October 9, 2012:

 

            I got up shortly after 8:30 am and got dressed. I had breakfast and watched a bit of TV. I then left for Seashore again. When I left my motel, I saw the car's “Change oil” light come on. However, I was planning on returning it after I got back from Seashore.

 

            I arrived at Seashore shortly after 10:00 am.  Edmonton #125 was still where it was yesterday. I paid admission and went inside. I saw that former Dallas streetcar #434 was running today. It wasn't running yesterday. I photographed it.

 

 

 

            I made my way to the Highwood barn and photographed the Hawkers that ran on the blue line as well as a former Boston PCC on a flatbed.

 

 

 

 

            I then walked behind the garage and photographed some of the buses parked behind there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I spoke with some museum members about buses. One of them drove former Hamilton GM Articulated #518203 from Hamilton to Seashore. When #518203 went to Seashore, I read an article in the TTS's newsletter about it and learned due to mechanical problems and other concerns made it a struggle for the bus to get to Seashore. The problems started after the bus went into the United States when problems began. The bus was leaking oil and the transmission wouldn't stay in third gear. It took a week for the bus to make it to Seashore.

 

            Though the bus has run, there have been more mechanical issues. For example, there was a hole in the fuel tank which required the fuel to be drained. It make things worse, the tank was pretty full at the time. The money from the charter should go to fix it, though they haven't fixed it yet.

 

            I also asked if ex TTC 7521 was operational. I was told it would need to be reactivated, but may be able to run. However, the rear window was separating from the body. This was apparently the reason why the D700s were retired. I also learned the Orion 1 had arrived at the museum two days earlier! This reminds me of my first visit to the Halton County Radial Railway Museum where my mom mentioned that a former CP caboose which is parked near the front had been delivered the day before!

 

            They pulled out an old school bus. I went for a ride. I was expecting to go just to the visitors centre, but they took the bus onto the road. After a short ride, we returned to the museum. I photographed the school bus.

 

 

            After I returned to the visitors' centre I saw the Blue Line Hawkers were going to run again. I photographed them before I went for a ride.

 

 

            On the way back, I got to ride in the cab of the lead car. I filmed out the front windshield. For some reason, there was a step ladder with the words “Stolen from MBTA” engraved into the ladder. The ladder was intended to help evacuate the train in the event of an emergency. Why “Stolen from MBTA” was engraved into the ladder, I don't know. When we returned to the visitors centre, I photographed the Hawkers.

 

 

            I got on the Orion 1 and rode to behind the Highwood barn. I photographed the Orion 1 and a suburban fishbowl.

 

 

 

            I then took some photos of former Washington DC fishbowl #6481. The interior of #6481 was made into an exhibit about the Civil Rights movement and told the story of a 15 year old black girl who was arrested for refusing to give up her seat for a white person nine months before Rosa Parks was arrested. When she was arrested, she was screaming, “I have rights!” Rosa Parks was not the first person to have broken that transit bylaw. I took some pictures of #6481.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I saw some museum members and spoke with them. At one point, I mentioned the imminent retirement of the CLRV streetcars in Toronto and learned someone at Seashore is looking to bring one of the cars Boston leased in the early 1980s to the museum. I then asked if I got photograph trolleys in the nearby yard. They said I could. I did that.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed former Connecticut Transit fishbowl #8306 which is painted in a livery like Calgary Transit's two-tone blue livery as well as some other buses.

 

 

 

 

 

             I caught the Orion 1 back to the visitors' centre. I saw Dallas streetcar #434 was going out next. I got on and went for a ride. When the car reached Talbot Park, I stepped off and photographed it.

 

 

            I got back on and rode #434 back to the visitors' centre. I took one more picture of #434.

 

 

            The New York City Redbirds were going out next. I went for a ride in car #9327. After the ride, I saw Connecticut fishbowl #8306 and Washington DC fishbowl #6481 were now up front. #8306 was about to go out so I asked if I could go for a ride and I was told I could. The bus drove behind the restoration barn where I photographed a former Rochester streetcar under a tarp.

 

 

           

            I then made my way to the restoration barn. Along the way, I photographed cars outside the barns.

 

 

            Once inside, I took some photos from the elevated walkway.

 

 

 

            I took some photos inside a display barn before I caught Connecticut streetcar #1160 to the visitors' centre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            The next cars going out were a doubleheader of the New York Redbirds and the Blue Line Hawkers. I photographed them as the headed out.

 

 

 

 

            I saw the privately owned fishbowl from New York was back. I photographed it.

 

 

            I then photographed the State of the Art cars.

 

 

 

            I photographed the Redbirds as they were moved out of the way to let the New York R-9s go through to the front gate.

 

 

            I then made my way to the front entrance of the museum and took some photos there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I made my way back to the visitors centre and filmed Dallas #434 as it was being put away. I then photographed a trolleybus from Switzerland and went for a short ride.

 

 

            After I got off, I took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed the Redbirds with the Blue line Hawkers.

 

 

            I then made my way to where the buses are parked and took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I saw a museum member working on glass top fishbowl #32 which came from the New York area. I remember that the late Grey Coach Company in Toronto ran glass top fishbowls, but none survive as far as I know. Awhile ago, a tree fell on top of #32 breaking two windows on the roof which will be expensive to fix. I saw that #32 was going to be moved but not to far. I did ride on it when the bus moved no more than two bus lengths but it was far enough for me to say I rode a glass top fishbowl! After, I photograph it.

 

 

 

 

            I then photograph a couple trolleys including an ex SEPTA Brill Bullet car.

 

 

 

            I then photographed cars inside the Highwood barn and the buses outside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            It was almost closing time so I made my way to the front. I saw the Blue line Hawkers would be making the last run of the day. I went into the gift shop where I bought a DVD and an HO scale model PCC in Detroit colours. I then filmed the Hawkers as they departed and took one last photo.

 

 

            I then left the museum. I had less than two hours to fill the rental car's gas tank and return it to the car rental place. That was more than enough time to do so. The car's gas tank was about ¾ full when I got it and they said I could bring it back that full. However, I had half a tank. I stopped at the first Shell station I came to because the day before, I saw it was the cheapest at $3.75 per gallon. Closer to Portland would cost me $3.91 per gallon. I stopped there and filled the tank not knowing how much gas it would use between there and the rental place.

 

            After I paid for my gas, I photographed a shay steam locomotive on display nearby.

 

 

            I then hit the road. On the way, I stopped at a Subway restaurant for dinner. I had a turkey sub. This weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving, so I was spending it alone on this trip. As sort of a consolation, I had a turkey sub.

 

            I then hit the road and returned my rental car shortly after 6:00 pm. I had booked it until 7:00 pm so I could have been able to save a little money if I had said I'd return it at 6:30.

 

            Since the car rental place was closed, I put the keys in a drop box. I wasn't sure about the oil situation so I phoned home and asked my dad about it. He said that I wouldn't be charged for changing the oil since it's up to Enterprise to maintain the car.

 

            I was prepared to call a cab but before I did, I saw a taxi pull in. However, it was called by someone else who was also returning a rental car so I let them have it. I called a cab which showed up several minutes later. It took me to my hotel. I watched TV and worked on this report for a few minutes. I reserved a taxi for 5:00 am the next morning and asked for a wake-up call at 4:30 am because I was catching the first Downeaster to Boston the following morning. I eventually called it a night.

 

Click to read the final part of my report:    End of trip