Seashore Trolley Museum
 A flared at the Museum PCC streetcar of SEPTA |
|
| Data | |
|---|---|
| place |
Kennebunkport , ME United States
|
| Art |
Museum for public transport vehicles
|
| opening | 1939 |
| operator |
New England Electric Railway Historical Society
|
| Website | |
The Seashore Trolley Museum claims to be the oldest and largest museum for public transport vehicles in the world and is located in the city of Kennebunkport in the state of Maine in the United States . The majority of the exhibited objects are trams , but there are also subway cars, trolleybuses and omnibuses . The museum is owned and operated by the non-profit New England Electric Railway Historical Society (NEERHS).
history
The events that led to the creation of the museum began in 1939 when a group of railroad enthusiasts learned that the Biddeford and Saco Railroad were buying omnibuses to replace their existing fleet of trams . More and more tram companies took this route, as the buses could now be operated reliably and profitably.
The railroad enthusiasts decided to find out if they could possibly purchase a tram to save for posterity. They were told to demand that they, the vehicle no. 31, an open carriage with 12 seats, for 150 US dollars could buy. However, it would have to be moved to another location as local regulations prohibit the use of decommissioned rail vehicles as living space. The objection of the buyers that this was not the intended goal was ignored.
One of the founders and "father" of the museum was Theodore Santarelli , who graduated from Harvard University and ran the museum until his death in 1987. He rented a piece of land on Log Cabin Road in Kennebunkport and arranged for the vehicle to be brought there.
Around the same time, another group of railroad enthusiasts bought a tram from the Manchester and Nashua Street Railway . Both groups joined forces and the second vehicle was also brought to Log Cabin Road .
The outbreak of World War II led to a temporary shutdown of the museum as many members served in the armed forces. As rubber and fuel were rationed at the time, there was a brief revival of streetcars in many US cities.
After the end of the war, however, the trend towards omnibuses continued and led to the museum's rapid growth. In 2010 it had more than 260 vehicles, most of them from New England and other areas of the United States . In addition, there are also exhibits from Canada , Australia , Japan , Germany , Hungary , England , Scotland , Italy and many other countries.
One of the buses on display at the museum is the Biddeford and Saco # 31 , which replaced the museum's first vehicle in 1939. After its decommissioning, the later bus company gave it to the museum, which still buys vehicles to supplement the collection.
Exhibition and facilities
A visitor center is located in the main building of the museum . In addition to the possibility of purchasing tickets, a shop, a snack bar and an exhibition room with various exhibits can be visited.
The vehicles, which have been restored to a running condition , are exhibited in three depots . The hall in which the restoration work is taking place can be viewed by visitors via an elevated observation gallery. Vehicles that have yet to be restored are placed in warehouses and on rail tracks that are not accessible to visitors.
At certain times, restored rail vehicles run on the museum's demonstration route. This follows the route of the Atlantic Shore Line Railway , which formerly connected Kennebunkport with York Beach . The line, which was closed in the 1920s, was rebuilt from scratch by volunteer museum employees over a length of 1.5 mi (2.41 km ). The journey goes from the visitor center on this route to the turning loop Talbot Park and back again.
The museum's collection of trolleybuses includes 17 vehicles and a passenger trailer, around half of which are in running order. More vehicles are to be added.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ SEPTA 2709. The Seashore Trolley Museum, accessed on May 2, 2014 (English).
- ^ A b c Andrew D. Young: Veteran & vintage transit . a guide to North America's mass transit museums, tourist trolley operators, and private mass transit vehicle collections. Archway Pub., St. Louis 1997, ISBN 0-9647279-2-7 , pp. 43-48 .
- ↑ National Trolleybus Association (ed.): Trolleybus Magazine . No. 595 (January – February), 2011, ISSN 0266-7452 , p. 11 .
Coordinates: 43 ° 24 ′ 33.6 " N , 70 ° 29 ′ 22.8" W.