Seashore Trolley Museum Discussion

That's excellent news. Are their any plans to use the Northampton Station in the future?

That's fantastic about the Maine Central Model Railroad finding a new home at Seashore. My wife and I happened upon it once and did a quick U turn to check it out. "Buzz" had passed away by then, but Mrs. Beal was a lovely and gracious hostess and we enjoyed the visit and some small talk.

I believe Mrs. Beal was involved in the selection process but the disassembly and move were done by professionals.

Northampton Station is a conundrum. We repainted the girders it's on a couple of years ago, but the original idea of building a bit of Elevated to bring rapid transit cars to it needs serious money: We'd have to significantly rearrange our campus track layout, cross a wetland, provide an elevator for handicapped access etc. Plus we've at least a half-dozen different rapid-transit car widths and more than one floor height to handle at any platform. I'd guess "status quo with maintenance until a multi-millionaire appears".

Does Seashore have plans to acquire some of the retiring MBTA subway cars in the near future?

It has been announced by the MBTA a set of OL cars will be set aside for Seashore.

Once the Orange line cars get to Seashore, would they be able to MU with the Blue line cars they got in 2011?

The November Trustees meeting is a little more than 2 weeks away, and I am not aware of a formal proposal to acquire 01200 cars. A proposal would have to address how track to store them would be built, how transportation costs would be covered, and what funds would be contributed towards covered storage for them. I would be very concerned about floor condition, given how spongy many of them felt as much as 20 years ago. Also, a recent Globe article quotes the scrapper saying asbestos abatement is required before they can be cut up. Seashore already owns quite enough asbestos.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/09/12/ ... ne-trains/

The frame of the new South Boston Carbarn has been erected. Roof and sheathing should be complete by about the end of January. Electrical work will take another week or two. Seashore's Track Department will have plenty opportunities for volunteers building the connecting tracks once the ground dries out.

Foundation work for the Maine Central Model Railroad building is in progress.

Contractor Maine Track Maintenance worked on the South Boston II carbarn this week. Building the track inside went smoothly. The outside work was slower. They were able to move all the big pieces of rail we'd stored back to the site. They assembled the easterly track and its turnout. The first restraining rail joint was slow but they learned quickly. The middle track needs a couple of rail joints made up. The west track and its turnout are laid out on ties but not bolted up.

By my estimation, it went pretty well. Were I doing it again, I'd get 10" and 9" track bolts to reduce the use of washers - our 1950s reassembly used many washers to make 11" bolts fit. I'd also delay landscaping next to the tracks till after they're complete. But for this job, seeding the grass would have been delayed into the dry months.

Toronto Transit Commission CLRV #4068 arrived at Seashore Nov. 30 2023 and was unloaded Dec. 1. It's outdoors next to our Bus Display on special track built to simplify swapping trucks once a pair is re-gauged.

We expect the first streetcars to be stored in the new South Boston 2 carhouse in the next 7-10 days.

Our Bust Display area has been enlarged. More buses will be moved there in spring 2024.

Work has begun on a 40' x 60' garage to house our non-accessioned work vehicles, including our Pettibone Speed Swing and the Overhead Department's ex-NS bucket truck. One long bay will accommodate either our Pettibone MK-36 crane or a bus which needs indoor work.

The first cars were moved into the new South Boston 2 carbarn in late December. Most were "bugged" in under their own power, Nagasaki #134 was pushed by hand. There are presently 5 cars inside. This has also been the first winter that our work equipment has been protected: Claremont #4, GE 25 ton #150, Oshawa #300 and MTA #5106 are all indoors.

The first overhead wire reached the door of Track 3 last week. We're waiting on delivery of door bridges before wire can be extended into the building.

All three of South Boston 2's tracks now have door bridges. The first "spacer" conductor has been installed underneath where Track 2's door goes when it's up.

The model railroad building was formally opened last Saturday. A lot of work remains to complete scenery in the new areas fire code required us to add.

Conn. Co. open car #303 has returned to the operating fleet after extensive work on its brakes. Many worn parts have been built up or plug welded and re-drilled. DC Transit #1304 has its new motor-generator installed and is being tested and prepared for operation.

Also, the frame of our new 40' x 60' garage has been erected. We hope to be able to do work equipment maintenance and repairs indoors this summer.

From the Saco Bay News:

Saco Bay News wrote:Walking into the building that houses a new model railroad is like entering a miniature landscape frozen in time, where several dozen Maine towns and cities can be visited, York’s Wild Kingdom beckons, Stephen King’s house looms – and the train runs on time.

Donated by the Beals family of Jonesport, a layout of the Maine Central Railroad, which ran throughout the state from 1940-60, winds through the display, chugging past houses and businesses and navigating tunnels and bridges along the way.
. . .
The museum was first contacted about the gift in January 2021 during the pandemic, but “it took us quite a while to accept the donation. It’s huge,” said Orlando.

She added that the family had asked at least 40 model clubs and others if they would like the gift, but all declined, saying it was too big.
. . .
Over 500 rail cars came with the layout and several trains operate at the same time.

There is still work to be done and could take “several years to get it the way we want it,” Orlando said. “The plan is to get a lot done by Nov 2025.”

Read more at: https://sacobaynews.com/trolley-museum- ... -model.htm