Colorado Railcar brought their DMU (Diesel Multiple-Unit) self-propelled commuter railcar to Milwaukee on December 15, 2003. The car was
open for tours from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. For more information on Colorado Railcar and the DMU visit
their website.
A view of the controls inside the cab. This single power car can get two miles per gallon, and a half-gallon per
mile with a commuter consist.
A view out the cab window. The monitor on the left displays the stairway entries for both sides in the middle of the car.
This is a view of the passenger seating in the cab-end of the DMU, looking back from the cab. For demonstration purposes, both
commuter and first-class seating is in this car. It also features the glass-domed roof option. After it completes
a year of testing, this car will be in service on the Alaska Railroad.
The rear-half of this DMU is configured with booth (business class) seating and has a sink, microwave, and
refrigerator. It also has laptop plug-ins. On this half of the car (but not shown) is also a wheelchair access restroom. This view is
looking towards the center of the car.
A rear-view of the DMU. The unit is capable of pulling 210 trailing tons, or two commuter coaches.
And aside from the transmission, the 85-foot unit is American-made. The cost for this car is $2.9 million.
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All text and photos by Joe Russ. Copyright © 2003 & 2004 by Joe Russ