Kennebunkport, Maine: Vintage Streetcars are making a comeback in cities across America and the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine is being called upon for professional guidance, advise, and inventory. A few of the requests recently received by the Seashore Trolley Museum include the cities of Tampa FL, Kansas City MO, San Francisco CA, Knoxville TN and Vancouver BC.

In San Francisco vintage trolley service began making a reappearance in 1995. While they are still overshadowed by the more famous cable cars, the newly installed "old" trolley lines are quickly growing in popularity. Embracing vintage trolleys has proven smart public policy for San Francisco. The city recently bought nine streetcars from Milan Italy for about $32,000 each, compared with a cost of more than $2 million for a new streetcar.

Lowell Massachusetts is the latest city to contact the Seashore Trolley Museum. The City of Lowell is exploring a partnership with the National Park Service and the Seashore Trolley Museum. The goal is to connect eleven existing Museums, two Sports Complexes and a proposed Performing Arts Center with a "Back to the Future" historic electric transit system. "We had quite an interesting day in Lowell last week as we were escorted around the city surveying sites that would be serviced by the proposed trolley system," commented Museum President Phil Morse.

Tampa Florida has been working to revive streetcars for several years now and their coordinator recently wrote Phil thanking the Trolley Museum for their "generous support and technical contributions". The Chairman and CEO of the Gulf & Railways Organization in the Midwest recently contacted the Trolley Museum about leasing a car, and possibly restoring a second car for the Railway to purchase. And a group in Vancouver, BC has approached the Museum looking for special vintage double-ended cars. "It is exciting to be recognized as the industry leader in Historic Street Cars and to be approached to consult in the planning, construction and operation of a new electric trolley system," commented Morse.

The Seashore Trolley Museum will be celebrating its 60th Anniversary this summer with season long promotions and events. The Seashore Trolley Museum is the world’s oldest & largest museum of mass transit vehicles and is home to the National Collection of Historic American Streetcars.

For additional information contact the Trolley Museum at 207-967-2800 or visit them at www.trolleymuseum.com.

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The Seashore Trolley Museum has been operated by the New England Electric Railway Historical Society since 1939 as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit educational institution. The Museum will reopen for its 60th season May 1, 1999.

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