Wreck & MOW
Reading Company Rider Car, Class PAmx, Wood Car #90883
P&R Wood Car 90883 “the Green Car”
Don Crabtree, with details from the Volume # 36 No. 3 & 4 of the RCT&HS Bee Line.
In 2010, RCT&HS acquired four wood composite passenger style cars from Rail Tours Inc. a company owned by George Hart. First up is their RTI #27 with P&R numbering 93119.
John Hall did some extensive research on the car when we acquired it. The P&R number did not seem to match up with the configuration of the car’s window design and vestibule design. Further research indicated the car was actually P&R 90883.
Numbered 90883 at the top photo and as RTI 27 (93119) in the bottom photo. The real 93119 would have been very similar except it would have had closed vestibules.
(Top Photo Courtesy of the Bee Line)
(Bottom Photo Courtesy of John Hall)
The Green Car in storage at the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum.
(Photo Courtesy of Don Crabtree)
The car began life as a Class PAm passenger coach numbered 1316. It was built in November of 1910 by Harlan & Hollingsworth of Wilmington Delaware. It was of composite construction in that it was built on a metal frame, but its walls and roof were of a blend of wood, metal and glass construction. It served on the railroad as a passenger coach for many years. As wood cars became notorious for being dangerous in a crash, it was replaced in passenger service with more modern all metal cars.
The railroads were the originators of recycling so the Passenger Coach was converted to a non-revenue car. It was converted to a class PAmx Wreck Train Rider Car in January of 1930 and renumbered #90883 along with 5 other PAm coach conversions between 1927 and 1930.
For additional information on the car, purchase a Bee Line Volume # 36 No. 3 & 4. It is still available for a limited time at the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum in Hamburg, PA.
As a wooden rail car of considerable age, it was among the initial vehicles relocated to the newly constructed Rail Car Protection Building in 2019.
Original text and info by John Hall and Rick Bates
Inside and out of the weather awaiting restoration at our museum.
(Photo Courtesy of John Green Collection)