The Shore Line Trolley Museum
At the end of a nondescript residential road in East Haven, Connecticut lies a true gem for railfans and history buffs alike. The Shore Line Trolley Museum boasts a collection nearly 100 rail vehicles as well as a museum with countless artifacts, documents, and hands-on exhibits. The museum is owned by the Branford Electric Railway Association, an organization founded in 1945 to preserve the history of the American trolley car and to preserve the Branford Electric Railway, the line upon which the museum's equipment is operated on today.
The 1.5 mile railway is the oldest continuously operating suburban trolley line in the United States. It travels through the salt marshes of Branford, Connecticut and is about as scenic as it can get, from the mazes of rivers and tall grass to the elevated Osprey nests that can be seen along the way (as you can see one motorman point out in the video). The railroad takes you on a journey back in time-to the turn of the last century-in a beautiful manner.
Another scene you will notice is the railway's extensive car barn and maintenance area where they service and restore countless artifacts of history. A tour of this facility is included as part of the trolley ride.
The trolleys featured in this video are the New Orleans Public Service #850, built in 1922, and the Johnstown Traction 357, once completely submerged in water during the Johnstown Flood of 1938.
I was told by one motorman, To those of you with cameras... this isn't Amtrak, take all the pictures and video you can. I did so, and this video is dedicated to the 1000+ members and volunteers at the Shore Line Trolley Museum who preserve this important piece of history and make this such an enjoyable experience for people like my family and I.
Visit the museum at:
Note: Hurricane Irene had a devastating effect. While the damage is manageable, it can only be so with your help. Support from everyone can help them to reopen the whole length of the railway and to repair the damage to some of the damaged equipment in their car barns. Donations are accepted by the BERA through their website.
Trolley Museum East Haven Connecticut part two
Video - Part Two- Shore Line Trolley Museum - Located at East Haven Connecticut---
Camera: Canon Optura video DV - taken 1999
O scale trolley layout at The Shore Line Trolley Museum.
This layout is at the Shore line trolley museum in New Haven Connecticut. In the video I said seashore trolley. Amazing detail in the layout , the overhead is outstanding .
Come Visit The Shore Line Trolley Museum
The Shore Line Trolley Museum, operated by the Branford Electric Railway Association, runs trolleys on the oldest continuously operated suburban street railway in the United States. Your visit includes a ride on the last remaining 1.5 miles of the Connecticut Company's New Haven Division which ran from July 31, 1900 - March 8, 1947.
A Ride Into The Bog on The Shore Line Trolley Museum 8/28/2019
Today we visit The Shore Line Trolley Museum operated by The Branford Electric Railway Association and . The rails are the last remaining 1 1/2 miles of the New Haven Trolley Line which ran from 1860 to 1948. It starts at River St. in East Haven CT and ends just before Clark St.
The videos are from the right side out the window going down and the left side going back. We ride through forest and salt marshes fed by the waters of Long Island Sound.
Clip 1 we leave for our trip on a nicely restored New Orleans Public Service 850: “The Streetcar named Desire” built in 1922 by Perle A. Thomas Co. The motor man lets all the kids step on the bell to signal our start. We stop to see a farm on other side of the trolley. We pass the shop and storage facility and see much track and switching along the way for more than a dozen cars they can operate. Being owned by both the Railway Association for the right of way and storage and the State of Connecticut for the forest and marshland we see people walking the line and fishermen crabbing in the salt flats off the railroad bridges along the way.
Clip 2 we pass the yards you get a quick glimpse of Path Car 745 which was at the station under the towers on 9/11 when the they were attacked. More on that later. The motorman stops to to let kids operate the swinging crossing arm, light and bell.
Clip 3 into the bog. Osprey nest and raise their young here. We pass nests constructed for their nesting. One parent stays with the nest at all time to keep the eagles from preying on their young.
Clip 4 the camera quickly tips down and we see the remains of a narrow gauge railway that was used by a company to move quarried rock to the rail yards for shipment all over the US and world.. Quarried rock is still one of Connecticut's biggest exports. The other, garbage!
Clip 5 onward we go we are into the marshlands and we cross a railway bridge, the motorman stops the trolley. A local fisherman brings a bucket of live crabs he's caught aboard for all to see. Watch those fingers kids! They will grab onto you.
Clip 6 off again to the end of the line. This line used to continue along the shore and run to New Haven where it ended at an amusement park. Many trolley companies owned amusement parks and they placed them on the end of the line to get the families riding the line on the weekends.
Clip 7 we head back the other way, the view is from the other side of the car. Our stop here is at the yards and we take a 20 minute walking tour of the yard, barn and cars that are owned by the museum. These yard and the facilities were destroyed by a hurricane some years ago and the musuem was closed while the association made repairs from over 4 feet of water which flooded the area. Then super storm Sandy did it to them again. The State of Connecticut stepped in and built three new barns which are located at the far end of the yards.
Path car 745 is the last car we see and it was the lead on on the north end of a 7 car train which arrived at Track 3 about 8:52 when the tower were hit on 911. The station was evacuated employees and all, fortunately there was no loss of life on the train or in the station. The car was removed and had little damage. It was cosmetically restored and could run in service today but is set up as a static display after being acquired by the museum in 2015. It is just one of many cars you can see and board. Many are brought out regularly and put into service for rides.
Clip 8 we return to the station and pass houses and a small farm on the way.
Clip 9 Car 850 leaves for another run.
Clip 10 Car 775 a car which originally ran on this line when it was an ordinary passenger carrying route of the Connecticut Company in the early years of the 20th century leaves for a run. It was built in 1904 by the Jewett Car Company.
Clip 11 Car 850 returns from it's run.
Thanks for riding along. Please watch and like my other videos.
National Capital Trolley Museum
Putting HTM 1329 back to the car barn. Part 2.
Connecticut Trolley Museum Montreal Sightseeing Carriage
From Wikipedia,
A New Orleans streetcar stops at the Isle of Safety (originally at State St, Hartford)
Founded in 1940, the Connecticut Trolley Museum is the oldest incorporated museum dedicated to electric railroading in the United States.
The museum is located in East Windsor, Connecticut, and is open to the public most of the year, featuring static displays and self-guided tours of the state's trolley history.
Seashore Trolley Museum - July 6 1990
In June & July 1990, we took a family vacation to Eastern Canada & New England. Along the way, I had a few chances to film some trains.
This video shows an afternoon at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport Maine.
1. A ride out and back from the station on one of the Museum's open trolleys from New Haven CT
2. A quick ride back to the carbarns in a closed trolley.
3. A look around one of the carbarns:
#38 from Manchester NH
Lehigh Valley Transit #1030, originally from the Indiana RR
City of Manchester - open platform official car from NH
4. Back at the station we see runbys with Dallas car #434 and several of the open Connecticut cars.
Living on the East Haven Connecticut Shoreline - Visiting the Neighborhood of Momauguin
Courtesy of Donna Bigda RE/MAX Alliance
The East Haven Connecticut shoreline community of Momauguin is located in the southern part of town bordered by the neighborhood of Morris Cove in New Haven and the neighborhood of Short Beach in Branford. Momauguin is home to the town beach, Momaguin School and a blending of single family homes, cottages and numerous condominium complexes.
Glory Days at the Trolley Museum
Trolley museum in East Haven, Ct
Connecticut Company (East Haven Visitor Center), 08-02-2013
CCO trolley on display at the Quality Inn in East Haven, Connecticut. It's currently being used as the East Haven Visitor Center.
Holiday trolley rides offered in East Haven
People in East Haven got into the Christmas spirit on Sunday at the Shore Line Trolley Museum.
Connecticut Trolley Museum opening day
My first time here ever!
Shore Line Trolley Museum (Union Street Railway RPO 302), 07-19-2015
USR302 mail trolley as on display at the Shore Line Trolley Museum in East Haven, Connecticut. In the background we hear My Friend (Nate) talking with My Father (Harold) about this transit vehicle.
A Weekend Riding And Exploring The Railroad Museum Of New England - Day 1
The weekend was spent at the Connecticut Railroad Museum of New England . They run fan rides weekends only running from the nicely restored station at Thomaston, CT north to the Thomaston Dam, and then south toward Waterbury, CT where they stop at Fascia's Chocolate Factory and store and then go back north to Thomaston. This is our run today. Tomorrow we will go further north to the City of Torrington, CT where we can lay over for 2 hours to get lunch and explore the local shops. Their main source of revenue is freight serving the business south of Thomaston. The museum is a fan run organization and operates only on weekends and holidays.
We never go more than 25 MPH though the closeness of the foliage a rock at times are a blur.
Clip 1 & 2 switching the engine for the ride up to Thomaston Dam.
Clip 3 we back up for the ride to the dam and will head forward for the return trip. The route was built by blasting through the granite rocks. The material blasted out was used to build the dam after the great flood of 1955.
Clip 4 we proceed forward south from Thomaston Station to our stop at Fasia's Chocolate Factory and store where we get 20 minutes to have a snack before heading back north to Thomaston Station. Perhaps you can hear the conductor describing the ride and we get some loud whistle blasts as they whistle through the crossings. Because this is a working railroad the road bed is well kept at least on this part of the line. North of Thomaston is kept up but not as well as this part of the line. The State of Connecticut owns the line so all the material comes from the state. Track and the wooden ties are excess from other lines and also reused from lines that have been upgraded to concrete ties.
Clip 5 the engine has been put back on the head end and we proceed north back to Thomaston Station. The view out the window is from the other side. There are more businesses and residential houses on this side. The Naugatuck river meanders back and fourth and appears on this side also. There are many great spots for the sport fisherman in this part of the state along the river. We pass the Railroad's shop and storage facilities and a number of businesses that the railroad serves during the business week. You can see the railroad's storage and restoration shop as we pass by it and get a quick glimpse of the nicely restored F unit that is used at times. Right now it is getting some mechanical work done. This is where our train is stored for the night and weekdays.
The last clip is of the train backing down from Thomaston for the storage facility. The engine is kept on the front for our trip to Torrington tomorrow. Note the sound of the pea whistle which the conductor sounds when backing.
Riding the Trolleys in Winter at Shore Line Museum - Branford CT
Filmed in March 2015 with snow still on the ground.
East Haven CT
Video footage & pictures from East Haven, 2012. ~
Jul 19, 2017
via YouTube Capture
9/11 subway car dedicated at Shoreline Trolley Museum
At the Shoreline Trolley Museum in East Haven, a subway car that was at a station below the Twin Towers when they collapsed is now open to the public.
Shore Line Trolley Museum HD 60FPS: Operator POV on Montreal Tramways Car 2001
Line between Farm River Road and Short Beach. I'll try to get a recording of the full line from Sprague soon. Enjoy =)
Museum website:
Museum Facebook page: