Seashore Trolley Museum Boston Day June 19, 2010 (Saturday)

Lets get the season underway and see what can be acmplished during the spring and summer before they is a deffianate list to offically release for Boston Day. As for the 01100's they never have been under power at all on the museum property. If I remember correctly when we got them from Cabot they were dead in the yard and had to be moved by a 1500 set to the hoist from the pit.
http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... Trolleyguy

Sounds like we have a long way ahead of us to getting these cars operational again.

StevieC48 wrote:Lets get the season underway and see what can be acmplished during the spring and summer before they is a deffianate list to offically release for Boston Day.

Thank you Stevie. There will be no official list of cars to run on Boston Day. A fleet of antique cars is not reliable enough to guarantee anything, even if the car runs fine the day before. As I said before, the focus should be on the day. We have well established the available fleet and its current condition, let's not beat a dead horse. I suggest that further discussion of this event be in regards to ideas for the event, and NOT which cars to run.

I think this idea has already been said, but I think it would be cool to rename the stations after MBTA stations, also maybe make a few more temporary stops named after T stops. For example a temporary Rapid transit stop at Talbot park, so people can get out there and stay there, or hop onto a trolley for the ride back. This way you can have a rapid transit shuttle running, instead of just a ride up, then a ride back with only one stop/station.

Also If Seashore has any Bus stop signs and benches/shelters, It would be nice to see them set up around the property for Tom Santarelli (or who ever will be driving the buses and trackless trolleys) to have a route to drive and he would be able to make stops at the signs to pick any one up or drop them off. The trackless trolley could have its own signs and shelters set up along its route with at least two connection stops to the other bus route set up and also a trolley stop.

Then someone (if feasible) could produce a Seashore Route map, with all of the bus, trackless, and trolley routes and stops listed, with all of the connections listed, so you would know to take this bus to get to this trackless trolley, to get the trolley, etc... I think that would be cool, and go along with the theme of the Day.


What do you think?

If you need me to explain the ideas more clearly, just let me know.

This is more for special events in general than Boston Day in particular, but I'd like to see more locations used for photo runbys. I've gotten some BS in the past about how there isn't any level ground for people to walk on except at Messerve's. Meanwhile, there's a path at Gregoire's Crossing, and the path by Talbott Park that we have to whistle for. Both paths would provide sufficiently level ground for people to walk on, and my hunch is that any reasonably fit person should have little or no trouble navigating the ground between the two paths.

I think those ideas are both great! I think we could do a map of the stations and setup temporary bus stops, but we do not have a rapid transit ramp or anything of hi-level at Talbott Park, so that may or may not happen. It doesnt take too long to build at least something like what we have at the VC

Putting in a useful rapid transit platform at Talbott Park would also require fixing up the short extension of the mainline past the Biddeford Switch so you could get it on a good straightaway. That's probably a nice thing in the future to do (it'd make for a better place to layover a car or cars when needed), but probably a little beyond what we can focus on right now. In addition, the practicality might be hindered since you can't leave people at TP (inaccessible area for an emergency), it might be a lot of work for little payoff. But that's just my two cents...

That is an excellent idea , but when we make rapid transit trips to Talbott Park, we would have to constantly throw the switch back and fourth when we run the RT trains. We could just let off passengers for a few minutes to walk around there while the train crew prepares to go back to the Visitors Center.

If I recall, their have been some plans by at least one member (or perhaps more) to construct a "mini high" platform adjacent to the "Well" and Tower C. This would do one of two things in my mind 1- Enable at least one complete car (with all doors opened) to be used for loading/unloading & 2- Enable those who have mobility issues to be able to enter and exit the car without having to climb stairs, as a ramp could be installed as part of the design.

As octr202 pointed out track work would be needed to be done on Biddeford Switch and some overhead work as well. Those who have ventured into that stretch of track do know how "interesting" it can be. I can tell you that the switch would also need some lubricating and work so that it performs freely as 99.9 percent of the time it is set for cars to enter the loop.

Here is one fine example I experienced operating last season attempting to switch onto the siding

http://www.youtube.com/user/jdgator95#p ... fayS1O30Ys

That looks difficult. It looks like we do have some work to do. I dont want to go to far off topic.

I am loving where this thread is going!

Adding temporary stops is definitely feasible, I also am somewhat interested in Derek's idea for photo op locations. Allowing people to travel the right of way by foot between locations poses a great potential for danger, but dropping off people at a fixed location shouldn't really be an issue so long as no person is ever alone out there. Perhaps the temporary stops idea can be blended with this. (Off topic, but that whistle post in the 6mph section near the end of the line is for the curve, not the ATV trail)

As far as Talbot park is concerned, people are allowed to disembark trains/cars there to transfer between cars or to enjoy the location so long as they are accompanied by 1 or more crew members with working communication devices (radios, cell phones...). To set up a transfer point there is definitely possible and most certainly worth discussing! Also, subway cars don't have to turn in the Biddeford lead, they can enter the loop track and change ends either at the platform or on the other side. Construction of a temporary high out there is kind of a stretch but not impossible, this should be considered before being tossed. Streetcars could be sent ahead of subway cars so by the time the subway cars got there the streetcars would have already looped. Either that or the streetcars can change ends at Talbot Park like the subway cars so long as only double ended cars are sent in that group.

I'm not sure what we have in terms of bus shelters and/or signage, but that is definitely something to look into, and if we don't have any shelters (which I don't think we do), we should! Especially with the plans of incorporating buses into the regular operation, a bus stop shelter would certainly be appropriate.

Route maps are a great idea. When the day's events materialize a little more this should be relatively easy to put together.

So far all of these ideas are great! Keep them coming! Regardless of how feasible or realistic your concept may or may not seem, posting it could give someone else another idea. There's no harm in brainstorming, plus anything that can't be done this year could be a goal for future events as well. Don't hold back!

Thanks for the complements and comments!

As for the bus shelters, I think the MBTA should have some lying around there yards. I have seen the older black metal frame with bubble glass/plastic ones lying around in the Everett Bus facility when I have gone by it. I am sure they are waiting to be scraped or something, so I don't see why the "T" would not donate them to you. They might not be in the best shape, but with a little work they might be able to look new again and become useful for future bus shelters at Seashore. Also there is always the option to build shelters from scratch, but that cost more time and money, but I think using actual MBTA bus shelters would be a much nicer look and experience.

I will try to think of more ideas and post them.
-Bill

Well even if one or two shelters could be donated, Seashore would still be responsible for transporting them to Maine. That would mean money that needs to be raised and the Board of Trustees to vote on the acquisition. So it might not be as simple as it sounds. I am not saying it can't be done, but the T just can't deliver them to us.

sery2831 wrote:Well even if one or two shelters could be donated, Seashore would still be responsible for transporting them to Maine. That would mean money that needs to be raised and the Board of Trustees to vote on the acquisition. So it might not be as simple as it sounds. I am not saying it can't be done, but the T just can't deliver them to us.

I feel like the bus shelters are small enough that someone could just toss one in the back of a pickup and secure it down. Worst case someone rents a uhaul for the day which isn't a significant cost.

Are you talking about these ?:
http://www.ichizen.com/goat/goat_mbta/i ... _10_01.jpg
I think that the roof alone would over-load a pick-up. I'd say a flatbed or medium size van minimum would be needed. If they're available for the getting, pick a few up as I'm sure that they would be useful up there. Just don't get yourself a ticket and tow on 95 - or worse, into an accident coming up with one.