Compared to my PRR Collection I am still greatly lacking in Reading books. I don't have much of an idea as to "what was" in many areas of rolling stock classes.

I bought this car eBay car this morning with thoughts if repainting it green for Reading. It was pretty cheap too. There might be some liberal uses of modelers license but am hoping it is reasonably close to something the Reading had. Most of my trains are going to be head end/coach but every now and them a more formal train had to happen.

Maybe you have some Obs photos you could send me....

Bill

The kicker is the Reading Company's "Observation Cars" 10, 15 and 20 where not "revenue passenger cars" They were business / officer cars. So the idea of a formal train such as the King Coal, Schuylkill, Queen of the Valley or Wall Street having an open end deck "passenger observation car" wasn't for revenue passenger needs. Oddly if somehow they did end up with one for the extra passenger handling needs, my understanding was it was probably a Jersey Central Observation Car, especially in the case of the Queen or the Harrisburg Special.

However, if the Boss wanted to go somewhere the office car could be tacked onto any scheduled passenger train that met his need or run as a train of its own, possibly with some additional cars as needed. This thought is mostly based on hearsay as if I did see it in operation, I had no clue what I was looking at.

The Reading's Car 10 is at the Strasburg Railroad and Car 20 is floating around Southeast Pennsylvania somewhere, under the control of the RCT&HS, I believe under lock and key for protection until Hamburg is ready to handle it properly.

Rob

the car that RCT&HS has is car #15. I never knew of a car #20. photos of #10 & 15 are in the Reading equipment book by Craig Bossler.

Your correct Butch RCT&HS has 15.....my bad, Hey it was early in the morning and I was up late..... However, yes there was a car 20 too.

There were actually four business cars to my knowledge.
1) 10 Strasburg
2) 15 RCT&HS Collection
3) 20 Which was P&R "Philadelphia" (Truss Rod)
4) 25 Which was P&R "Schuylkill" (Truss Rod)

The last two were wood construction and the print that I have shows the #25 wearing "Reading" on it, so what year it was removed from service I don't know. Also as Rob pointed out the possibility of a CNJ observation car making its presence, us HO scale modelers are lucky as the Bethlehem Car Works did this car in a brass side kit with "Blue Comet" decals. It could also be modeled for later years. I do have a photo copied blueprint of the car #10 in which I have no problem sharing if anyone is interested.

Bill

Here is some photographic proof backing up what Rob mentioned in an earlier post of CNJ business cars appearing on the Reading. Time and place are unknown, but CNJ 1178 (DeVico) in front of an I-9.