How well is the Railway Express Agency represented in museums? Delivery trucks, express refrigerator cars, etc? Considering the prevalence of the REA in the pre-Amtrak passenger era, it seems to be absent or at least underrepresented in most collections.

Thanks!
Ben

I think it's seriously underrepresented, as is also almost every other aspect other than hardware. So many things with the RR's aren't in museums other than the trains themselves. Unions, laws that RR's changed, contributions to the war efforts in all wars, etc, you name it, it's not there.
You'd be hard-pressed to convinced me that hardly any museums pay anything but lip service to much of RR history other than the structures, roadbeds and rail equipment.
That's sad, but when you consider that most museums can't keep up the rolling stock they have, you can't really blame them for not having a restored REA truck on display...

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the California State Railroad Museum (Sacramento) have an REA "office" on the north(?) wall of the main hall? Depot signage over your head and look through the window and see the shipping paraphernalia (scales, tags, paperwork forms, etc), IIRC. Still, nowhere close to a truck or railcar...but it is some acknowledgment.

On assorted internet sites, I've noted mention of Western Express Agency, American Express, Wells Fargo Express, along with REA. How many other express agencies were there at one time or another?

sc 'doc' lewis

Adams, Southern, Canadian Pacific, and Canadien National come to mind. Stewart Holbrook's "Story of American Railroads" in his chapter on express companies may list others.

My dad was an REAX career man, and I guess as a result I see more of what different museums have. Doc, yes, the CSRM has (or had) an office, complete with an REA hand truck piled with freight. The Pennsylvania State RR Museum also has signs and if I remember right, a car with REA Express markings, as does Baltimore. I have photographed the hand trucks at many places, just in memory of my dad.

FYI:

Not making any "plug" here, but was just reading NRHS bulletin Volume 69, dated 11/02/2004. On page 46 there is a book review of "Ten Turtles to Tucumcari, a personal history of the Railway Express Agency", by Klink Garrett with Toby Smith. University of New Mexico press, Albuqerque, unipress.com, (price not given).

The review notes that the "clever" title of this book is with regard to an expression used by the author's first boss at the agency in Rapid City, SD. Author Klink Garrett being a lifelong employee of REA ( 40 years). The review notes that "this is not just another small-town boy makes good story, but a history of the Railway Express agency, in personal terms, by an insider who worked until it's demise in 1976.

Reviewer states that book is an "educational and entertaining account of this institution that was long a highly visible and well-regarded part of the every day scene in this country".

We have a Pennsy R50b REA Refrigerator car on display in the yard here in Altoona. I just met with the local NRHS Chapter and we are going to have a "painting party" in the yard very soon to restore it to its former beauty - olive green trucks and all! It is actually in very good condition.

Currently the Great Plains Transportation Museum in Wichita, Kansas has a small display of REA artifacts. They also have an unrestored late 40's era delivery truck from the local REA agency. Plans are to restore the truck and depict the type of freight that was shipped by REA.