When I saw the recent post by Jim Klein on the be-campered Plymouth Trail Duster, I knew I needed to dig out these pics I’ve been sitting on for many months. I saw this beauty–an Alaskan barn find 1950 Chevy 4400 Railroad Express delivery van, according to the for sale sign–at a local consignment dealership that has a mostly later model inventory, but which always seems to have a few classics in the mix. Whether it was actually found in a barn in Alaska is unknown, but the Alaskan license plate at least tells us the Alaska part is probably true.
At first, I thought that this must have been a home-built camper on the chassis of an old truck, but that box looks a little too professional, a little too robust to be your average homemade RV. Indeed, a cursory Google search turns up an almost identical 51 Chevy 4400 for sale in Utah.
This one is labeled as a “Railway Express,” which given some further Googling, leads me to believe that this truck was first used as a delivery truck for the Railway Express Agency. Even the color scheme matches on the one in Utah.
Here’s another one, with the badges intact.
The Railway Express Agency was a package delivery service from 1918 to 1975, much in the vein of UPS or FedEx today, that primarily used existing rail infrastructure in its delivery system. In the post-WWII period, the Railway Express Agency focused primarily on its refrigerated express service, and presumably refrigerated packages needed last-mile delivery from the refrigerated rail cars to homes and businesses. Now the shape and construction of this truck makes more sense: it was almost certainly a refrigerated delivery truck in its first incarnation.
If it was a refrigerated box truck, it’s conversion into a camper for use in Alaska makes a lot of sense. The interior is relatively spacious, but more importantly, it’s likely well insulated and water tight. All the better to keep you warm and cozy when it’s 60 below before the wind chill.
This wood stove should heat things up nicely.
The For Sale sign gives all the relevant details. With a 327 replacing the old splash-oiling 216 (which yes was the standard engine even in this heavy duty truck) and what appears to be a good bit of recent mechanical work, it looks like this truck is ready for more wilderness adventures in the frosty north. Let’s just hope the 5.43 or 6.17 ratio in the rear axle has been made more highway friendly, or it’s going to take a long time to get up there. A little rich for my budget, but damn if it isn’t tempting.
Was this at the Buggy Bank? They sometimes had funky stuff like this when I was still around there…this thing has more space than my first apartment in SF did, I like it, but like you I wonder about getting “there”. Of course the journey’s half the fun and if you’re forced to be on byways that’s no bad thing as Don Kincl proves over and over again.
Cool find indeed!
I saw this at Wheels & Deals in Santa Clara back in January. Doubt it’s still on the lot, but I haven’t been by there in several months.
It’s not on their website any more, but I did get lost on it looking at some other interesting stuff.
On El Camino? I believe there’s where I found my 1993 Audi S4 about two decades ago! Being sold by the first owner as a private party sale, she didn’t want randoms coming by her house…
Yep, that’s the place! And I think that’s the exact type of person who sells there.
I’ve bought three vehicles from Wheels and Deals; a ’96 Chrysler Town and Country van, a ’97 Acura CL coupe and a ’97 Ford Explorer. II sold one also. t’s a great place to look at all different types of cars with the added advantage of no sales people! I used to drop by every week to see what was new. I had no problem with checking out and sitting inside the cars. I wasn’t wasting a sales person’s time. Just my own. This is where I got to sit in an Aston Martin. Many of the cars were in quite good shape and I imagine that their owners were surprised at the low trade in values they got from dealers. They figured that they could get more on the consignment lot. Unfortunately there’s no more browsing due to the pandemic, but I can’t wait to visit them when they reopen for browsers.
What cool piece of rolling history. I wonder who will actually buy it.
Interesting. REA always used Divco-type stepvans for city delivery. I wonder if this was their rural version, or maybe more of a distribution vehicle between terminals?
This does have sliding doors, and was their standard truck for urban deliveries. It is essentially the same as a bigger Divco.
In later years they also used step vans from several manufacturers.
Good find on the nicely painted example, editors!
That style of sliding door box body stayed popular for railway adjacent use until the early 80s. There is a 70s Ford F250 or 350 in my area with a similar body that was apparently a railway maintenance vehicle.
I have some personal experience with these. A friend in Iowa City in about 1972 or 1973 bought an earlier version of one of these, with a Ford chassis, from the 1940s, and turned it into a home for himself, parking it at the rural property of some friends. I went out to visit him a couple of times. It was winter, and he had a little wood stove in it too, and it was really warm in there. A bit too much so. He also had no windows as best as I can remember, so it felt a bit claustrophobic in there.
I remember REA trucks making deliveries in Iowa City, quite commonly right up to their demise. I didn’t know about them specializing in refrigerated products. I seem to remember that larger items ordered from Sears and Wards commonly were delivered by REA.
I like the conversion of this one, and it’s on my favorite vintage truck too.
I figured this would be right up your alley, Paul
What a great old vehicle. It looks a bit like a modern armored truck. Paint it red, park it in front of a bank, walk out with other people’s money. You might get enough pay for the fuel needed for your stately slog into the wilderness.
Perhaps you would need the wood stove in Alaska, but it would cook you right out anywhere else. If it will be updated, I imagine a modern propane unit would be lighter and safer, thermostatically controlled, and you wouldn’t have to go outside for more wood. Plus, it already has the fuel tank for the stove.
I’m wondering what a carborator does. An ultra-modern onboard carbon capture unit to convert the CO2 and unburned fuel into propane to decrease the old engine’s carbon footprint?