This is my dad’s shot of train #614, the afternoon eastbound Reading Crusader.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=224271&nseq=0
Does anyone know a way to tell if this was #117 or #118? Charles Freericks
…I can’t answer your question of said train but my comment is my toy electric Lioniel Train was a Crusader engine. I don’t know when this train was initiated, {I see the date of photo of '47}, but my train set was about '39 or '40 if memory serves correctly.
Enjoy these classic photos.
Here’s a picture of 117. The resolution of the photo doesn’t appear to allow any way to discern the number. A photo I found of 118 on a for-sale site makes it appear that there was little difference cosmetically between the two.
DLW,
that is a great photo. I’ve seen the train in pictures taken at the terminals and on the introductory show-off runs over the Reading system, but never on the go-go-go. It was a beautiful conception of the Reading’s Paul Gangwere, the Budd company’s John Harbeson and architect Paul Cret. The engines’ shrouds went to war before I was born: my misfortune. The G1-sa’s soldiered on for a while sans “cladding in silver armor”.
The Reading was at it’s high-water mark when the picture was taken.The Wall Street, King Coal and Schuylkill were semi streamlined or upgraded a little later. I first rode the Crusader when about ten, behind EMD F-units. I doubt if steam engines were ever called units! And I doubt if any kid ever felt so important than with his Dad on business!
My Dad had started an historical souvenir company in our basement from the wreck of the family’s Penn (builders) Hardware Company in 1954. He would start the LEAD antimony pot to cooking downstairs while we ate breakfast directly above! He had a few new accounts in NYC and also re-sold some miniature pistols and rifles by Louis Marx. My sister and brothers carry on the business as maybe the only American-made historical souvenir manufacturer left standing.
Early in the morning my Dad and I’d drive to Philly and catch the early Crusader to NYC. The routine was to board and head for the tail observation. At Jenkintown the commuting pinochle(?) players would roust us out and we’d head for the dining car at mid-train. Meal finished, we were in Jersey City and joined the throng for the ferries. Aaah, the Statue, the skyline, the gulls, the tugboats, the cavernous Manhattan ferry slips. It was glorious!
Enough for now, think I just got a natural high!
Rixflix
Very nice photo.Thanks for the posting.
Thanks for the responses, especially fixflix with the fantastic story. Really enjoyed reading it.
Chas,
I am so glad that you are posting your dad’s pictures. Wish my dad and I could have crossed paths with you guys, say at Bound Brook or Suffern . We were not photographers and I was the railfan, but he’s still kicking at age 91 and we mine each others memories all the time.
My grandfather was Penn Hardware’s midwest salesman in the '20’s and '30’s. Penn was located in Reading. Based in Detroit, he covered as far west as Kansas City and our hardware even graced the Blackwell in Oklahoma City. You know, master keys to maid keys to knockers. Well grampa rode trains, interurbans and lost a pinkie to a Cincinatti streetcar door.
That Detroit family rode Pennsy’s Red Arrow between Philly or Harrisburg and Detroit when business at the plant or vacations home required. The alternate car route was to drive the car onto an overnight ferry from Detroit over Lake Erie to Buffalo and then down routes 15 and 61 to Reading.
Like I’ll say at my dad’s funeral, I wish I’d have been your younger brother and I’m glad I’ve been your son