About Rail Tours/George M. Hart's ex-Reading baggage cars (wood and steel):

His open-air car No. 1 was RDG Co. class CVL combine No. 4241 Open Observation Coach built by Standard Steel Car Co., Hammond, IN, February 18, 1925 72’5” Named “Glen Onoko.” Summer car. Originally Reading Company class CVL combine No. 424, 106,800 lbs, original cost $19,768.55. Converted September 11, 1953 to class BAa baggage-express 1755; purchased by RTI for $3759.00 on November 2, 1963;. Shipped from Reading Company’s St. Clair Dismantling Plant to New Hope, May 29, 1964; to Northeastern Lumber Co. siding on February 23, 1965; Reading to York, July 8, 1965. Conversion to open car Delta #1 begun in early 1965 but work halted due to purchase of CPR #597; rebuilt from 1700-series baggage by Strasburg Rail Road for RTI on December 24, 1975. Leased as Chessie Steam Special car #19 in 1978. 50,000 lbs. Weight. Currently in-service.

51 Baggage-express built by Standard Steel Car Co., Hammond, IN, February 18, 1925 72’5”
Originally Reading Company class CVl steel baggage-coach No. 425. Converted on October 20, 1953 by RDG into baggage-express configuration as class BAa No. 1756. Purchased by RTI (with No. 1755) for $3759.00 at St. Clair, Pa., on November 2, 1963. Shipped from St. Clair to New Hope, Pa., May 29, 1964; to York, 1967. Ex-RTI #2. Used as tool car for No. 1098 in Jim Thorpe, Pa. Ex-RTI #2. Weight: 70 tons.

52 Wooden baggage [builder?], c.1900-1905 [car length?] Former Philadelphia & Reading Company wooden baggage car No. [?]. Used on St. Clair wreck train as tool car #90886. Purchased by RTI for $945.00 on November 13, 1963. Shipped to Northeastern Lumber Co. siding, Reading, Pa., September 25, 1964; to York, [date ?]. Shipped from York to Strasburg RR July 1975. Rebuilt by Strasburg Rail Road for RTI in summer 1975. Ex-RTI #31. Renumbered RTI #52 in March 1976. Stored in Jim Thorpe, Pa.

I hope this helps.

Best,
K.R. Bell
RR Musuem of PA

> RCT&HS purchased this unusual baggage
> car from NCTM and flat-car'ed it to Temple,
> PA in the mid-1990's. It is being restored
> at Leesport.
> What's unusual about this car is that it's a
> baggage car with vestibules. These cars were
> originally combines, converted at Reading
> Shops.

> George Hart has two others in his Rail Tours
> fleet at Jim Thorpe, PA. One is converted to
> an open-air car, and as such, was in the
> Chessie Steam Special train-set with 2101.
> Numbers are 1750-series, don't have exact #s
> at hand.


http://rrmuseumpa.org

> About Rail Tours/George M. Hart's ex-Reading
> baggage cars (wood and steel):

> His open-air car No. 1 was RDG Co. class CVL
> 50,000 lbs. Weight.

> 51 Baggage-express #2.
> Weight: 70 tons.

> K.R. Bell
> RR Musuem of PA

Why the drastic difference in weights on nearly identical cars?

Also, do you have a similar paper trail for our 1715 ?

Thanks.

SG

Dear Steve,

Hmmm, good point. I'll have to double-check the equipment records that George Hart loaned me. Glad you caught that.

BTW, Steve, if you email me off-line I'll send along my all-time Rail Tours equipment roster for your files.

As far as 1715 goes, I have nothing; perhaps John Hall might have some additional info, as he has been very helpful with my research on the RITX ex-Reading cars.

Best,
K.R. Bell

> Why the drastic difference in weights on
> nearly identical cars?

> Also, do you have a similar paper trail for
> our 1715 ?

> Thanks.

> SG


http://rrmuseumpa.org
Kurtrbell@hotmail.com

> Actually, John, those trips (Aug. 24-25-26
> 1990) ran out of Huntsville, not Birmingham.
> But you're right, that would have traversed
> Wauhatchie - Chattanooga. I didn't count any
> of the moves on the Huntsville line in the
> total.

> JAC
You are right it was Huntsville. I don't know why I wrote Birmingham. Getting old I guess.

jhbohon@yahoo.com

Hmmmm... Would the RCT&HS be the right group to rebuild the Reading milk car Rail Tours has, Kurt? Since it is only metal (all the wood is gone) it is almost a complete refabrication, but there aren't many eastern class 1 milk cars left... in any condition!

Rob

trains@robertjohndavis.com

Oh definitely Rob! Though I've heard a rumor that George Hart's other wooden cars may be going elsewhere, they would fit in perfectly with RCT&HS's plans. It is a travesty that the P&R milk car was lost years ago but in this age of replication anything is possible.

> Hmmmm... Would the RCT&HS be the right
> group to rebuild the Reading milk car Rail
> Tours has, Kurt? Since it is only metal (all
> the wood is gone) it is almost a complete
> refabrication, but there aren't many eastern
> class 1 milk cars left... in any condition!

> Rob


http://rrmuseumpa.org
Kurtrbell@hotmail.com

Since the steam generators are out of the FP-7's, it should be possible to put an HEP kit in there instead.

The Budd Crusader train had EP brakes and only 900 to 905 had EP brakestands. Also, the Crusader and Wall Street were both scheduled over 65 MPH and only the FP-7's were geared for over 65 MPH.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association

> Since the steam generators are out of the
> FP-7's, it should be possible to put an HEP
> kit in there instead.

> The Budd Crusader train had EP brakes and
> only 900 to 905 had EP brakestands. Also,
> the Crusader and Wall Street were both
> scheduled over 65 MPH and only the FP-7's
> were geared for over 65 MPH.
It's only a matter of money, Phil. I guess the re-wiring and new brakesystem had priority(and a generous donation from Mike Hopkins parents), but the HEP would be nice-if we can raise the required funds.

jjburke0918@aol.com