7641 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19118
© Jane Mork Gibson, Workshop
of the World (Oliver Evans Press,
1990).
The new streamlined cars put
into service on the Chestnut Hill trolley line after
World War II required more power than the earlier cars.
Substations were built in outlying sections near the end
of the six-mile distance possible for satisfactory direct
current (d.c.) distribution over the existing system
carrying the d.c. power from the Chelten Avenue
Substation.
This substation was one of the first stations to be
operated unattended. It contains switching equipment to:
(a) lower voltage and change alternating current (a.c.)
to d.c.
(b) act as a big fuse box with circuit breakers that shut
off power in emergencies such as when power lines come
down in a storm.
The station receives 13,000-volt a.c. and converts it
into 600-volt d.c. with mercury arc rectifiers, the
earliest form of non-rotating equipment.
1
The substation is a one-story, classical styled brick
power station with stone base, stone cornice and flat
roof. It is situated next to the Trolley Waiting Station.
The Philadelphia Transportation Company was the owner,
architect and contractor. The present owner is the
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
(SEPTA).
1 Telephone interview
with John Tucker, September 1, 1989.
Update May
2007 (by
Jane Mork Gibson):
This site is located next to the Trolley Stop
Florist. The
substation is owned by SEPTA and is part of the
Mermaid Loop. No further information was
available.