Passenger
Reading Company Multiple Unit (MU) Trailer Car, Class ETF, #774
Background & History
In 1948 the Reading shops converted 27 locomotive hauled passenger cars to electric trailer coaches to supplement their fleet of 100+ MU Power Cars. Control cabs were added at one end of the car. Because they lacked pantographs, rooftop bus connectors were added to supply power for heating and lighting. The Trailer coaches were semi permanently coupled to one end of the 1948 ACF built MU Power Cars. It was said that one could tell they were riding in a trailer car due to the slack action of the couplers.
The coaches used to make the trailer cars were vintage equipment from the 1920’s and 1930’s. The trailers in our collection are in fair to poor condition and need major body work to fully restore the cars.
(Photo courtesy of Paul Kaprowski)
(Photo courtesy of John Caples)
The first two pictures of trailer 774 show the connector and power buss were already removed from the car to change it back to a coach. The picture above shows a power car with the pantograph on the right end and a buss connector on the left end. A buss wire ran the length of the car. A buss connector on the trailer would rub against the buss connector on the power car to transfer the power. The buss wire then supplies power to the car where needed.
Trailer car 774 was a staple on George Hart’s Jim Thorpe Rail Tour excursions for decades.
RCT&HS plans to repaint trailer 774 into Reading’s dark green paint scheme.
(Photo from RCT&HS archives collection)