 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport,automobile,aviation |
| Founded | 1912; 113 years ago (1912) |
| Defunct | 2014; 11 years ago (2014) |
| Fate | Bankruptcy |
| Successor | Bombardier Transportation |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company | |
 The Budd manufacturing facility in Philadelphia | |
    | |
| Location | 2450 W. Hunting Park Ave.,Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°00′29.6″N75°10′08.7″W / 40.008222°N 75.169083°W /40.008222; -75.169083 |
| Area | 70 acres (28 ha) |
| Built | 1917 |
| Architect | Giffels & Vallet, Inc.; Albert Kahn & Associates |
| Architectural style | 20th Century Industrial |
| NRHP reference No. | 07001328[1] |
| Added to NRHP | December 27, 2007 |
The Budd Company was a 20th-century metal fabricator, a major supplier of body components to theautomobile industry, and a manufacturer of stainless steelpassenger rail cars,[2]airframes, missile and space vehicles, and various defense products.[3]
The company was founded in 1912 in Philadelphia byEdward G. Budd, whose fame came from his development of the first all-steel automobile bodies in 1913, and his company's invention of the "shotweld" technique for joining pieces ofstainless steel without damaging itsanti-corrosion properties in the 1930s.
The Budd Company became part of BuddThyssen in 1978, and in 1999 a part ofThyssenKrupp Budd. Body and chassis operations were sold toMartinrea International in 2006. No longer an operating company, Budd filed for bankruptcy in 2014. It currently exists to provide benefits to its retirees.[4]
Edward G. Budd developed the first all-steel automobile bodies. His first major supporters were theDodge brothers. Following discussions which began in 1913, the brothers purchased from Budd 70,000 all-steel open touring bodies in 1916. They were soon followed by an all-steel Dodge sedan.[5][6]
Budd Companyjointly founded, and from 1926 to 1936, held an interest inThe Pressed Steel Company of Great Britain Limited (Cowley, England), which built bodies forMorris Motors and others, andAmbi-Budd (Germany), which suppliedAdler,Audi,BMW,NAG andWanderer; and earned royalties from Bliss (who built bodies forCitroën andFord of Britain). The Budd Company also created the first "safety" two-piece truck wheel, used extensively inWorld War II, and also built truck cargo bodies for the US military.[citation needed]
Following the introduction of the "unibody"Citroën Traction Avant in 1934 using its technology, Budd developed North America's first mass-produced unibody automobile, theNash 600. In the mid-1980s, Budd's Plastics Division introducedsheet moulding compound, a reinforced plastic in sheet form, suitable for stamping out body panels in much the same way, and as quickly assheet metal equivalents are made.[7] ThePontiac Fiero has some exteriorSMC body parts manufactured by Budd Plastics – such as quarter panels, roof skin, headlamp covers, and trunk lids.[citation needed]
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From the 1930s until 1987, the Budd Company was a leading manufacturer ofstainless steelstreamlined passenger rolling stock for a number of railroads; many of these were known, at least colloquially, as "silverliners".
After briefly dabbling with FrenchMichelin rubber-tired technology ("Michelines" and theSilver Slipper),[8] they built thePioneer Zephyr for theChicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in 1934, the first of several integrated streamliner trainsets. TheGeneral Pershing Zephyr of 1938 pioneered the use ofdisc brakes on railroad passenger cars.[9] Budd built thousands ofstreamlined lightweight stainless steel passenger cars for new trains in the US in the 1930s through the 1980s.
In 1949, Budd built tenprototypestainless steelR11subway cars for theNew York City Board of Transportation;[10] these were intended for theSecond Avenue Subway.[11]
In the late 1940s, theChicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad sought a way to increase capacity on commuter trains servingChicago, Illinois, without having to add more cars.Chicago Union Station charged railroads by the length of each train. Budd proposed coaches that were taller than the typical lightweight passenger car while keeping the streamlined car's length of 85 feet but with double the capacity of cars. To address the issue of the conductor collecting tickets without having to climb stairs, the upper level was designed with its center portion open so that the conductor could reach the tickets from upper-level passengers. Rows of individual seats on each side of the car provided the increase in seating capacity.
The unique design of the upper level's open center section led to the cars being calledGallery Cars. Burlington approved the design and ordered 30 cars. These cars, built as Budd lot 9679–041, were delivered between August 1950 and January 1951 and not only marked a change in how the commuters were handled but were the first cars in commuter service to haveair conditioning. The Burlington retrofitted its earlier cars with air conditioning once the new cars entered service.
With the first of the new commuter cars in service on theBurlington, theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway also approached Budd to improve their rolling stock. In September 1952, the Santa Fe placed an order for two two-level prototypes, Budd's Lot 9679–129. Carrying the numbers 526 and 527, they were delivered in July 1954, at which time both were placed into service for evaluation.
These prototypes had seating on both levels, stairs on one end to provide access to single-level cars, a stairway at the center of the car for access to toilets on the lower level, and a side door for passenger access. The lower floor also contained various mechanical and pneumatic equipment that otherwise would be mounted below the floors of single-level cars.
With the twoHi-Level prototypes in service proving to not only meet the needs of line but also being popular with passengers, theSanta Fe again approached Budd with the idea of building additional two-level cars.
Budd developed another generation of cars for Santa Fe in five different configurations: step-down coaches like the two prototype cars, convertible coaches which could have one end of the car converted from the high level on both ends to a step-down car as needed, coaches with both ends of the car having the end door at the upper level's height to provide access to adjoining passenger cars, and dining and lounge cars (with kitchens on the lower level) with partially glassed-in roofs similar to theBig Dome lounge cars that were also built by Budd and delivered around the time the prototypeHi-Level cars were built.
The order for additional cars was placed in March 1955 for 10 68-seat step-down coaches (delivered between December 1955 and January 1956 and numbered 528 to 537), 25 72-seat Hi-Level coaches (delivered between January and April 1956 numbered 700 to 724), six 60-seat bar/lounge/news-stand coaches with 26-seat lower-level lounges (delivered between May and June 1956), and six 80-seat dining cars (delivered between June and August 1956 numbered 650 to 655).
With these cars delivered, the Santa Fe re-equipped theEl Capitan, the only coach train operated betweenChicago andLos Angeles, and assigned some to theChicago–Galveston, Texas,Texas Chief line. An additional 12 step-down coaches, numbered 538 to 549, and 12 convertible coaches, numbered 725 to 736, were ordered in November 1962 and delivered between December 1963 and April 1964.
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Budd continued to build gallery passenger cars forChicago-area commuter service on theBurlington Route (andBurlington Northern after the merger),Rock Island, andMilwaukee Road lines during the 1960s and 1970s; most of these cars are still in service on today'sMetra routes. The Santa Fe cars were the inspiration for theAmtrakSuperliner andSuperliner II which ply the rails on many different routes today, though they were not a product of Budd.
Stainless steel Budd cars originally built for theCanadian Pacific Railway's 1955 trainThe Canadian are still in service withVia Rail Canada. Since 1951, two formations of six Budd cars operated byFerrobaires have run a weekly service called "El Marplatense" fromBuenos Aires to the ocean-side city ofMar del Plata in Buenos Aires Province,Argentina; they were originally built for theChesapeake and Ohio Railway.
Budd-patented processes and designs were also used inBrazil (byMafersa), France, and Belgium after World War II to constructSNCF electric-poweredmultiple-unit cars,push-pull suburban trainsets,Wagons-Lits [CIWL]sleeping cars and evenSNCF Class CC 40100, a small class of four-current six-axle high speedelectric locomotives forTrans Europ Express service betweenParis,Brussels, andAmsterdam and SNCB class 56 EMU.
In Japan, theTokyu Car Corporation became the licensee of the Budd process and made stainless steel commuter cars like its Series 7000.Mafersa continued to manufacture cars based on Budd designs, building 38 forVirginia Railway Express between 1990 and 1992, some now atShore Line East.Canadian Vickers andAvco built cars and incompletekit shells (for GE) under Budd license, including the 1980 PATCO Series II cars,Metro-NorthM-2 Cosmopolitan, and the Arrow II/III/Silverliner IV MUs.
Budd also issued a licence to Australian manufacturerCommonwealth Engineering inSydney in the late 1950s and 1989 for a variety of projects including the monocoque self steerV set double-decker interurban electric multiple units considered by many to be one of the world's most advanced double-decker designs. Budd's extensive research into the use of stainless steel carries on today in consulting businesses like Bay Rail.
In 1949, Budd introduced theRail Diesel Car (RDC), a stainless steel self-propelled "train in one car" which expanded rail service on lightly populated railway lines and provided an adaptable car for suburban service. More than 300 RDCs were built, and some are still in service inCanada, theUnited States,Cuba, andSaudi Arabia. Similar but shorter cars were built under license byMafersa inBrazil using the BuddPioneer construction methods first used in 1956 on some of the later commuter cars, such as theMilwaukee Road gallery cars that operated out ofChicago andelectric multiple unit (EMU) high-speed cars that operated betweenWashington, D.C., andNew York City. The final few RDC cars were built byCanadian Car & Foundry under license from Budd.
In the late 1950s, Budd built the prototypePioneer III. When re-designed and outfitted with electrical propulsion and end cabs as EMU coaches, six were purchased by thePennsylvania Railroad for medium-distance use in its electrified territory. In 1963, they became known as Silverliner I cars when their use was supplemented by the Silverliner II, which used an improved Pioneer III body. They were placed into Philadelphia-area commuter rail service on the PRR andReading Company lines.
Budd was contracted in 1966 by the PRR and the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of High-Speed Ground Transportation (prior to the establishment ofUSDOT) to build the originalMetroliner multiple unit cars for luxury high-speed service on theNortheast Corridor. The 50 original cars were delivered in 1967–69. An additional 11 coaches were built forSEPTA but were not put into service until 1972 by Amtrak. The Metroliners have been either retired, rebuilt into coaches without the cabs, or de-powered and used ascab cars.
The Silverliner II had a top speed of 90 mph (140 km/h) but ran at up to 100 mph (160 km/h) when the PRR used them on its Philadelphia-Harrisburg service. The Metroliner EMU cars operated at 110 to 125 mph (201 km/h), but every car was tested to at least 160 mph (260 km/h), although breakdowns in the system led Amtrak to derate them to 90 mph (140 km/h). Since their retirement from regular service, Amtrak has used them as cab-coaches.[12]
In 1960, Budd manufactured the first stainless steel production subway cars forPhiladelphia'sMarket–Frankford Line. 270 M-3 cars were jointly owned by theCity of Philadelphia and thePhiladelphia Transportation Company, (later known as SEPTA). Some rail enthusiasts nicknamed the cars "Almond Joys" because the four hump-shaped ventilators on the roof evoked the candy bar's shape.
There were 46 single units and 112 "married" pairs. The pairs were a "mixed marriage" because the odd-numbered car came withGeneral Electric motors and equipment and was permanently coupled to the even-numbered car, which hadWestinghouse motors and equipment. One car in this fleet was air conditioned.
These cars were replaced with more modern, air-conditioned M-4 units from 1997 to 1999. Some cars were transferred to theNorristown High Speed Line in the early 1990s. The cars had to bere-trucked, because the Norristown line isstandard gauge (4' 8½") while the Market-Frankford line isPennsylvania trolley gauge (5' 2½").[13]
Industrial historian Jonathan Feldman has concluded that Budd, along with other "old-line" suppliers of subway cars, "lacked advanced systems-integration know-how and the skills required to manage complex electrical systems and electronics. Each of these firms had built railroad and subway cars, but modern subway cars became increasingly complicated. Like aircraft and automobiles, they became platforms for electronics."[14]
In 1930, the company made its first foray into theaviation industry by signing contracts to manufactureaircraft wheels and stainless steel wing ribs.Enea Bossi joined the company as the head of stainless steel research to supervise the design and construction of a four-seat biplane amphibian aircraft, theBudd BB-1 Pioneer. It was the first built with a stainless steel structure.[15] This was the first aircraft for the Budd Company and made its first flight in 1931.[16] Built under Restricted License NR749,[17] its design utilized concepts developed for theSavoia-Marchetti S-56 and was powered by a single 210 horsepower (160 kW) Kinner C-5 five-cylinderradial engine.[18]
The stainless steel construction process for the BB-1 was patented in 1942.[19] At the time, stainless steel was not considered practical and only one was built. It logged about 1,000 flying hours while touring the United States andEurope. In 1934, this plane was stripped of its fabric covering and lower wing, and mounted outside theFranklin Institute inPhiladelphia.[17] The plane was memorialized in the children's bookSpirited Philadelphia Adventure by Deirdre Cimino.[20][21]
DuringWorld War II, Budd designed and built theRB-1 Conestoga transport airplane for theUnited States Navy using stainless steel in many places instead of aluminum. Only 25 were built but after the war, 14 found their way to the fledglingFlying Tiger Line.
In 1962, Budd produced an operationalconcept car, theXR-400, for theAmerican Motors Corporation (AMC). It was designed to use AMC's existing chassis but ultimately did not enter production.
Ironically, Budd tried to sell a similar concept toFord first. In 1961, Budd combined a 1957Ford Thunderbird body with a 1961Ford Falcon chassis to produce a sporty convertible. Ford chose to develop its entry into this segment, theMustang, on its own Falcon chassis.[citation needed]
In 1965, Budd designed and manufactured a front disc brake system for someChrysler,Imperial, and full-sizePlymouth andDodge automobiles from 1966 to 1968.
By the end of the 1950s, Budd had the following divisions and subsidiaries:[3]
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Budd built two series of "L" cars for theChicago Transit Authority, the2200 series (1969–1970). and the2600 series (1981–1987). They also built theNew York City SubwayR32 (1964–1965), the firstPATCO Speedline cars (1968–1969) and theLong Island Rail Road/Metro-North RailroadM-1/M-3 (1968–1973,1984–1986). TheBaltimore Metro andMiami Metrorail cars (1983) were built by Budd and marketed asUniversal Transit Vehicles; a similar set of cars (known as theBreda A650) were built byBreda for theRed andPurple lines of theLos Angeles Metro Rail between 1988 and 1997.[22] Stainless steel railcars were also built inPortugal bySorefame under license.
Amtrak's 492Amfleet I and 150 Amfleet II cars were built by Budd in 1975–77 and 1981–83. The Metroliner-based Amfleet body was recycled for use in theSPV-2000, a modernizeddiesel passenger car which was very problematic, as it had only four buyers: (Amtrak,ONCF,Metro-North andConnecticut Department of Transportation) and was prematurely retired within 15 years. The fallout from the SPV-2000 furthered the company's decline.
In 1978, as Budd began to phase out its railcar business to concentrate on the automotive industry, it was acquired by Thyssen AG,[23] becoming its automotive division in Europe (Thyssen Automotive) and North America (Budd Thyssen).[24] The CTA 2600 series cars were finished in 1987 and were the last railcars to be built by Budd/Transit America.
In the mid-1980s, Budd reorganized its rail operations under the name Transit America. Nonetheless, on April 3, 1987, Budd ended all railcar production at its Red Lion plant inPhiladelphia and sold its rail designs toBombardier Transportation. Many of its engineers joined the staff of Louis T. Klauder and Associates, a local railway vehicles and systems engineering consulting firm.
When Thyssen merged withKrupp in 1999, Budd Thyssen becameThyssenKrupp Budd Co. in North America and ThyssenKrupp Automotive Systems GmbH in Europe. In 2006, ThyssenKrupp sold the majority of Budd's operations. Its body and chassis operations were sold toMartinrea International Inc.[25] The plastics manufacturing and molding operations were sold to Continental Structural Plastics and the aluminum casing company Stahl was sold to Speyside Equity. Its last remaining operation was sold in 2012.[26]
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Numerous Budd railcars are preserved either by museums or private owners, many of which run them in charter service. Their quality of construction and elegant design have made them highly prized.[27]
TheRailroad Museum of Pennsylvania has a number of Budd-built cars in its collection inStrasburg: the 1937 observation car built for theReading Company "Crusader", aLehigh Valley Railroad rail diesel car of 1951, and Pennsylvania Railroad 860, aMetroliner snackbar-coach built in 1968.
TheBellefonte Historical Railroad Society has two RDCs in its collection: #5718, built in 1953 for theNew Haven Railroad, and #7001, built in 1961 for theReading Railroad.[28]
TheReading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad has three operating RDCs, with road numbers 9166, 9167 and 9168.[29]
A 1949R11 (8013) and a 1964R32 pair (3352-53) are in theNew York Transit Museum fleet. Another R32 pair (3350-3351) is preserved by Railway Preservation Corp.
TheIndiana Transportation Museum maintains a fleet of fourteen closed-window Budd coaches built for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe. Eight units are currently restored and are used in excursion service, including the Indiana State Fair Train. ITMZ also operates the Silver Salon as a head-end power car.
TheIllinois Railway Museum is home to theNebraska Zephyr articulated train along with several Budd-built passenger cars and a pair ofCTA 2200 series cars.[30]Chicago'sMuseum of Science and Industry has housed thePioneer Zephyr since its retirement in 1960.[31]
TheWestern Pacific Railroad Museum atPortola, California, features several Budd cars including theCalifornia Zephyr, thedome lounge car Silver Hostel, the diner car Silver Plate, and aSouthern Pacific Budd sleeping car.
TheNational Museum of Transportation inSt. Louis now owns former Zephyr diner Silver Spoon as well as the Budd-designed locomotive Silver Charger from theGeneral Pershing Zephyr.
Bedford Depot, situated at the northwestern end of theMinuteman Bikeway (formerly the Lexington Branch of the Boston & Maine railroad), has a restoredRail Diesel Car (#6211). TheBerkshire Scenic Railway Museum in Adams also has a handful of RDCs, most notably the former B&M 6126.
TheMark Twain Zephyr trainset is preserved at theWisconsin Great Northern Railroad, undergoing restoration to operating condition.[32]
TheNational Railway Museum atEntroncamento,Portugal, features a pair of Budd cars built in 1940.
There are several Budd coaches, combines, and buffet-diner cars running in the Buenos Aires-Mar del Plata corridor. They are run as a luxury service during the summer months. The coaches and combines are in their original condition while the buffet-diner car had to be partially remodeled after a fire. They were originally purchased by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad but were sold before they could be used. Currently the train runs with one combine, three coaches, and a buffet-diner car, pulled by either anEMD GT22 or anEnglish Electric locomotive.
In 1939, the Budd company designed and fabricated the stainless steel skin for the blades of theSmith–Putnam wind turbine, the largest in the world for forty years.
Budd operated at multiple sites in the Philadelphia area. It had a brick factory inNicetown. An automobile parts factory on Hunting Park Avenue closed in 2002. The company moved its headquarters from Philadelphia toTroy, Michigan, in 1972. In 2002, the company operated 39 factories with approximately 12,000 employees in North America.[2]
Often credited as "first", others such asBSA were doing the same in this period.
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Rolling stock manufactured by theBudd Company | ||
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