The Birth of Seashore Trolley Museum - An Interview with the Founder

The Birth of Seashore Trolley Museum - An Interview with the Founder

Theodore Santarelli de Brasch

Interview conducted by Edward Dooks

October 10, 1987

“This is the way we started, with one car, with no great thought that we were going to have more cars or that we would develop into a museum of this size."
 Ted Santarelli, October 10, 1987

This is an interview with Theodore F. Santarelli de Brasch, which was recorded on videotape on October 10, 1987.  The interview is on a VHS videocassette and was digitized recently.

I had not met Ted Santarelli before October 10, 1987.  I was at the museum with the camera equipment recording stock scenes in the Restoration Barn when I was introduced to him.  I mentioned to Ted that I would like to put him on videotape explaining the origins of the museum.  We talked about doing it sometime in the future, but later that day agreed to do it that afternoon.

Looking for an appropriate place to do it, we had gone over to Highwood Barn with the idea of using car #38 as a background.  We were sitting on the steps of car #31, hoping to move #38 out into the sunlight. We were talking about the beginnings of the museum and how the story of the origin of the museum now varied with the teller.  He was disturbed by some of the stories but understood that this misinformation was the result of the true facts never properly being documented.  He regretted the fact that documentation was not done but with all else that had to be accomplished over the years, documentation of how things were done was an impossible task.

As we spoke, the point was duly emphasized when one of our guides was explaining to visitors how a group from Connecticut had purchased #38 and how the museum negotiated with them to bring it to Seashore.  Ted, with an irritation in his voice, whispered to me that he wished our members could get the story correct.

October 10th was Members Day, and getting #38 out was going to take too long, so the interview was taped outside the south side of the Restoration Barn with car #4387 in the background.  During the interview, Ted explained how the museum came to own car #38.

Edward Dooks, March 8, 1988
Text edited September 14, 2015

July 15, 1939 - Biddeford and Saco Railroad open car No. 31 heading to its new home in Kennebunkport. As described by Ted Santarelli in his interview above, Car 31 was connected to a tow truck which was connected to a second truck. The second truck was attached to the front of the wrecker to keep the front wheels of the tow truck on the road. The weight of the streetcar made the front wheels lift off the ground. Image courtesy of Seashore Trolley Museum

Click Here for the post - 80th Anniversary Year - Seashore Trolley Museum 1939-2019
Click Here for the post - The Week Car 31 traveled Home in 1999 to revisit the B&SRR

Click Here for the post - 80th Anniversary Year -A Look Back at the 50s -Seashore Trolley Museum
Click Here for the post - 80th Anniversary Year - A Look Back at the 60s  -Seashore Trolley Museum
Click Here for the post - 80th Anniversary Year -A Look Back at the '70s -Seashore Trolley Museum
Click Here for the 1901 Tower C Boston Elevated Railway to STM 1975 post

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We continue the restoration work on the 1912, Narcissus, the only surviving high-speed, luxury interurban coach of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban. 

Click Here: Narcissus Restoration-Related Posts

Being more than a century old, the stately, "Elegant Ride," Narcissus, is a gem.  This shimmering precious stone of Maine transportation history is brilliantly resplendent as it emanates so many elements of history, including; time, places, people, and events, that it was coupled to, that when just a smattering of its seemingly innumerable stories are shared, the contents captivates, fascinates, then generates, interest to learn more 🙋. The majestic Narcissus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Please consider joining the epic journey to complete the Narcissus Project by making a donation today!

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The restoration of this majestic icon of Maine's electric railway history is but one in a series of captivating stories containing an abundance of incredible coalition of narratives.

Click Here: History-Related Posts - Narcissus and Portland-Lewiston Interurban

     The Narcissus is featured in the national Gold Award-winning novel, Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride. The "Elegant Ride" is the Narcissus. Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914, between Lewiston and Portland, Maine, while campaigning for the Progressive Party candidates.

Click Here: Bookstores and Businesses promoting the Narcissus Project

Independent book publisher, Phil Morse, holding

the Gold Book Award Winner plaque for

 the Middle Reader category for The Eric

Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to

award-winning Maine author,

Jean M. Flahive