Seashore Trolley Museum facts for kids
Manchester Street Railway 38 is a Laconia built car preserved at the Seashore Trolley Museum
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| Established | 1939 |
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| Historian | Richmond Bates |
| Owner | New England Electric Railway Historical Society |
The Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine, is a truly special place! It's known as the world's very first and largest museum dedicated to public transportation vehicles. While the main focus is on trolley cars (also called trams), the museum also has cool rapid transit trains, interurban cars, trolley buses, and even regular motor buses. The New England Electric Railway Historical Society (NEERHS) owns and runs this amazing museum. Out of more than 350 vehicles, ten trolleys and railroad cars that once ran in Maine were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Contents
How the Museum Started
The museum was started by people who loved trains and trolleys, like Theodore F. Santarelli de Brasch and Osmond Richard Cummings. They helped create what was first called the Seashore Electric Railway.
Saving the First Trolley
The idea for the museum began in 1939. A group of railfans (people who love trains and railways) found out that the Biddeford and Saco Railroad was buying buses. These buses were meant to replace their old trolley cars. Many trolley companies were doing this because buses had become more reliable and cheaper to run.
The railfans decided they wanted to save a trolley car for the future. The railroad agreed to sell them a trolley, car #31, for $150. This was a special open-air trolley with 12 benches. However, they had to move it because local rules didn't allow old trolleys to be used as houses.
Finding a Home for the Trolleys
The group rented some farmland on Log Cabin Road in Kennebunkport. This land was right next to where the Atlantic Shore Line Railway used to run its trolleys. So, trolley #31 was moved to its new home there.
Around the same time, another group of railfans bought a trolley from the Manchester and Nashua Street Railway. The two groups decided to join forces! The Nashua trolley was also brought to the Log Cabin Road site. In 1941, these founders officially formed the New England Electric Railway Historical Society.
Growth and World War II
World War II put the museum's plans on hold. Many members went to serve in the armed forces. Interestingly, the war also made trolleys popular again in many cities. This was because gas and rubber were saved for the war effort.
After the war ended, trolley lines continued to switch to buses. This actually helped the museum's collection grow very quickly!
First Rides and Expansion
In the 1950s, the museum got a diesel-powered electric generator. This allowed the trolley cars to move on their own power. Car #31 was moved into a small building so it could be fixed up.
The museum grew bigger in 1955 and 1956. The Society bought more land near the Biddeford city line. In the summer of 1956, the Seashore Electric Railway started offering rides to passengers on weekends. Their track was about 1⁄4-mile-long (0.40 km) at that time.
Historic Trolleys
In 1980, ten of the museum's trolley and railroad cars were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This special list includes trolley #31 and other vehicles that were either built or used in Maine. It also features two cars from the Aroostook Valley Railroad and two built by the York Utilities Company.
A World of Trolleys
By 2010, the museum had over 260 vehicles! Most of them are from New England and other parts of the United States. But they also have trolleys from Canada, Australia, Japan, Germany, Hungary, England, Scotland, Italy, and other countries. The museum even has the bus that replaced trolley #31 in 1939! The bus company kindly donated it. The Seashore Trolley Museum keeps adding new vehicles to its amazing collection.
What to See and Do
When you visit the museum, you'll start at the Visitors Center. This building has the ticket booth and a museum store where you can find souvenirs.
Trolley Barns and Restoration
The trolleys that have been fixed up and can run are shown in three special buildings called car barns. There's also a restoration shop where you can watch how the vehicles are cared for and brought back to life. This shop has a special viewing area for visitors. Other storage barns hold vehicles waiting for their turn to be restored, but these areas are not open to the public.
Riding the Trolleys
You can ride on some of the restored trolleys on the museum's demonstration railway. This track follows the path of the old Atlantic Shore Line Railway. That trolley line used to connect Kennebunkport to York Beach. Since the line was closed in the 1920s, museum volunteers have rebuilt about one and a half miles (2.4 km) of track from scratch!
The museum owns the land for the railway all the way to Biddeford, which is about 5 mi (8.0 km) from the Visitor Center. The demonstration ride takes you about one and a half miles (2.4 km) to Talbott Park, where the trolleys turn around, and then back to the Visitor Center.
Trolley Buses and Special Events
The museum also has a collection of trolley buses from all over the world. About twenty of these can still run! Workers are always busy restoring six or seven cars at a time. There are even talks about making the trolley bus line longer.
The museum hosts many fun events throughout the year, from May to December. These include the Pumpkin Patch Trolley, Daniel Tiger Visits Seashore, and special holiday rides in November and December. They also have free story time for kids and special days to celebrate different trolleys. You can even rent the exhibit room for parties or family gatherings!
See also
- Boston Street Railway Association
- Heritage railway
- List of heritage railways
- National Register of Historic Places listings in York County, Maine
- Shore Line Trolley Museum
- State of the Art Car
