Open car No. 31 of the Biddeford and Saco Railroad Co.
is seen making the curve from Alfred Street, to enter
Elm Street, at Five Points, in Biddeford, ME on June 18, 1939.
The passengers were all riding Car 31 during a fan trip organized
by young men who would become known as the founders of
what is now known as the Seashore Trolley Museum in
Kennebunkport, Maine. It was during this trip that
the decision was made to save Car 31 from being scrapped.
Image from the O R Cummings Collection at
Seashore Trolley Museum
Eighty-five years ago, on July 5, 1939, open car No. 31, of the Biddeford and Saco Railroad, was saved from being scrapped. On July 15, 19139, Car 31 was transported to what is now the main entrance to the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport. This activity was the start of what is now the Seashore Trolley Museum. There will be many special events at the Seashore Trolley Museum during this 85th Anniversary season.
Click Here: The Seashore Trolley Museum's website home page
This blog post is going to focus some attention on Car 31 and the Biddeford and Saco Railroad during the year that Car 31 arrived in the Biddeford-Saco area, 124 years ago today, June 6, 1900.
From September 1900, until July 5, 1939, open trolley car No. 31 carried passengers from Five Points in Biddeford, along the eight miles of track, to the railroad crossing on Old Orchard Street in Old Orchard Beach. Car 31 was one of the many electric railway passenger cars operating for the Biddeford and Saco Railroad Company, carrying the many millions of passengers that utilized the public transportation railway system in the first half of the twentieth century (1,871,154 passengers in 1921).
Car 31 has the unique distinction of being the first trolley car (anywhere in the world) to be saved by a group of individuals to start a trolley museum. Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, ME, was founded in 1939 with the acquisition of Car 31. Car 31 is recognized as the "Mother Car" of all trolley museums worldwide. Car 31 is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is also a member of Save America's Treasures.
Click Here: for the post with the series of links to the posts released in 2024, on the activities the small group conducted as they saved Car 31 back in 1939
Click on the link above for the link for Ted Santarelli telling the story of how Car 31 was saved. Santarelli was one of the young men who saved Car 31 in 1939, and in doing so, became one of the founders of the Seashore Trolley Museum.
1900 was an important year for the Biddeford and Saco Railroad. Below are a series of newspaper clippings tracking the changes through the year.
Biddeford Daily Journal January 29, 1900
Biddeford Daily Journal February 26, 1900
This article mentions various ways the company was investing in improvements in the Biddeford & Saco Railroad during 1900. These improvements were part of a master plan enacted by the new management of the company. The major stock was now controlled by members of the Board that managed the Portland Railroad.
Lewiston evening Sun February 26, 1900
Lewiston Daily Sun February 28, 1900
Lewiston Evening Sun March 12, 1900
This is Biddeford and Saco Railroad open car No. 19 c1900
1892 was the year No. 19 was built and began operating in the
Biddeford, Saco, and Old Orchard Beach area. The new
management of the Biddeford and Saco Railroad was looking
to have larger trolley cars to carry more passengers than each
of the existing cars.
Image from the O R Cummings Collection at
Seashore Trolley Museum 2009_2_15_022
Closed car No. 10 on Main Street c1905. No 10 was operating
for the Biddeford and Saco Railroad beginning in 1899. No. 10
continued in the operating fleet until the end of the trolley service
midway through 1939. No. 10 was also one of the three trolley cars
that the founding members of the Seashore Trolley Museum used
during the June 18, 1939, fan trip.
Image from the O R Cummings Collection at
Seashore Trolley Museum 2009-2_14_098
Four new open cars were ordered, including No. 31.
Kennebec Journal March 14, 1900
The new management of the Biddeford & Saco wasted no time in bringing the line up to the physical standards of the Portland Railroad system. As related in the article, new rails were laid between Saco and Old Orchard Beach, and new modern cars were purchased. Additional equipment was installed in the power station and a 1.86-mile extension was built in Biddeford.
The extension, beginning at the original terminus of the road at King's Corner, continued along Elm Street to Five Points, so-called, and ran over Alfred Street to its intersection with Main Street. There was a turnout on Alfred Street, near Five Points. This loop was inspected by the Railroad Commission in September, and at about the same time double iron was laid on Main Street, Biddeford, from City Square to the corner of Jefferson Street.
Biddeford Daily Journal March 16, 1900
Ibid - Cont. March 16, 1900
Portland Daily Press March 20, 1900
Biddeford Daily March 29, 1900
Lewiston Evening Sun May 7, 1900
Biddeford Daily May 11, 1900
Lewiston Evening Journal May 17, 1900
Portland Daily Press May 24, 1900
Car 31 arrives in Maine with three other open cars on June 6, 1900
Biddeford Daily June 7, 1900
One of the employees at the Biddeford and Saco Railroad (B&SRR) in 1900, Charles "Bob" Leavitt, worked as a motormen and conductor beginning in 1896. He was one of the several employees who operated Car 31 right from when it first began operating for the public. Several years later, Foster Leavitt, Sr. and his brother, Edward "Eddie" Leavitt, like their father, Charles "Bob" Leavitt, also were motormen and conductors for the B&SRR. "Bob" retired after working 36 years for the B&SRR. Forster, Sr. and his brother, Eddie, continued working for the B&SRR, even operating buses after trolley service ended in 1939. Both brothers became members at the Seashore Trolley Museum (STM) in Kennebunkport, Maine. They both operated Car 31 at the Museum during the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. Eddie worked with STM historian, O. R. Cummings, and together they published a book on the history of the Biddeford & Saco Railroad in 1988.
Charles "Bob" Leavitt at the Saco carbarn 1921.
Mr. Leavitt worked as a motorman at the
Biddeford and Saco Railroad for 39 years,
beginning in 1896. Seashore's Car 31 arrived
in Saco in June 1900 and Mr. Leavitt was one
of the motormen operating Car 31 from day 1.
Foster Leavitt, Sr. (left) is the motorman. His brother,
Edward "Eddie" (right) was the conductor of Car 31 in 1938.
Like their father, Charles"Bob" Leavitt, both brothers
worked for the Biddeford and Saco Railroad for many years.
Eddie Leavitt (left) was the conductor
and his brother, Foster Leavitt, Sr. (right) was the motorman
on Car 31 at Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport
in 1977. Both operated cars at the Museum throughout
the 1960s, 1970s, and into the 1980s.
June 23, 1999 - In 1999, as one of the activities to celebrate
the 60th anniversary of the SeashoreTrolley Museum and
the saving of Car 31, I organized a "Home Tour" for Car 31.
Car 31 returned to Saco, Biddeford, and Old Orchard Beach.
I did not know Mike Leavitt at the time, however, he, his wife,
and their two daughters attended the Saco celebration. Here they
are on Car 31 with Mike's grandfather, Foster, Sr's, motorman hat
on the bumper, that he wore while working for the B&SRR.
Mike's wife and daughters with Mike on
Car 31 on August 12, 2023, reenacting
their Car 31 photoshoot from 1999.
I just happened to take this photo of Mike's daughters
gifting their great grandfather's B&SRR motorman hat to
the Dyer Library with Car 31 in the background on June 23, 1999
Mike and his whole family are on Car 31. They represent
six generations connected with Car 31 over 123 years!
August 12, 2023
Elm Street to Five Point Extension completed
Biddeford Daily Journal September 5, 1900
Evening Express October 11, 1900
Portland Railroad seeks to extend service from South Portland, through Scarborough to Main Street Saco.
Portland Daily December 4, 1900
Biddeford Daily Journal December 20, 1900
With the extension completed, the terminus at King's Corner was replaced by a new terminus at Main and Alfred Streets. Cars would operate up Alfred Street to Five Points, down Elm Street to Main Street, then through to Main Street in Saco and onto Laurel Hill Cemetary or onto Old Orchard Beach via Old Orchard Road to Halfway, then Saco Avenue, to Union Avenue, Washington Avenue, and back to Saco Avenue, next, turn down Old Orchard Street to the end of the line before the railroad crossing.
Service at the time was half-hourly in the fall, winter, and spring to Old Orchard Beach with fifteen-minute local service in Biddeford and Saco. Five cars were in operation with three running to OOB and two providing local service in Biddeford and Saco. Factory and shop extras were operated year-round.
The old wooden Biddeford-Saco bridge was replaced with a steel span in 1900 and 1901, with the Biddeford & Saco Railroad contributing its share of the cost.
As of June 30, 1902, the Biddeford & Saco operated 7.611 route miles and .535 mil of sidings and turnouts for a total of 8.146 track miles.
Click Here: Short History of the Biddeford and Saco Railroad Company
Car 31 at Seashore Trolley Museum c 2019
Image courtesy of Dan Vardaro
We continue the
restoration work on the 1912
Narcissus, the only surviving high-speed, luxury interurban coach of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban.
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!
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
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