Seashore Trolley Museum Discussion

Good to hear about the progress with Bennett Street. Are there plans to install overhead anytime soon, or do you plan to continue relying on daisy-chained bugs to get cars in there?

Sounds like some good work going on up in Kennebunkport. I need to get up there some time this summer. Thank you to all the volunteers for their efforts. One day when I have a car and some time I'd like to pitch in.

There has been some talk about setting poles out there to get at least one wire out there to cut down on the use of bugs, which can be very dangerous if not treated with the utmost care.

Time is certainly of the essence, however your own transportation not so much. For someone interested in coming up and volunteering, there are options available. Numerous trips are made between the Boston area and the Museum every week, and most people are happy to share a ride. There is also a significant willingness to meet people at Saco station for those who wish to take the train. Anyone interested in volunteering who needs to have transportation arranged should let one of us know so we can put something together for you. We're all about aiding volunteer work!

Agreed, I leave Boston most Friday nights around 8pm or so. If anyone wants a ride, I am sure we can set something up.

I might have time a sunday or two at the end of August. It's about time I joined. I'll figure out a ride closer to that date.

Im up there all the time and usually help out in the bus and rapid car departments. I am available to volunteer on Aug. 14 too!

Thanks for the update, CRail. Even though on the property regularly, it's easy to miss all of what's going on up there. I think all of us involved in the museum's operations are happy to see more yard space opening up. I wish I could have been a part of the project, but what time I've had on the property recently I've been bailing out the small Saturday ops crew.

If you haven't been up in a while, one benefit of all the activity (be it new and/or completed restoration projects, changes to the public operating fleet, barn repairs in Highwood last year, etc.) is that many, many collection pieces have moved around. Cars that were deep in the back or in the shop are out on view, new cars are going into service, and so forth, so there's a lot to see. Come up and join us.

-Jeff (SERy #5722, semi-regular Saturday crew motorman/conductor/dispatcher-trainee/occasional yard crew grunt)

Thanks for your help this weekend Jeff, a lot got done thanks to you and a few others!

Now that the weekend has wrapped up, the first 2 tracks are ready for service in Bennet St meaning the other yards are going to be freed up by 7 or 8 spaces. Some shuffling around to put a future restoration back into one of the barns from the shop prepared for some other changes as well as got that yard ready to be stuffed.

Washington DC PCC #1304 got loads of work done on it, the Motor-Generator ran, the compressor pumped the car up to 90 PSI, and the doors were made to work. Seat cushions were cleaned and prepared for installation, and other interior details were worked on and/or completed. Others may be able to report further as I was busy in Bennet St. and yard shifting and was only able to poke my head in on that project here and there.

Was a busy, tiring, and exciting weekend with a lot happening all throughout the campus all at once. A lot of good stuff went on and lot's was set up for more good stuff in the near future. It's weekends like this one that keep me active up there.

For those that want to put an image to 1304:

http://trolleymuseum.org/collection/veh ... 304SDC.php

The small photo doesn't even really do her justice, and as well, that was before the windows were re-installed and lettering done. The car is quite beautiful, and provides another nice contrast to our once-again workhorse PCC, SEPTA (PTC) 2709.

Corey - you say you were busy, I didn't even manage to make it over to look at Bennett St, despite all the time spent shoving things back and forth on Central Track 0. If only I hadn't had to keep going back to do public trips...

Know if anyone got any good shots of Dallas 608 while it was outside?

Whats wrong with this?
http://trolleymuseum.org/collection/veh ... 608STX.php

Or Are you asking if anyone has more?

It was in a good spot for photos on Sat, but I forgot as I was out on public trips the whole time. Also, it was sitting right next to Dallas 434, for the family portrait. Unfortunately we didn't have time to pull 434D out further for a full photo shoot.

608 coming out was a total last minute thing. If that could have been planned better it would have been an amazing photo opportunity. The Parts Dept. manager mentioned to the yardmaster that while the crew was digging out the track that 608 was on, we could pull it out from being buried farther so we would have a better chance of working on it soon. The yardmaster said "well they're going back there now, so now's the time to speak up." While in the middle of a yard move he came driving around at 6 million miles an hour with a dark cloud of dust behind him to alert us right away that we should pull out that car before we it gets buried again. So, one more car got added to the work order. It also just so happened that the South Boston yard (where 434D was located) was the best place to stick it at the time (or the only place since the whole railroad was pretty much tied up at that point). This allowed for our 2 Dallas cars to meet up on adjacent tracks, and although there were quite a few people around to take shots of the car, nobody (including myself) had the foresight to stage a lineup.

One of the few weekends I'm not there and there's a chance for a fresh photo of 608 and you all let me down?!? Bummer!

So I don't feel like the odd one out not posting something of progress, I've been busy myself! I grabbed two old banners for over the road and the Museum entrance on Sunday. I told my girlfriend it'd be a quick visit to pick those up and I was good on my word! It helped since everyone was in shock since a Cosgro is a rare sight on Sundays!!! I've spent the last couple afternoon's cleaning up the banners, and have almost completed one side of the over-the-road banner. I'm a little worried that even with a thorough cleaning that they may still get dirty quick as not all the adhesive is coming off. I'm doing this to save a few hundred dollars if it were done professionally.

So what may these banners be for you may ask? Ghost Trolley. If anyone is interested, there's a Ghost Trolley planning meeting this Saturday at 10:00 am in the Visitor Center conference room. All are welcome.

Matt
#4876 - Saturday Motorman/Conductor/Dispatcher, Webmaster, Trustee, Pumpkin Patch Trolley Event Coordinator, and Ghost Trolley Event Coordinator

Jeff can we switch titles? Yours look better

Matt, your title is scary - way too many words. As for 608, well, had we gotten good pictures of it, how would we make sure you come back? Think of it as ensuring job security as "museum photographer" (there's one you can add!). I won't be there this weekend, so you can work on retaliation for me for taking a weekend off...

Hopefully 608 will make a return appearance soon. It isn't far back in Central, and based on Corey's reports of Bennett St. progress, the front should be getting closer to the outside world too!

octr202 wrote:Think of it as ensuring job security as "museum photographer" (there's one you can add!).

*Looks at the 1100+ Seashore images in his Aperture library* Hmm, I thought that was my job.