#101 Maine Thing To Do - See / Ride Trolleys in Maine
Trolleys have an extensive history in Maine. There is no better place to learn about Trolleys than The Seashore Trolley Museum. The Museum, in Kennebunk Maine, was founded in 1939 with one open trolley car, No. 31 from the Biddeford & Saco Railroad Company. Today, the collection has grown into the largest electric railway museum in the world with a collection representing almost every major American city that had a streetcar system. See the beginning of mass transportation from the omnibus to the development of the electric streetcar, and follow the progress to today’s buses, light rail vehicles, and rapid transit cars. Seashore Trolley Museum has a collection that contains vehicles from almost all major cities in the United States that had streetcar systems, as well as from other cities across the globe, to provide samples of how generations past moved about for work, school and leisure and to show the dedicated craftsmanship put forth to construct these workhorse vehicles.
Seashore Trolley Museum 207-967-2712 195 Log Cabin Road, Kennebunkport, Maine Google Maps - Bing Maps - MapQuest www.trolleymuseum.org $5.50 adults $4.00 kids 16 and underThe Atlantic Shore Line
Incorporated February 9, 1900, the Atlantic Shore Line (ASL) was an electric trolley line providing passenger and freight service to many York County, Maine towns. The ASL was the second longest trolley line in Maine, encompassing over 87 miles of track.
From the Town House Square carbarn in Kennebunkport (the site currently across the street from the Kennebunkport Historical Society), ASL trolley service connected Cape Porpoise, Kennebunkport, Biddeford, Kennebunk, Alfred, Sanford, Springvale, Wells, Ogunquit, York, York Beach, Kittery, Eliot and South Berwick, Maine. The line also connected with Dover, NH through South Berwick and with Portsmouth, NH via ferry service from Kittery (the ASL ferry “Kittery” was built in Kennebunkport in 1900).
Electric freight service continued until June 1949.
Four miles of the ASL right of way between Town House Square and Biddeford off of Log Cabin Road in Kennebunkport has been preserved by the Seashore Trolley Museum. The Museum has developed its demonstration railway upon two miles of the old right of way. The Museum has also completed the restoration of electric locomotive ASL #100, the only remaining original piece of rolling stock from the Atlantic Shore Line Railway system.
Links Rail Maine
Boothbay Railway Village - Boothbay
Brooks Preservation Society (Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railway) - Unity
Cole Land Transportation Museum - Bangor
Downeast Rail Heritage Preservation Trust (Downeast Scenic Railroad)
Maine Eastern Railroad - Rockland, Wiscassett, Bath, and Brunswick
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum - Portland
Oakfield Railroad Museum - Oakfield
Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad - Phillips
Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum - Alna
Famous Maine Trolley Tours
If you see a Trolley, catch it. Some tours you need to schedule a reservation, but its worth it. Here a some examples of Trolley Tours in Maine, (without the tracks).
Portland Discovery Land and Tours
Portland Discovery Land and Sea Tours in Portland will let you enjoy a 90-minute fully narrated tour as our informative guides treat you to Portland’s diverse history and architecture. The childhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Victoria Mansion, and the bustling Old Port are just a few of the landmarks you’ll see as you travel from city streets to rocky coast. The tour includes a stop for photos at Portland Head Light, Maine’s oldest lighthouse.
The tour also combos with a boat/cruise tour the same day! Take the Lighthouse Lover’s Cruise on Casco Bay. Simply choose the cruise that works best with your trolley tour, for a fabulous Land & Sea adventure! For example, many visitors take the city tour from 9:30-11:00 a.m., then enjoy lunch & shopping in the Old Port before boarding the 1:30 harbor cruise.
More Info On Portland Land and Sea Tours Here
Oli’s Trolley in Acadia
Enjoy a one hour fully narrated tour on Oli’s red and green trolley that includes Bar Harbor and mansions along the way. We include the history of the area including the exploration and discovery of Mt. Desert Island in 1604 by Samuel de Champlain. We tell you about the great forest fire of 1947.
This tour includes Paradise Hill and the panaoramic views of Frenchman Bay. We include a 15 minute stop at the summit of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the east coast. Bring your jacket or sweater as mountain and seabreezes tend to be cool.Long Tour
Enjoy a 2½ hour fully narrated tour of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. You will pass the mansions of a bygone era and learn the history of Mount Desert Island, Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park including the great forest fire of 1947. Sit back, relax and enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the most beautiful island in America.We give you a running commentary on the area including the beautiful homes, famous names, geology, ocean, plant and animal life.
Oli’s Trolley visits the most interesting places in the park including Cadillac Mountain, Sieur de Mounts Spring and Thunderhole on Ocean Drive. The tour is offered in a manner that is individualized and customized so that it is very complete and comprehensive and is the best tour in the area.
More info on Oli’s Trolley’s here
