Boy Scouts of America Railroading Merit Badge Program
Boy Scout troops from all over the region come to the Seashore Trolley Museum for a weekend to learn about the parts of a railroad, from jobs and safety to the infrastructure that allows the railroad to run. Normally scout troops earn their Railroading Merit Badge individually and usually with a model railroad. The Museum’s Boy Scouts of America Railroading Merit Badge Program provides an opportunity for an entire troop to earn the badge together on an operating railway.
This program has been developed by Museum member Donna Perkins, who is a Merit Badge Counselor for Troop 275 of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. She has researched the connections between the standard Railroading Merit Badge requirements and the requirements of real railway operations. She has successfully created a program that is both fun and filled with activity that has sparked the interest of many Boy Scouts and their leaders.
- Learn what various freight trains do
- Learn about the various parts of a train
- Get hands-on experience by working side by side with the crew members of our railway
- Learn about the golden era of transportation
- Take a ride on a historical streetcar
- Tour our museum to learn the history of where streetcars came from and how they’re each unique
If you have an interest in participating in this program, please Contact us. We request that you reserve your troop three months in advance. This time allows us to get your troop registered and send you information about your weekend at the Museum.
We are offering the BSA Merit Badge Program on the following weekends:
- May 3-5
- September 13-15
- October 18-20
Please be aware these dates fill up quickly as we limit the program to 40 scouts per weekend to allow for everyone to get hands-on experience.
Download our Railroading Merit Badge Flyer to share with those who may be interested.