Trenton Area Former Industry

[CAR_FLOATER]

Quick question for y'all, sorry if it is too "pedestrian"......

I am curious to know what two abandoned factories I have seen while scanning Google maps were in the Trenton/Hamilton area. One was accross the tracks of the NEC from the new Hamilton transportation "facility", and the other was just past the wye of what I assume is the West Trenton Branch, over on CSX. both looked to be large RR-served industries at one time, and I'm just plain curious to know what they were.

Thanks.

CF

[CJPat]

I am pretty sure that across the tracks from the Hamilton RR station (American Metro Center) was the old American Standard (toilets & sinks) plant that has been converted to condos.

[GSC]

I am pretty sure that across the tracks from the Hamilton RR station (American Metro Center) was the old American Standard (toilets & sinks) plant that has been converted to condos.

In the interest of history, I hope that American Standard plumbing supplies were used, when the condos were built?

[JimBoylan]

That was the merger of the American Radiator Company and the Standard Sanitary Appliances Company, so the rail traffic and condominium products could be even more varied.

[pumpers]

I think the site just north of the West Trenton wye was a GM parts plant. It has been razed and all you see is the concrete slab . It is some kind of contamination site that needs remediation. JS

[JADes718]

The GM Plant manufactured aircraft motors for the Navy Avengers which were assembled across the street during the war (they transported them across the street in a tunnel). They assembled varrious GM models until sometime in the early 80's, when they stopped assembly and just made parts. I think the plant was torn down sometime around 1996.

[CAR_FLOATER]

Thanks for all the responses, guys! Industrial history is a fun sub-hobby of mine.

CF

[Pinewald Station]

The GM Plant manufactured aircraft motors for the Navy Avengers which were assembled across the street during the war (they transported them across the street in a tunnel). They assembled varrious GM models until sometime in the early 80's, when they stopped assembly and just made parts. I think the plant was torn down sometime around 1996.

Wow... never knew that! Pretty iteresting stuff.....

[JADes718]

Ya a couple of years ago the Ewing Observer did a series of articals on the GM Plant, I use to have it but I misplaced them. Maybe if you google it you might be able to find the artical online.

[wis bang]

The first President Bush was shot down in the Pacific flying an Avenger built at GM in Ewing.

[dreese_us]

I remember the plant as GM Inland Fisher Guide, I used to deliver hydraulic oil there. At that point they made interior and exterior parts. Also did powder coating there. I was told that they had a contract to powder coat parts for Harley. I believe the plant was handed off to Delphi in the AC Delco split and became Delphi Interior and Lighting Systems.

Looks like they will now be getting money to clean up the site. http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=12502374

[RRSignal2]

Homasote is still an active customer on the Trenton Industrial (OP, that's the track coming off the West Trenton line.) There also used to be a Canada Dry bottler and some other businesses there according to my ZTS maps.

ZTS maps, by the way, are a good way of getting to know the lay of the land as well as industrial history. Conrail Archives has lots of good resources. In particular, the 1994 Philadelphia ZTS Maps Vol. 3 covers the two areas in question.

[TAMR213]

Homasote is still an active customer on the Trenton Industrial (OP, that's the track coming off the West Trenton line.) There also used to be a Canada Dry bottler and some other businesses there according to my ZTS maps.

ZTS maps, by the way, are a good way of getting to know the lay of the land as well as industrial history. Conrail Archives has lots of good resources. In particular, the 1994 Philadelphia ZTS Maps Vol. 3 covers the two areas in question.

Thanks for posting that great link!

[Kaback9]

Homasote is still an active customer on the Trenton Industrial (OP, that's the track coming off the West Trenton line.) There also used to be a Canada Dry bottler and some other businesses there according to my ZTS maps.

ZTS maps, by the way, are a good way of getting to know the lay of the land as well as industrial history. Conrail Archives has lots of good resources. In particular, the 1994 Philadelphia ZTS Maps Vol. 3 covers the two areas in question.

Thanks for posting that great link!

Second that!

[ATSF2419]

The GM Plant manufactured aircraft motors for the Navy Avengers which were assembled across the street during the war (they transported them across the street in a tunnel). They assembled varrious GM models until sometime in the early 80's, when they stopped assembly and just made parts. I think the plant was torn down sometime around 1996.

I don't *think* the plant ever produced full blown car models - it's size doesn't seem to bear that out. Take a look at the size of any plant that assembles the cars themselves and you'll see the Ewing plant was small compared to them.

The Ewing plant was a Fisher Body plant, which most likely made probably every part that could ever go into a car body, if not the full blown carbodies themselves. Remember the GM cars of the early and mid 80s always had a "Body by Fisher" or similar stamping on the door sill. Well, there you go.

Up until GM's 1984 reorganization, Fisher Body made the bodies and GM Assembly Division (GMAD) put the [Fisher] bodies with the drivetrains to make the final product. I'm not sure when the plant actually lost its Fisher Body signs, but it probably became Inland Fisher Guide (at least on paper) when the 1984 reorganization went off. IFG is the consolidation of the Inland Division, Fisher Body, and Guide (which I believe made most of the headlights that went into GM cars back in the day).

The plant became part of Delphi (still a GM subsidiary until 1999) at some point in the mid-90s. The plant closed for good in 1998. Demolition started a couple of years later.