Tom,
I enjoy your column and website.
I found a poor quality photo in a union booklet on the Public Service Railroad published in 1968. Photos of the Public Service Fast line in Hamilton Township are not very common. My best guess is that the photo was taken just east of Hoover Avenue in Mercerville. I base this on the earth cut to the right of the trolley. I was surprised that the high tension (voltage) towers were there while the trolleys were still running. The trolley is going toward Trenton. A scan of the photo is attached.
Bob Schopp
2 comments:
My guess is that the trolley is travelling along what later became the service road for the 33,000 volt public service towers. I believe you can follow the trolley path just East of Erie Avenue in the Crescent Section of Mercerville. Follow Grayson down to Erie. Erie Avenue was not there when I was growing up on Grayson Avenue. Wes Stillwagon
To help date this photo: According to PSE&G records, the high tension towers were known as the Trenton-Metchuen Transmission Line and was built in the late 20's and going online in 1929. My grandfather was a PSEG lineman who got laid off from his position in 1930, same year the wires came down on the trolley service. My grandparents lived at Audrey Place when my Dad was born in 1928, right by the Mercerville Station where the line crossed Nottingham Way. I would date this photo based on these facts at about 1929 to 1930.
Kurt Zimmerman
Hamilton, NJ
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