July 2, 2011:

 

            I got up around 6:30 am and got dressed. Today I would be visiting the Seashore Trolley Museum. I left about 15 minutes later. I left and walked to the Braintree station. There was a train in the station already. I rode to Downtown Crossing and filmed my train departing. I then transferred to the Orange line, but found myself on the platform for trains going the opposite direction that I wanted. That mistake made me miss a train, but I got on the next one. When it arrived, I saw that MBTA had changed the seat fabric to a more vandal proof fabric. I rode to North Station and filmed the train pulling out.

 

            I then walked to South Station. I saw I had more than an hour before my train was to depart. I could have gotten up at 7:00 am, though it may have been close to get there 30 minutes before the departure of my train.

 

            I hung around in the waiting area and worked on my report some more. The equipment that would become my train to Saco arrived shortly after 8:30 am. Shortly after all the passengers had disembarked, boarding commenced. I photographed the train before I got on.

 

 

I was seated in Amfleet 2 capstone coach #82562 which was the car in front of the cafe car. Train 691 left on time. Shortly after we left, I filmed the MBTA yard. I heard my train was sold out.

 

            The train stopped at Woburn.  I took advantage of Wi-Fi on the train, but it failed. After we left, the cafe car opened. I went to the cafe car for breakfast. I took it back to my seat. The train stopped at Haverhill. Train 692 passed but I was unable to film it.

 

            The train crossed into New Hampshire and stopped at Exeter. Shortly after we left, I saw a tanker truck that said “Pool water” on the side as we passed through a railway crossing.

 

            The train stopped at Durham-UNH. Just before Dover, I saw a couple old box cars being used as sheds. The train stopped at Dover. The train soon departed.

 

            The train crossed into Maine. I saw a track that split away, though I don't know where it goes. We then stopped at Wells. We soon departed. I phoned the Enterprise car rental place in Saco to let them know I was going to be there in about 15 minutes. They told me to call back once I was in Saco. I then started getting ready to get off at Saco.

 

            Train 691 arrived into Saco four minutes late. I got off and took some photos.

 

 

            I filmed the train departing. When I came to Saco in 2008, the station was a simple shelter. Since then, they've built a station building though there isn't a ticket agent.

 

            I phoned Enterprise again and they said they're on the way. About 10 minutes later, they arrived in a Dodge Calibre. The driver was the same one who picked me up in 2008! He remembered me, but thought it was last year I had come.

 

            We drove to the rental location. The person told me of a train store two buildings over from the rental place. I decided to check it out.

 

            At the rental location, I filled in the paperwork and was given the keys to the Dodge Caliber they had picked me up in. I was soon ready and I headed out.

 

            I first headed to the train store. There wasn't much of a selection of HO scale stock, so I didn't buy anything. I then drove and stopped at a Wendy's for lunch. After lunch, I headed of towards Seashore. Along the way, I noticed a shay steam locomotive by the road with “Biddeford Station” painted on it. I decided to check it out on the way back.

 

            Several minutes later, I arrived at Seashore. As I turned in, I caught a glimpse of former Hamilton Street Railways GM Articulated bus 518203. I would see it later.

 

            I parked and saw former Edmonton BBC trolleybus #125 at the back of the lot. I went up to it and took some photos of it and former MBTA Flyer trolleybus #4049.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I also photographed an ex Boston fishbowl in the parking lot.

 

 

            When Seashore contacted Edmonton, I heard that they did not want one of the coaches the TTC leased for some reason. 125 was not a coach leased by the TTC in the early 90's.

 

            Once I was done with those trolleybuses, I went inside and paid my admission to the museum. Just like in 2008, I was visiting on Founders' Day. They were having a trolley parade that featured some of the cars from 2008, plus a few other ones. Before the parade started, I photographed two other ex Boston Flyers.

 

 

            The first car in line was Saco-Biddeford open car #31; the museum's first car. The car didn't go through the loop. This was because the car has a bad traction motor and can't make the loop. For some reason, moisture is a problem for Seashore and they can't rebuild traction motors and have to send them out to be fixed. I think Halton County is in the same boat; at least for PCC traction motors.

 

 

            The second car was former Chicago “Red Rattler” #225. Like in 2008, they explained that when it was in service, if the last person getting on the car from a stop was a man, they would start moving once he was aboard, but if it was a woman, they would wait until she was fully in the car.

 

 

            The next car was Dallas #434. Seashore has two cars numbered 434, but the other 434 is not from Dallas.

 

 

            The next car was Manchester & Nashua St. Railway car #38; Seashore's second car and an early interurban.

 

 

            Next was SEPTA PCC 2709; the car I procrastinated riding in 2008 and as a result, I missed riding it. It is in the process of being repainted.

 

 

            After was Connecticut streetcar #1160, their recently completed restoration.

 

 

            The next two cars were MBTA line car 3283 and plow 5106.

 

 

 

            The next was the piece of MBTA work equipment with the electromagnet. Once again, it picked up a metal chair.

 

 

            Next was mail car 108.

 

 

            Next was Boston Type 5 car #5821 which is a sister to 5734 at Boylston.

 

 

            Car 1583 from Minneapolis/St. Paul was next. It was in the process of having some wood replaced.

 

 

            Next was the 110 year old Connecticut open car #303.

 

 

            Next was North Shore car 755. It was painted to look like it had metal fluting.

 

 

            Lastly was Wheeling trolley #639. That car was undergoing restoration back in 2008. It's now done. It took 21 years.

 

 

            I then photographed Boston Flyers 4006 and 4028, and some buses.

 

 

 

            I then went by the Highwood car barn and photographed MBTA Blue line Hawkers 0622/0623 and MBTA Boeing 3424.

 

 

 

            I then went inside the barn and photographed former Toronto Witt 2890, Montreal and Southern Counties interurbans 504 and 611. I also photographed the weird car from Hungary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then had a conversation with a member from Seashore. He said he'd like to get the car from Hungary running, but doubts it will happen. He also said that the tunnels in Budapest weren't very tall. He also said they got the car in exchange for a 35 mm camera! This was in Cold War times. I asked if I could get access to the PCC from New Jersey Transit. He said to talk to dispatch.

 

            I then went to another barn and photographed the cars in there.

 

 

 

 

            I then went by the barn where much of the restoration work is done. I took some pictures of Washington PCC 1304 which is almost done its restoration.

 

 

 

            I then saw PCC 2709 returning from Talbot Park. I asked if I could ride back to the visitors' centre. I was allowed. I photographed before I got on.

 

 

            I rode it back then filmed 2709 pulling away. I then decided to go for a ride on Type 5 #5821. We were following PCC 2709. At Talbot Park, we stopped behind it and waited for car 639 to arrive in the loop as well. The members explained the significance of streetcars when they were first invented.

 

            At one point, they asked if there was any interest to ride PCC 2709. I was the only one who expressed interest. However, since the car was under restoration, only museum members were allowed to ride it. As a last resort, I truthfully said I was a member of another museum, and I was allowed on! I was the only passenger on 2709!

 

            I had a conversation with the motorman about PCCs. I told him that I was from Toronto and that Toronto once had the largest fleet in North America. He said it's nice to ride a PCC from another city. I told him I had ridden the PCC-2s in Philadelphia and the PCCs on the Mattapan line.

 

            He told me that 2709 was undergoing a repainting to the older Philadelphia livery, but it wouldn't look right with the other modifications that SEPTA did during the car's lifetime. He said instead, it would be restored to the SEPTA livery. Whoops on Seashore's part!

 

            I told him about Halton County repainting former Toronto PCC #4600 into the CLRV livery and that it was one of only two PCCs to have been painted in the CLRV livery.

 

            I got off and photographed 2709 before I filmed it pulling away. I then photographed former Portland, Maine Flexible #8801 and the State of the Art cars (SOAC). I noticed the two SOAC cars weren't coupled together.

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed some buses that were on display including ex Toronto Flyer D700 #7521.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            One other bus I photographed was fishbowl #122. I thought too bad there wasn't 1000 added to the number so it would have been 1122; the number of my favourite GO fishbowl. I photographed 122.

 

 

            I also took some more pictures of 0622/0623 and some equipment including a Brill Bullet car and MBTA RTS 8400.

 

 

 

 

            Moments later, a SUV pulled up to where I was standing. The driver said he was a member. He asked if there was anything I wanted to see. I asked to the New Jersey Transit PCC. He said he would in about 10 minutes. About 10 minutes later, the member drove up and told me he had left his cell phone at home and he would be about 30 minutes. I looked around and took some more pictures.

 

 

 

            I was going to see HSR 518203, but I saw his SUV arrive. It was the member again. His name was Dan. We headed to a barn that isn't normally open to the public. I photographed Former Cleveland RTA Bluebird #113 that Seashore acquired from Trolleyville USA.

 

 

            Dan pointed out a subway car from Boston whose models were the longest subway cars in the world when built at 69 feet. That lasted until 1962 when the M-1 class subway cars were built for the   TTC. He then said he wasn't sure where the New Jersey PCC was, but I knew it was nearby. I photographed some cars in the barn including Boston Tremont class PCC 3019 and ex Brantford, Ontario Old Look #627.

 

 

 

 

            I then saw former CTA El cars 6599 and 6600 I took a so-so picture of it and caught a glimpse of the New Jersey Transit PCC by another barn not open to the public. We then headed towards it. On the way, we stopped by Peter Witt #3876 from Detroit that Seashore acquired from the Ohio Railway Museum. I photographed it.

 

 

            On the track next to 3876 was a streetcar whose body was collapsing. Dan said he hoped it wouldn't collapse as we walked past it. The car body was leaning towards us and a large piece had already fallen off, but we got by it safely. We then got to New Jersey PCC #5. I got to photograph it both inside and out.

 

 

 

 

            Next, I photographed some ex Boston PCCs and other cars.

 

 

 

            I also photographed the crane car that Dan is fond of.

 

 

            I asked Dan where the trailer they acquired from Trolleyville was. He said it was nearby but covered up. I soon found it and photographed it.

 

 

            We talked a bit about Trolleyville. I told him how I was planning to visit Washington around the time the auction was first announced and I would have gone to whichever museum acquired their Toronto PCC and that it was acquired by the National Capital Trolley Museum which I was planning on visiting anyway.

 

            Dan said he had to go do things elsewhere, but said I could still take pictures in the area. He said if anyone gave me trouble for being there, to tell then that I was with Dan from maintenance and he had run off somewhere.

 

            I then took pictures of CTA 6599/6600 and some cars in the first barn that was off limits to regular visitors.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed some buses.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then made my way back to the front. I photographed the New York Redbirds I got to ride the last time at Seashore.

 

 

 

            I then walked to the front of the museum and photographed some MBTA equipment.

 

 

            I then walked up to former Hamilton GM Articulated 518203. It was nice to see a bus I had ridden in revenue service out here to be enjoyed by others.

 

 

            I then photographed a former Philadelphia subway car at the front.

 

 

            It was now time to leave. I photographed my rental car.

 

 

            Here's my rental car for this trip: a Dodge Caliber.

 

            I then left the museum. I stopped at a Shell station next to the shay painted for the Biddeford Station. I parked and got out and photographed it.

 

 

            I then drove to a gas station near the car rental place. I bought $4 of gas. I then drove the rest of the way to the rental place. It was closed, so I put the keys in the drop box. I then called a cab to take me to the Amtrak station.

 

            The cab showed up a few minutes later. I was dropped off at the station. This time, the driver didn't choose to detour because of a freight train.

 

            I paid the driver and went inside the station. I pulled out my laptop and worked on this report some more. At one point, I heard a train whistle and went outside hoping to see a train pass, but none did.

 

            Around 6:45 pm, I walked over to Rapid Ray's for dinner. After, I returned to the station.

 

            Shortly after 7:00 pm, Amtrak train 695 arrive. I filmed it pulling in and photographed it.

 

 

            Train 695 had the same equipment that I rode down to Saco on. I filmed the train departing. Less than 20 minutes later, a shuttle bus pulled into the station. I photographed it.

 

 

            After the bus left, I mostly hung around on the platform. I heard that Amtrak is hoping to extend the Downeaster to Bangor and plans to build a maintenance facility there. However many residents are opposed to it because of the noise from the locomotives.

 

            Train 698 arrived on time. As it arrived, I filmed it pulling in.

 

 

 I was seated in Amfleet 1 Capstone coach #82794. The train departed on time.

 

            Shortly after my ticket was taken, I saw four little kids squeezing into a set of double seats across the aisle from me.

 

            I pulled out my computer and worked on this report some more. I was also able to log onto the train's Wi-Fi for a little while. Amtrak train 697 passed, but I was unable to film it. The train stopped in Wells. The train crossed into New Hampshire. By now, it was dark. We then stopped at Dover, Durham ~ UNH, and Exeter I went to the cafe car and bought some milk. We then crossed into the state of Massachusetts. We then stopped at Haverhill and Woburn. I went back to the cafe car for some milk. The train arrived into Boston one minute late. I got off and took a photo.

 

 

            I then went inside the station and then headed for the T. I caught a Green Line train to Park Street. I got off and photographed it.

 

 

            I then transferred to the red line. My train arrived right away. I rode to Braintree and then headed back to my hotel. I soon called it a night.

 

Click here for part 3:            Part 3