Budd Car [RDC-1] 6126, the one purchased by Berkshire Scenic, was built in 1955 and operated by the Boston and Maine Railroad for more than 20 years. In 1976, it operated as a commuter car for the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority. In 1989, it was sold to the Cape Cod Railroad, where it was used for tourist excursions like the ones Berkshire Scenic plans on running between Adams and North Adams. In 1999, the Belfast and Moosehead Railroad in Maine bought it and operated it much the same before it went into private ownership in 2011.

Meanwhile, the organization is still in the process of converting a Baltimore & Ohio Combine 1444 coach car into a ticketing booth for the North Adams side of the line. That will feature a "theater" area in the rear where the organization is considering placing a flat-panel television to show programs emphasizing its history and that of the local area, ticketing and information.

"That car will serve as the welcome booth. We've been working on it steadily," he said.

The timetable for the rides is still unknown as the state works toward purchasing and rebuilding the line from Hoosac Street in Adams to American Legion Drive in North Adams. The state Department of Transportation is building both the rail line and the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail extension together.

Green says the organization is preparing for runs this summer or fall but that depends on the state's progress. Recently, the organization received a $200,000 grant to help with the preparations, including renovating the ticketing car.