An undated post card view of a painting of “The Crusader” departing from the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Terminal Building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Travelers between Philadelphia and Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, began or ended their journey at this station. Passengers wishing to continue their journey from Philadelphia to North New Jersey or New York City had “The Crusader” as a connection option at the Reading Terminal.
“The Crusader” was the Reading Railroad’s first coal-driven train built in the streamlined/stainless-steel style as pictured; the traditional green coaches of the Reading Railroad are shown at right in the painting. “The Crusader” was put into service in 1937 and provided transit to Jersey City, New Jersey; passengers then took a ferry boat into New York City (Manhattan). The train operated until the early 1960s when passenger service saw a significant decline around the country.
Note: Lykens was the terminal on one of the Reading Railroad lines coming out of Philadelphia.
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