Seashore Trolley Museum (1939-Present)

In the summer of 1939, the New England Electric Railway Historical Society Inc. was formed by Theodore Santarelli to ensure the preservation and possible future operation for electric cars. The New England Electric Railway Historical Society Inc., then purchased a piece of land in Kennebunkport, Maine, close to the Kennebunk-Biddeford route, previously owned by the Atlantic Shore Railway and began building their collection. By July, they had purchased a 12-bench Brill open, No. 31, from the Biddeford & Saco Railroad. They continued to stock up on cars until they were finally able to patent the name “the Seashore Electric Railway Company” for the property. WWII put a hold on their plans, but by the end of the war, they were back in full swing. 

As of 1955 and early 1956, the New England Electric Railway Historical Society purchased a second location, large tracts of land near the U.S. Route 1 in North Kennebunkport, near the Biddeford city line. During the summer of 1956, they offered quarter-mile rides on weekends. Between July 1 and Labor Day alone, they carried over 5,000 passengers. This took place well into 1961. While this was happening, a track was being laid at the Kennebunkport location, where they purchased a gasoline-powered generator that would supply 600 volts to streetcars. As of 1957, the Society’s membership stood at 500 members, and the renamed Seashore Trolley Museum had owned one mile of track and owned more than 50 cars of all types from 15 different states, Great Britain and Canada. In the 1960s, they were able to purchase a large parcel of land at the primary Kennebunkport location due to it being inexpensive in the area. They were also able to build a four and a half mile right of way connecting the two sites. 

Over the years, the Seashore Trolley system has been restoring and expanding to attract visitors. They started by discontinuing the Biddeford operation because it was too much work. As they continued to collect streetcars, they realized they needed to shelter them in the winter to protect them. In the 1970s, they decided to take a low-cost option and build a car barn out of wooden pole frames with aluminum siding. They also constructed a Quonset building until the winter snow caused it to collapse. They then built their current Townhouse Shop on that site. They also built a track on the former Atlantic Shore right of way and expanded the mainline ride toward Biddeford. During the late 1970s, they constructed the Visitor Center that expanded its Museum Store and still stands tall today. During the 1990s, they built a Parts Warehouse. They also constructed Talbott Park loop, a destination for the ride. In 2016, they replaced the roof at the Townhouse Shop to eliminate leaks, improve lighting, and add insulation. In 2017, they began renovating the Fairview Carbarn and finished in late 2018.

Today, the Seashore Trolley Museum is known as the largest electric railway museum in the world. It has over 260 vehicles from across the globe, from countries such as Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Scotland, and the U.S. Aside from streetcars, they also have the bus that originally began putting trolleys out of business: the Biddeford and Saco #31. They offer many educational exhibits, such as viewing the restoration process of a streetcar in the restoration shop and riding a streetcar along a rebuilt portion of the Atlantic Shore Line Railway. It is open on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for visitors to learn about how past generations traveled from place to place and how they operated. 

Cummings, Osmond R. "Atlantic Shore Line Railway: its predecessors and its successors." Bangor Community: Digital Commons@bpl | Bangor Public Library Research. Last modified 1957. https://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=books_pubs#page=36.

Largest and Longest Running Electric Railway Museum in the World. Accessed July 9, 2020. https://trolleymuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/03/History-of-Seashore-Trolley-Museum-History-of-Vehicle-Collection-edited-by-SAB-2-17-17.pdf.

New England Electric Railway Historical Society, Inc. "Seashore Electric Railway Annual Reports 1955 & 1956." Bangor Community: Digital Commons@bpl | Bangor Public Library Research. Last modified 1955. https://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1116&context=books_pubs.

Seashore Trolley Museum. Last modified March 22, 2017. https://trolleymuseum.org.

"Seashore Trolley Museum." Atlas Obscura. Last modified July 27, 2012. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/seashore-trolley-museum.