Reading Observation No. 1

Reading Observation No. 1 (HMD5C)

Location: Ronks, PA 17572 Lancaster County
Buy Pennsylvania State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 39° 58.944', W 76° 9.729'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 319 views
Inscription

1937

Builder: Budd Company, Red Lion, PA
Build Date: 1937
Retirement Date: 1982
Number Built: 2
Weight: 97,000 lbs.
Length: 85 ft.
PHMC Cat No. RR78.52

The Crusader:
As the nation pulled itself out of the Great Depression, the Reading Company launched a new premier passenger service from Philadelphia to Jersey City. In search of a name for the new streamliner, the Reading held a contest among Philadelphia school children, paying the winner $250 (equivalent to nearly $3,000 in 2005). The Crusader debuted on December 12, 1937 to a great fanfare.

Sleek and elegant, the train was designed for passenger comfort and operating efficiency. The five-car train included a diner in the center, and an observation coach at each end, thereby eliminating the time-consuming need to turn the whole train around at each terminal. Two of the Reading's G3a class Pacific-type steam locomotives were clad in a matching cloak of stainless steel to complete the train.

The Crusader continued to make its twice-daily run until 1968, when the train was retired in favor of more cost-effective Diesel Cars. The entire train was sold to Canadian National, where it remained in service until the early 1980's. Car No. 1, one of the two observations, was purchased by Friends of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in 1983 and moved to Strasburg.

(Banner at bottom of marker):
The Crusader was the first stainless steel streamlined passenger train in the Northeast.
Details
HM NumberHMD5C
Tags
Placed ByPennsylvania Railroad Museum
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, October 8th, 2014 at 2:37am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 400772 N 4426450
Decimal Degrees39.98240000, -76.16215000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 58.944', W 76° 9.729'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 58' 56.64" N, 76° 9' 43.74" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)717
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 300 Gap Rd, Ronks PA 17572, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?
© 2024  Historical Marker Project.  All Rights Reserved.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
HMP is owned and operated by 3RiverDev (Fort Wayne, Indiana).
Terms and Conditions   |   Privacy Policy   |   Disclaimers   |   About   |   Contact Us