Hello All-

Is there a source of plans for the Reading Heavyweight Passenger cars? I'm a member of the Friends of the Stewartstown Railroad, and we're working on restoring former Reading Coach 1341.

We have to do some repairs to where the roof panels meet up with the exterior walls, and was curious about the layout and detail of sidemembers, panels, riveting, etc.

Thanks in advance for any ideas or leads.

Mike

Do you have any information as who was the builder? That might help.

Mike,

Regarding your search for drawings for your Reading RR Class PBm coach #1341 built in 1922 by the Harlan & Hollingsworth plant of Bethlehem Steel in Wilmington, DE, your best bet is to contact the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum in Hamburg, Pa. through our website http://www.readingrailroad.org and request an appointment to do research in our Archives. We probably have blueprint copies of most of the drawings for the PBm coaches including component drawings. The main hitch is that organization of our archives is a "work-in-progress" so it may take some time to find what you need.

Another source of mechanical drawings for Reading Railroad equipment (steam, diesel, freight and passenger cars) is the Pennsylvania State Archives. Their Reading RR drawings have been fully catalogued; the listing is available through this link:
http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/mg/ ... racite.htm
I see they have several PBm drawings, which are probably all original linen tracings (much clearer than blueprints), and they have the ability to make engineering copies or scans.

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania also has some Reading Railroad equipment drawings, through as I recall, they are mostly for MU cars and steam tenders.

Regards,
-- Rick Bates
Archivist, Reading Railroad Heritage Museum
Reading Company Technical & Historical Society

Rick-

Thanks very much - I will do as you suggest.

Thanks!

Mike