Trolley Museum of New York facts for kids
The Trolley Museum of New York is a special place in Kingston, New York. It's a non-profit group that works to save and show off old trolley cars and subway trains. You can visit the museum during certain times of the year. But volunteers work all year long to keep these historic vehicles in good shape.
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History of the Museum
The museum started in 1955 in Brooklyn. Its main goal was to save some of the very last trolley cars in New York City. In its early years, the museum didn't have a permanent home. Its growing collection of trolleys and subway cars were stored in different places. These included Staten Island and northern New Jersey.
Moving to Kingston
The museum finally found a permanent home in Kingston in 1983. It moved into an old railroad area called the Rondout shops. This spot used to be part of the Ulster and Delaware Railroad. The city of Kingston said the museum had to start public tours right away.
First Rides and Expansion
At first, all the museum's vehicles ran on electricity. But the tracks in Kingston weren't set up for electric power. So, the museum got a special rail car called a "Doodlebug." It started offering rides to the public on July 4, 1983.
Only a short section of track was ready at first. But within two years, the museum extended the track to Kingston Point. This longer ride gives visitors amazing views of the Hudson River. In 2000, the museum began running a trolley from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. This trolley had been carefully restored for nine years.
Where the Museum Operates
The museum uses the old railroad yard and about 1.5 miles of track. This includes the main line from Kingston Point. It also has a side track that goes along Ferry Street to T. R. Gallo Park. The museum is open on weekends and holidays during its season.
Museum Collection
The museum has many interesting vehicles in its collection. Here are some of the special ones:
- Brill No. 120: This is a rare car that was once used by Sperry Rail Service. It has been restored and is now running again.
- Brooklyn and Queens Transit Corporation No. 1000: This is the only PCC streetcar ever built by Clark Equipment. It's special because it has an aluminum body. Since September 2013, it has been recognized as a New York State Historic Place.
- Hamburg No. 3584: This is one of only two trams from Hamburg, Germany, brought to the United States.
- Holmenkolbanen (Oslo, Norway) No. 3: This tram was built in 1897. It was even used by King Olav V of Norway!
- Johnstown Traction Company No. 358: This trolley was changed to run on diesel fuel in 1962. It has been operating at the museum since 2000.
- PATH PA-1 commuter No. 143: This subway car survived the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9/11.
- Standard Lo-V (New York City Subway car) No. 5600: An example of an older New York City subway car.
- R4 (New York City Subway car) No. 825: Another historic New York City subway car.
- R16 (New York City Subway car) No. 6398: This train has been fully restored and looks great.
- Whitcomb diesel electric locomotive No. 9: This is a rare working example of a military train. These trains were famous for their use during World War II in Europe. It has been restored and is now running.
- Q-type Queens car (New York City Subway car) No. 1602A: This car is waiting to be restored.
- R3 Drill Motor No. 41: This car will soon get a generator to power it and other cars.
- MARTA CQ310 No. 510: This is one of 20 single cars ordered by MARTA, a transit system in Atlanta.
- SEPTA Market Frankford El M-3 No. 618: This is one of only two cars of its kind still existing.
The museum has also recently added some retired transit buses to its collection. These include two RTS buses.
