Philadelphia Trolley Tracks:

Montgomery County Rapid Transit Company

MCRTCo trolley and crew
In 1912 Montgomery Transit Company extended its tracks from Skippack to Harleysville, and purchased this large trolley freight car from Russell Car Company. Trolley freight service was a valuable resource for the farmers, small industries, storekeepers and innkeepers along the line. The location of this photo is believed to be the freight station along Maple Avenue in Harleysville. This trolley also served as a maintenance vehicle and in winter a large plow was attached, to clear snow from the rails.

This photo is also published in Jay Ruth's Looking at Lower Salford, published in 1984. In it, the photo is credited to Alice Wismer and two men in the photo are identified. The motorman (at left) is said to be "Poinsett" and the man in the overalls (at right) is Edward Reighter.

photo courtesy of Worcester Historical Society




Return to Montgomery Transit Company article



Return to Philadelphia Trolley Tracks main page.