Back in the day, summer always meant that my father would bring my brother and me to one of the New England Trolley museums. Back then we’d ride back and forth and Pop would read the Sunday newspaper.
I’d make photos with my Leica.
This year for Father’s Day, I brought Pop to Connecticut’s Shore Line Trolley Museum located near East Haven, Connecticut. We used to know this as the Branford Trolley Museum (it is operated by the Branford Electric Railway Association).
Pat Yough, visiting from Pennsylvania, joined us and we all made photos. Turns out that fathers are admitted free of charge on Father’s Day. So that was a bonus.
Pop used his vintage Rolleiflex, which prompted a comment from the motorman,
“You’re still using film?”
Pop responded, “Sure, and you’re still running a trolley. Today is my ‘retro day’”.
They even had an old IRT Subway car on the move. (Pop said, “these aren’t ‘old’, I remember when they were new!”).
A fascinating post, which led to undertake a little research into the line. It’s remarkable that the route is part of a “real” trolley line, and that was a more or seamless transition, as long ago as 1947, from public operation to becoming a museum line.
It’s also intriguing that Connecticut’s other trolley museum, at East Windsor, also operates on an original trolley right of way, in this case that of the Hartford and Springfield Street Railway, although in this case, the original company went out of business in 1926, with the museum operation being established in 1940.
Excellent series, brings back memories. Used to frequent it. Love the juxtaposition of the B&W hangers for standees with the impact of the angle and color of the color “357.”