2009 Annual Report - the Seashore Trolley Museum

New England Electric Railway Historical Society
Center Loop. The 103 year old locomotive
was not the only Maine vehicle on
display in the loop area for guests to view
however. The locomotive was joined by
1900 Biddeford & Saco Railroad open car
No. 31, 1920 Portland Railroad Company
Birney Car No. 615, 1912 Portland-Lewiston
Interurban No. 14 (The Narcissus),
1912 Aroostook River Valley combine
No. 70, 1893 Mousam River Railroad
baggage trailer No. 8, 1904 Portsmouth-
Dover & York St. Rwy. U. S. Mail/Express
No. 108, 1936 Portland Coach Bus No. 4,
1947 Biddeford & Saco Bus Lines No. 31,
and 1974 Greater Portland Transit bus
No. 700. We wanted to present attending
guests the opportunity to see a sampling
of the diverse Maine collection and the
varying degree of restoration work each
of those on display needed.
Capturing some of the guests’ reflections
of the project were 5 th graders
from Ms. Lyman’s class at the Mildred
L. Day School in Arundel. As a class,
they worked to brainstorm ideas for a
service-learning project using the ceremony
as the basis for their ideas for
a finished product. Working in teams
of two or three, the students used Flip
Video camcorders and collected brief
interviews (oral histories) from many of
the guests. The students used classroomtime
to develop questions and planning
strategies for the interviews. Over the
coming months, using their computer lab
resources and some additional classroom
time, they will create a finished product.
Above: For the official ribbon cutting all participants held small scissors except for Phil Morse and
Leigh Webb who hold a special giant red pair to signal to all others when to make their cut.
I have had an opportunity to review the
interviews and they are great!
At about 2:15, chairman James Schantz,
on behalf of the Society and the museum,
welcomed all the guests assembled at
the Visitors Center Loop area. Jim provided
some background information on
the museum, the scope of its collection,
the establishment of an advisory council
at STM’s branch museum, The National
Streetcar Museum at Lowell (MA), and
the recently completed restoration of
Wheeling, WV curved-side 639. Jim also
acknowledged the ASL 100 project volunteers
and donors and singled out the
leadership and the extraordinary efforts
of Donald Curry and myself in completing
the restoration and companion exhibit
within its proposed budget and the
allotted three-year time frame.
PE
I then spent time expressing thanks to all
the volunteers, shop staff, Maine Department
of Transportation representatives,
local businesses and community leaders,
railway/railroad organizations, financial
institutions, other museums and historical
societies, and local officials who had
helped support the project over the past
ten years. I specifically acknowledged attendance
by U. S. Senator Susan Collins’
delegate, Bobby Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds
brought a letter of congratulations from
Senator Collins. I also acknowledged U.
S. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s support
for the ASL project and her regrets
in being unable to attend and that she
would, through her delegate, Jackie Potter,
arrange to visit the museum. I then
acknowledged the attendance of Maine
State Representative Joan Nass and
regrets from State Representative Alan
Casavant. I then introduced Maine State
Senator Nancy Sullivan.
Above: ASL 100 poses in the sunshine in front of the Visitors Center on the day of its dedication.
JS
Senator Sullivan and her husband Paul
have been strong supporters of the ASL
100 project, and of the museum in general,
for many years. When Nancy was
a State Representative, she wrote letters
and solicited support in Augusta for the
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