Fifty vintage railroad speeder cars and their owners spent time Saturday in Jim Thorpe and Tamaqua, part of a special excursion by the North American Rail Car Operators Association, a hobbyist group devoted to the preservation and enjoyment of the legendary rail units. The small, gas or diesel motorized cars were used to carry railroad workers responsible for maintaining the railroad right of way and making repairs. Speeders were largely produced from the 1940s to about 1985, although a motorized inspection car existed as early as 1896, according to railroad history sources. Despite damp, cold and windy weather, the spectacle drew throngs of onlookers, rail fans and photography buffs from Carbon and Schuylkill counties. DONALD R. SERFASS/TIMES NEWS