Does anybody recall the number of the ex-Reading Company m.u. trailer leased to the Valley RR? I believe it ran in Essex-Old Saybrook service in the summer of 1980. Was this one of George Hart/Rail Tours' cars or was the car leased from another source?

K.R. Bell

It was RDG 787, and I think it may have been owned by James Hicks of Allentown. Jim Hicks owned a few RDG and CNJ cars that were occasionally used by George Hart's Rail Tours outfit. A few were on the 972-148 doubleheader over the LVRR in October 1975.

The RDG MU 787 hung around in storage at VRR until about 1983-84, when it went back to Jim Chunk.

I recall that at least one of Jim's CNJ cars went to Cape Cod & Hyannis and then migrated to Essex, where it ultimately was acquired by VRR.

HP, I think the ex RDG 787 may have gone up to the CC&H for awhile after VRR service - there was at least one of them up there when I rode the CC&H Buzzards Bay-Braintree back in the early 80s. They had wuite a fleet of old commuter cars back then. It was an interesting ride up to Braintree at around 50 m p h in these old cars!

Is that up or down river from Mauch Thorpe?

Across.