area commuter rail service on both the PRR and [[Reading Company]] lines. Budd was also contracted to build the original ''[[Metroliner]]'' m.u. coaches for Washington-New York City service on the [[Northeast Corridor]], but these have since been either retired or de-powered and used as [[cab cars]]. Currently, the "Silverliner II" cars, which are now slated to be retired starting in 2010 with the new [[ROTEM]]-built "Silverliner V" models, have a top speed of 90 mph, but ran at up to 100 mph when the PRR used them for Philadelphia-Harrisburg service. The ''Metroliner'' m.u. cars operated at 110 to 125 mph, although breakdowns in the system led Amtrak to derate them to 90 mph, despite the advertised speed of 150 mph – speeds regularly achieved by Amtrak's [[TGV]]-based ''[[Acela]]'' service. Since their retirement from regular service, Amtrak has used the ''Metroliner'' m.u. coaches as cab-coaches on various services.
==Almond Joys==
[[Image:20138Amfleet.jpg|thumb|right|250px|In the center is [[Amtrak]] [[Amfleet]] traincar 20138, built by Budd Company.]]
In 1960, Budd manufactured the first stainless steel production subway cars for Philadelphia's [[Market-Frankford Line]]. 270 M-3 cars (nicknamed the "Almond Joys" because the four hump-shaped ventilators on top of the roof of each car evoked the famous [[Almond Joy]] candy bar marketed by [[The Hershey Company]]) were jointly owned by the [[Philadelphia|City of Philadelphia]] and the [[Philadelphia Transportation Company]] (now [[Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority]]). 46 single units and 112 married pairs (the pairs were of "mixed" marriage because the odd-numbered car came with General Electric motors and equipment was permanently coupled to the even-numbered car, which had [[Westinghouse Electric (1886)|Westinghouse]] motors and equipment). These cars were replaced with more modern, air-conditioned M-4 units in 1997-99, although some cars were retrucked (the Market-Frankford line is a broad-gauge line with the running rails 5' 2.5" apart) and used on the [[Norristown High Speed Line]] (a standard railroad gauge line, with running rails 4' 8.5" apart) until 1995.
==Transportation innovations==
[[Image:Philadelphia - Franklin Institute 01 - Budd BB-1.JPG|thumb|right|[[Budd BB-1 Pioneer|Budd BB-1 ''Pioneer'']] in front of the [[Franklin Institute]]]]
In 1930, the company made its first foray into the aviation industry by signing contracts to manufacture aircraft wheels & stainless steel wing ribs. [[Enea Bossi, Sr.|Enea Bossi]] joined the company as the head of stainless steel research to supervise the design and construction of the 4-seat biplane [[amphibian aircraft|amphibious]] [[Budd BB-1 Pioneer|Budd BB-1 ''Pioneer'']] – the first aircraft with a structure built out of stainless steel.<small><sup>([http://www.airfields-freeman.com/PA/Budd_Pioneer_50s.jpg photo])</small></sup> This was the first aircraft for the Budd Company, and it made its first flight in 1931<ref>[http://www.waymaking.com/waymarks/WM3851 Photo of airframe outside Franklin Institute]</ref>. Built under Restricted License NR749,<ref name="MSAcomputer">{{cite web | url = http://www.msacomputer.com/FlyingBoats-old/italy/Savoia-Marchetti-S-56.htm | title = Italian amphib: “Savoia-Marchetti S-56 was tough plane to manage on the water” |author= Peter M. Bowers |date= 1999-10-01| accessdate = 2007-12-06 | publisher = General Aviation News | language = English}}</ref> its design utilized concepts developed for the [[Savoia-Marchetti S.62|Savoia-Marchetti S-31]] and was powered by a single 210 horsepower [[Kinner Airplane & Motor Corporation|Kinner]] C-5 five-cylinder [[radial engine]].<ref name="Airfields">{{cite web | url = http://www.airfields-freeman.com/PA/Airfields_PA_Philly_NE.htm | title = Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields - Pennsylvania | accessdate = 2007-12-07 | publisher = Paul Freeman | language = English}}</ref>
The stainless steel construction process for the BB-1 was patented in 1942.<ref name="Patent2425498">{{cite web | url = http://www.google.com/patents?id=tLxaAAAAEBAJ | title = Patent 2,425,498 – “Airplane” | date = 1942-07-18 | accessdate = 2008-02-18 | publisher = [[United States Patent Office]] | language = English}}</ref> At the time, stainless steel was not considered practical; and only one BB-1 was built. It logged about 1,000 flying hours while touring the [[United States]] and [[Europe]]. In 1934, this plane was stripped of its fabric covering and its lower wing, and was mounted outside the [[Franklin Institute]] in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], where it remains to this day as the longest continuous display of any airplane.<ref name="MSAcomputer"/> The plane has been memorialized in the children’s book ''Spirited Philadelphia Adventure'' by Deirdre Cimino.<ref name="Spirited">{{cite book |last= Cimino |first= Deirdre |title= Spirited Philadelphia Adventure |publisher= [[Junior League of Philadelphia]] |year= 2000 |isbn= 0-9626-9591-2}}</ref><ref name="Gossamer">{{cite book |last= Grosser |first= Morton |title= Gossamer Odyssey: The Triumph of Human-Powered Flight |publisher= [[Houghton Mifflin]] |year= 1981 |isbn= 0-7603-2051-9}}</ref>
During [[World War II]], Budd designed and built the [[C-93 Conestoga|RB-1]] transport airplane for the [[U.S. Navy]] using much stainless steel in place of aluminum. Only 25 were built but, after the war, 14 aircraft found their way to the fledgling [[Flying Tiger Line]] and provided a good start for that company.
In 1962, Budd produced a fully functional [[concept car]], the [[XR-400]], for evaluation by [[American Motors Corporation]] (AMC). It was designed to use AMC's existing chassis for the sporty-model market segment before the introduction of the [[Ford Mustang]]. The proposed car did not enter production.
There is an irony to the XR-400 story. Budd tried to sell the idea to Ford first. In 1961 Budd combined a 1957 Thunderbird body with a 1961 Ford Falcon chassis to produce a sporty convertible. When Ford turned them down, Budd shifted focus to AMC. Ford went on to base the Mustang on the Falcon chassis.{{fact|date=April 2008}}
In 1966, Budd designed and manufactured a front [[disc brake]] system for Chrysler and Imperial automobiles, used for the 1967 and 1968 model years.
==Final years==
[[Image:Balto metro train stctr.jpg|thumbnail|300px|right|A Budd-built Baltimore Metro Subway train]]
[[Image:Linha1SP.jpg|thumbnail|300px|right|A Budd train built by Mafersa in [[São Paulo]] Metro Subway]]
Budd also built two series of "L" cars for the [[Chicago Transit Authority]], the [[CTA 2200 series|2200s]] (1969) and the [[CTA 2600 series|2600s]] (1981–1987). The [[New York City Subway]] [[R32 (New York City Subway car)|R32]] (1964-1965), the first [[PATCO Speedline]] cars (1968), [[Long Island Rail Road]]/[[Metro-North Railroad]] [[M1/M3 (railcar)|M-1/M-3]] (1968–1973,1984-1986) and [[M2 (railcar)|M-2]] (1972-1977), [[SEPTA]] Silverliner IV and [[NJ Transit]] Arrow II (1974-1975), [[NJ Transit]] Arrow III (1978), [[Baltimore Metro Subway|Baltimore Metro]] and [[Miami Metrorail]] cars (1983) were also built by Budd.
[[Amtrak]]'s 492 [[Amfleet]] I and 150 Amfleet II cars were built by Budd in 1975-77 and 1981-83. The Amfleet body was recycled for usage in the ''SPV2000'', a modernized diesel passenger car which was very problematic, saw only three buyers ([[Amtrak]], [[Metro-North]] and [[Connecticut Department of Transportation]]), and saw very premature retirements within 15 years. The fallout from the SPV2000 furthered the decline of the company.
In the early 1980s, Budd reorganized its rail operations under the name '''TransitAmerica''', this name appearing on the builderplates of the Baltimore/Miami cars and Chicago's later order of 2600-series cars (but not the LIRR/MNCR M-3s). The new name did not save the company, and in April 1987 Budd ended all railcar production at its Red Lion plant in [[Northeast Philadelphia]] and sold its rail designs to [[Bombardier Transportation]]. Many of its engineers joined the staff of the Philadelphia office of Louis T. Klauder and Associates, a local railway vehicles and systems engineering consulting firm.
==Preservation==
Numerous Budd built railcars are preserved around the country, either in museums or by private owners, many of who run them in charter service. Their excellent quality of construction and elegant design have made them highly prized.
The [[Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania]] has a number of Budd-built cars in its collection in [[Strasburg, Pennsylvania]]: The 1937 observation car built for the [[Reading Company]] "Crusader", Lehigh Valley Railroad rail diesel car of 1951, a pair of 1958 "Pioneer III" cars for the Pennsylvania Railroad, and Pennsylvania Railroad 860, a [[Metroliner]] cafe-coach built in 1968.
The [[Illinois Railway Museum]] is home to the [[Nebraska Zephyr]] articulated train, along with several Budd-built passenger cars.
The [[Western Pacific Railroad Museum]] at [[Portola, California]] features several cars from the [[California Zephyr]], including dome-lounge car "Silver Hostel" and diner "Silver Plate".
==See also==
* [[Slumbercoach]]
* [[Tokyu Car Corporation]] - member of licencee for stainless steel body manufacturing
==References==
{{reflist}}
* [http://images.nycsubway.org/cars/datasheet-r11.pdf R-11 Datasheet]
* "A Museum Quality Car for a Subway Yet Unbuilt" NY Times March 24, 2007
[[Category:Companies established in 1912]]
[[Category:Auto parts suppliers]]
[[Category:Automotive companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Rail vehicles manufacturers]]
[[Category:Rolling stock manufacturers]]
[[Category:Companies based in Troy, Michigan]]
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