I am currently compiling a roster of early septa commuter rail equipment around the time of inception. I have the numbers of the FP7s, all silverliners, and blueliners. However, I'm missing the numbers for the MP54s, RDCs, Reading "green" mus, and the passenger cars used in conjunction with the FP7s. If anyone has any of this information, I'd very much appreciate if you'd be willing to help me fill in the blanks. Thanks!
The original RDG MU’s (#800-899) were built in the late 1920’s at the Reading Shops and maintained at a newly built facility at Wayne Junction when they were placed in revenue service. These were known as the “green cars”.
In 1963, the Passenger Service Improvement Corporation was granted federal money to procure a fleet of Silverliner II cars to begin phasing out the green cars. In the late 60’s about 30 of the Green cars were overhauled and repainted blue and cream into the “blues” Reading Company numbered them 9100-913x (I can’t remember the last car number).
The remaining blues departed revenue service in the early 80’s when the cost of outfitting them with PRR type cab signals through the center city tunnel made it cost prohibitive. To quickly procure some new wheels, SEPTA purchased the AEM-7 push-pull fleet.
After 50 years of service, the blues (which were built to replace the RDG camelback passenger train) were replaced by AEM-7 hauled trains, which are now undergoing replacement by the ACS-64.
The last Reading Company cars in the SEPTA fleet is a handful of Silverliner IV cars formerly of the 90xx number series
