• Cressona Engine Facility

  • Discussion Related to the Reading Company 1833-1976 and it's predecessors Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway.
Discussion Related to the Reading Company 1833-1976 and it's predecessors Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway.

Moderator: Franklin Gowen

  by JJSmith
 
Can anyone specify what type of water tank was at the Reading's Cressona engine facility of the 40's and 50's? Steel or wooden?

  by RDG Mallet
 
Hello,

I collect photos and books about the area here and Cressona is basically in my backyard. Out of all the photos I have seen of the "Old Roundhouse" and "New Roundhouse" (which still stands) and yard photos... I have NEVER seen a water tower. Plus I have explored the remnants of the yard too. I know the RDG used water plugs in Cressona for sure. They had a water resevior speciffically set up on a hillside just above the current "Lite Yard" feed the water plugs. The RDG did have a coaling and sanding tower in the Cressona engine facilities.

Mike

READING COMPANY "AMERICA'S LARGEST ANTHRACITE CARRIER"
  by JJSmith
 
Thanks for you reply MIke, I have a 1929 photo of the new roundhouse area showing a wooden water tower.

I also have a slide show on VHS from the Historical Society of Schuylkill County showing a water tower from a distance. In this picture, the tower looks steel. The tower is in the distance and the quality of the photo is poor. I was wondering if the wooden tower was replaced by a steel one. I never considered a resevior.