They’re called speeder cars.

Bright and flashy, they’re small motorized railcars which once carried railroad workers responsible for maintaining the railroad right of way and making repairs. They carried tools and supplies. Sometimes several cars were coupled together to carry more supplies and more workers.

Many gas or diesel-powered speeders were produced from the 1940s to about 1985. Today, they’re privately owned curiosities.

On Saturday and Sunday, the cars, carrying owners from all points on the East coast, spent time in Tamaqua twice each day as part of a rail tour of Schuylkill County.

They said the Tamaqua pit stop, something they’ve been doing since 2015, is something they look forward to.

“I tried to get some Padora’s Italian bread but it’s still in the oven,” said speeder owner Paul Fulmore of Boston, Massachusetts. He guided his speeder into town on Saturday with passenger Shirley Daley.

Each speeder owner has a unique story to tell about their rail car and how it figures into their life.

For James “Itchy” Mead, 68, of Ithaca, New York, the trip was bittersweet.

Mead owns five speeder cars but for the first time was traveling alone, arriving in a 1943 Fairmont ST2 model, but finding it hard to smile.

“My wife passed away in October. We were married 38 years. This is my first time out.”

For Mead, the trip was therapeutic. He put his personal pain aside as he greeted local residents and spoke of the history of the speeders.

He even allowed Sharon Haldeman of Tamaqua to climb up and sit in the seat.

“This one weighs 1,600 pounds. In 1943, all of these cars were open like this one until the union told the railroad ‘you need to provide weather protection.’”

Haldeman was impressed by the height of the car and its seat.

“Oh my gosh, I won’t be able to climb down.”

She eventually was helped down by friend Marianne Bright of Tamaqua.

Michael Marek of Lake Hauto said his grandson, Mason Murphy, is a railfan even at the tender age of 7.

“He loves these and the steam engines, too.”

For Ron and Lorraine Zukovich Blickley of Rush Township, the fun day served as a welcome home event. The Blickleys live in Texas for half of the year and were excited to spend a day in town hosting Ron’s sister, Kathy Blickley of Selinsgrove.

“Last year was my first time here and I told everyone about it in Texas,” said Lorraine.

Speeder owners Sean and Marian Hegarty of Tamaqua took part in the trip as they’ve done in the past, but ran into trouble.

“We keep stalling and so they had to tow us,” said Marian. “They think it’s the carburetor.”

Saturday’s trip began in Schuylkill Haven, then went south to Port Clinton, before heading north to New Ringgold, Tamaqua and Ashland.

The speeder owners were excited to pilot their cars through the 1854 Tamaqua Tunnel and Mahanoy Tunnel, begin in 1859 and completed 1862, nearly a mile long.

Sunday’s schedule included another visit to Port Clinton and Tamaqua, along with Delano.

The trip was sponsored by the North American Railcar Operators Association.