As some of you know, the Railroaders Memorial Museum recently purchased a 1939 Chevrolet REA Delivery Truck for restoration. I am interested in obtaining as many photos of such trucks as might be readily available for us to use in determining the final paint scheme of this vehicle. It is obvious to us given some of the photos I have been able to find and from the "ghosts" still evident on the truck, what the general paint scheme was. However, we are most interested in returning the full size "ad panels" to the sides of the box. If anyone has any good photos of those types of ads that REA placed on their vehicles, I would appreciate you contacting me. We have a very good sign company that does work for us and can reprint most anything we need in a vinyl sheet as long as we can get relatively "clean art" to start with.

Thanks in advance for your help! I can be reached directly at director@railroadcity.com

A quick google found these photos:

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/rea_truck.jpg

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/rea34563.jpg

I am sure in one of those nice glossy color Morning Sun books there must be a photo or two as well. Good luck with the truck.

I thought that's what I saw go by me on the Ohio Turnpike Tuesday. (on trailer of course)

Scott, beside what I sent you on email, I have found some old stuff, and Wrigley gum was one of the most prominent ads back there in the 30's and 40's. Auto manufacturers also advertised, like Packard (fallen flag), and when the REA didn't have any paying customers they advertised themselves.

Scott:

Our museum may also be interested in ads that appeared on REA trucks. There is a POSSIBILITY that we may be acquiring an REA trailer (not panel truck) but which also had a side panel which quite possibly contained advertising "boards." Our initial idea is to put this trailer up on one of our flat cars as a piggyback car. We too would like to get some genuine ads so keep us in the loop if you can. Thnx.

Les Beckman (Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum/North Judson, Indiana)

I remember seeing the "REA and away" commercials on tv as a kid, and the brown delivery trucks. I often wondered what ever happened to REA.

The book Ten Turtles to Tucumcari: A Personal History of the Railway Express Agency is a short and fascinating insight into what REA was and how it did itself in.

Support railway preservation by purchasing a copy from a railway museum bookstore. The Depot Book Store at The Northwest Railway Museum (Snoqualmie, WA) usually has copies available.

The opening credits of television's "The Beverly Hillbillies" sometimes had the family truck passing a Railway Express Agency van truck with the sponsor's ad on its side - Winston cigarettes! (In the closing credits, Granny would voice over, "Winston tastes good - like a cigaretta oughta!")

I second the recommendation of "Ten Turtles to Tucumcari: A Personal History of the Railway Express Agency". There are a number of good b&w photos in this book as well.