Trenton, NJ: FAIR (DO) Interlocking Tower

(3D Satellite)

It was built in the late 1920s."It is constructed of poured concrete and wood and is covered with elaborate features. FAIR contained a 75 lever US&S model 14 electro-pneumatic machine with 60 active levers that controlled a full mainline crossover. The tower was closed in 1996, but still serves as an Amtrak MoW base."  [rrpicturearchives]

3D Satellite

Vince Young Flickr, License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND) 

"Located 1 mile north of MORRIS, FAIR tower in Trenton NJ was named for the nearby state FAIR grounds and was built in the late 1920's with improvements to the Trenton terminal area when FAIR (DO/Monmouth Street) interlocking was combined with TRENTON (DF/Clinton Street) interlocking. Built roughtly at the same time, FAIR and NORTH PHILADELPHIA are sister towers, nearly identical in design. Trenton is the most important station between Newark NJ and Philadelphia Pa and FAIR served several important functions. First it was used for the mundane task of switching trains on the center express tracks over to the local tracks to access the two island platforms of the Trenton station. Second, Trenton was about as far north as you would go in the Philadelphia commuting range and about as far south as you would do in the New York commuting range. Therefore FAIR served as a double ended terminal for MU trains from both cities. Thirdly, Trenton was a fairly important industrial center and had several local freight yards that needed tending two. Fourthly, Trenton was an intersection of two secondary lines with the New York main line. These were the Belvedere-Delaware freight line to the north and the Bordentown Secondary (connecting with the Camden and Amboy) to the south. The Bel-Del snaked up the Delaware river accessing the coal, slate and cement region of Pennsylvania and making "bridge" connections with such railroads as the Lehigh and Hudson River and Delaware, Lackawana and Western. The Camden and Amboy line hugged the east bank of the Delaware river down to Camden NJ. PRR New York to Atlantic City trains, such as the Nelly Bly, could make the power change from electric here and head off to Atlantic City directly, bypassing Philadelphia." [signalbox]

wikimapia, uploaded by sturmovik

Robert Staples contributed two photos to NorthAmericanInterlockings.

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Shane Scanlon posted
Fair Interlocking tower at Trenton, N.J. on 7/31/1979. Slide from my collection, originally by John R. Warrick.

The railroad property is surrounded by a high fence or a high concrete wall, so there are no good street views.

Street View, Jun 2018

There are some old canals in this area.

1947 Trenton West @ 24,000