Philadelphia Trolley Tracks: Hydro-Powered Trolleys

Hydro-electric plant at Lock 60

Beginning in 1914, hydro-electric power generated near Phoenixville powered Reading Transit & Light trolleys in Montgomery County.
Located at Lock 60 on the Schuylkill River, three hydro-electric turbines sent electricity 4 miles to the RT&L power house in Collegeville.
Today only the foundation remains, along the Schuylkill River at Black Rock Dam in Montgomery County's Lock 60 Recreation Area.
Three round plugs in the concrete floor mark the location of the long-gone turbines.
photo from Harry L. Rinker's The Schuylkill Navigation





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