Misplaced Pages

#345654

20-498: Theodore F. Santarelli de Brasch and Osmond Richard Cummings were two of the founders of the museum, which was initially operated as the Seashore Electric Railway. Santarelli graduated from Harvard University and led the museum until he died in 1987; Cummings, a New England railroad historian, died in 2013. The events that led to the formation of the museum started in 1939 when a group of railfans learned that

40-493: A loop to turn around the trolleys) and back to the Visitor Center. The collection of trolley buses includes vehicles from all over the country, and the world, of which about twenty are in operating condition. Restoration on as many as six to seven cars is underway at all times. Discussions are under way to extend the trolley bus line and to rehabilitate the existing line. The museum holds many themed events throughout

60-740: A memorial headstone in New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, New Hampshire . Atlantic Shore Line Railway The Atlantic Shore Line (ASL) was an electric trolley line providing passenger and freight service to many towns in York County, Maine , in the United States. The ASL was the second-longest trolley line in Maine , encompassing over 87 miles (140 km) of track. A charter for

80-623: The Aroostook Valley Railroad , and two built by the York Utilities Company of Sanford are included in this collection. As of 2010, the museum had over 260 vehicles. While most are from New England and other areas of the United States , trolleys from Canada , Australia , Japan , Germany , Hungary , England , Scotland , Italy , and several other countries are also in the collection. One of

100-761: The Bentley School of Accounting and Finance in Waltham, Massachusetts , in 1948. Cummings worked as a reporter for The Daily News of Newburyport between 1948 and 1956, before joining the New Hampshire Union Leader in Manchester, New Hampshire . He was the newspaper's copyeditor up until his retirement in 1987. During World War II , Cummings served for three years in the United States Coast Guard , and in

120-642: The Biddeford and Saco Railroad were purchasing motor buses to replace its fleet of trolley cars. More and more trolley companies were doing this as the technology of buses had developed to the point that they were reliable and economical. The rail fans decided to find out if they could purchase a trolley to preserve it for posterity. The railroad was willing to sell them a car (#31, a 12 bench open trolley) for $ 150. However, it would have to be moved to another location due to local ordinances that prohibited retired trolleys from being used as houses, even though this

140-1033: The United States Navy for around a year during the Korean War . Cummings was a member of the Manchester Post 79, American Legion, Washington Lodge, 61, Free and Accepted Masons . He was also a member of the Manchester Historic Association, the Boston and Maine Historical Society, the Boston Street Railway Association, the Central Electric Railfans Association, the Shore Line Interurban Historical Society and

160-590: The motor buses the museum owns is Biddeford and Saco #31, the bus that replaced trolley #31 in 1939. The bus was donated to the museum by the bus company. The Seashore Trolley Museum continues to acquire new vehicles for the collection. The main building at the museum is the Visitors Center. It includes a ticket booth and a museum store. The trolleys that have been restored to operating condition are shown on display in three car barns. A restoration shop with an elevated observation gallery shows visitors how

180-756: The Atlantic Shore Line Electric Railroad was first issued in March 1893 by the Maine legislature. The charter allowed for the building of an electric railroad from Biddeford , through the towns of Kennebunkport and Wells , to York Beach . In October 1899, articles of association were filed for the Atlantic Shore Line Railway by a group which included officers of the Mousam River Railroad and

200-554: The Biddeford city line along U.S. Route 1. In the summer of 1956, the Seashore Electric Railway began passenger operations on weekends over its 1 ⁄ 4 -mile-long (0.40 km) track. In 1980, ten of the museum's trolley and railroad cars were listed on the National Register of Historic Places (as " Maine Trolley Cars "). These include trolley #31 and other vehicles either built or operated in Maine. Two cars of

220-895: The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. He wrote and had published numerous titles on the histories of street railway systems in New England , and was a member of the New England Electric Railway Historical Society. He also owned the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine , and served on its board of trustees. Cummings died on January 15, 2013, aged 89. His ashes were scattered at the Seashore Trolley Museum; he has

SECTION 10

#1732772665346

240-1098: The Sanford & Cape Porpoise Railway. The charter of the railroad was approved on February 9, 1900, following a hearing at the State House in Augusta. From the Town House Square carbarn in Kennebunkport (the site currently across the street from the Kennebunkport Historical Society), ASL trolley service connected Cape Porpoise , Kennebunkport, Biddeford, Kennebunk , Alfred , Sanford , Springvale , Wells, Ogunquit , York , York Beach, Kittery , Eliot and South Berwick . The line also connected with Dover, New Hampshire , through South Berwick and with Portsmouth, New Hampshire , via ferry service from Kittery (the ASL ferry "Kittery"

260-400: The current museum property and connected Kennebunkport to York Beach . Since the line was abandoned in the 1920s, museum volunteers have rebuilt one and a half miles (2.4 km) from scratch. Seashore owns the right of way to Biddeford , which is about 5 mi (8.0 km) from the Visitor Center. A demonstration route leads one and a half miles (2.4 km) to Talbott Park (which is

280-582: The operating season (May–December) including Pumpkin Patch Trolley, Daniel Tiger Visits Seashore, appreciation days for several operating fleet trolleys in its collection, free children's story time for guests and the community, and special holiday rides in November and December. The exhibit room may be rented for parties, gatherings, meetings or family reunions. Osmond Richard Cummings Osmond Richard Cummings (May 17, 1923 – January 15, 2013)

300-477: The vehicles are maintained and restored. Additional storage barns and tracks, which are not accessible to the general public, contain vehicles that are awaiting restoration. A few of the restored trolleys are operating on the demonstration line at one time. Restored trolleys are used on the museum's demonstration railway, which follows the route of the Atlantic Shore Line , a trolley line that ran on

320-470: The war, conversion of trolley lines to buses resumed, and created a period of rapid growth for the museum's collection. In the 1950s, a diesel -powered electric generator was used to allow the cars to move under their own power. Car 31 was moved into a small building so that it could be repaired and restored. The first major expansion occurred in late 1955 and early 1956, when the Society purchased land near

340-636: Was an American author and historian. He published several histories of railroad systems in New England . Cummings was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts , the son of Orrin Cummings and Mary Audley. He lived in the Newburyport– Amesbury area for over thirty years. He graduated Amesbury High School in 1940, then attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine , for two years. He graduated from

360-473: Was brought to the Log Cabin Road site. The group of founders formally incorporated in 1941 as the New England Electric Railway Historical Society. World War II caused the museum to be put on hold, as many members served in the armed forces for the duration. This also brought about a temporary revival of trolley services in many cities, as rubber and gasoline were rationed for the war effort. After

380-495: Was built in Kennebunkport in 1900). Electricity was provided from a power plant at Kittery Point , which was originally built by the Sanford Power Company. Electric freight service continued until June 1949, when a small diesel locomotive replaced the electric locomotives. In 1939 the Seashore Electric Railway was formed with the intent to preserve electric cars for future operation. 4 miles (6 km) of

400-588: Was not the rail fans' intention. A portion of farmland was rented on Log Cabin Road in Kennebunkport , adjacent to the right-of-way for the Atlantic Shore Line Railway 's Kennebunk-Biddeford route, and the trolley was moved to it. At about the same time, another group of rail fans purchased a trolley from the Manchester and Nashua Street Railway . The two groups merged, and the Nashua trolley

#345654