With all the New Years festivities, I completely forgot yesterday was Friday! So I am posting this week's photo on Saturday. New Years is a time when people look back on the past year and decide if it was good or bad. They make resolutions to help improve their lives in the following year. It is a time for people to fix mistakes and start over on things. To go along with this theme, I have chosen a photo of a historic piece of railroad equipment that recently got a new life.
Here is this week's photo:
Atlantic Shore Line 100 rolled out of the Laconia Car Company shops looking very much like this in 1906. It was shipped to Maine where it and sisters 101 and 102 served the ASL by hauling freight on their southern Maine railroad line. In 1949 the locomotive was sold to the Seashore Trolley Museum, on one of ASL's former railroad lines, where it remained for over 50 years before attention was turned to it again. The museum was awarded a federal grant to restore the locomotive, and with that and many other generous financial donations the museum turned a tired out workhorse into a beautifully preserved piece of history in a mere two and a half years. During the restoration process, the museum also remodeled its visitors center to focus on Maine and New England electric railways, as well as create a new educational program.
The 100 and many other beautifully restored electric trolleys can be seen at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine. The museum is open daily from Memorial Day through Columbus Day, and weekends in May and October. Admission is fairly low and well worth the price. When the weather gets warmer, it's time to go to Maine and enjoy the trolleys!
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