American DMU Transit systems

Over 2025, I bicycled the length of (and rode end-to-end) all 10 Diesel Multiple Unit Hybrid Light Rail (DMU) transit systems in the US. The RiverLINE was test-run in May, eBART was done in November, the Silver Line in January, and SMART in both December and February, but the rest were all captured on a single five-week Amtrak trip from PA to TX, CA, OR, and WA, spending 2-4 days in each city.

Below are some highlighted pictures from the journey, free for use by others with attribution, to help spread knowledge and encourage construction of real and model examples of this marvelous and revolutionary technology.

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Have a Thought?

Proto-Future is attempting to do something which has never been done in model railroading before. I am here to ruffle feathers, seed ideas, get rusty gears turning, and help the hobby escape the transition-era worshiping rut we’ve been in for 30+ years, thereby better appealing to younger generations and improving the world around us along the way. If you have any thoughts at all – good or bad – pause for a second, think them through, make sure they’re logical, then email me, and we’ll see where it goes.

While the podcast is transitioning to Proto-Future, I still happily accept beginner questions and will address them on-air every now and then. Feel free to email me via the contact form, and I’ll do my best to help you in your quest.

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