Museum History

The Shore Line Trolley Museum, its collection of street railway vehicles, and the existing mile and a half long segment of the Branford Electric Railway are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Branford Electric Railway Historic District. The district was nominated to the Register in 1983. A copy of the completed nomination is available for download here (.pdf). Learn more about museum history below.

The Shore Line Trolley Museum has been an important part of the community since its incorporation in 1945 as the Branford Electric Railway Association. It was founded to preserve the unique heritage of an endangered species — the trolley car — and today boasts a collection of nearly 100 vintage vehicles as well as artifacts and documents from the trolley era.

The historic trolley collection has always been the focus of any visit to the Museum. In the early days, former Connecticut Company car 1339 was painted in a special BRANFORD ELECTRIC RAILWAY paint scheme of dark green with gold trim and shuttled visitors from the end of the track in East Haven to the yard area at Farm River Road. Eventually, cars painted in authentic paint schemes were restored to operation and replaced the venerable 1339.

The Museum continues to operate predominantly through the dedication and support of its over 1,000 member/volunteers. A visit to the Museum is a multi-sensory voyage into the past, from the moanful growl of the motors, to the smell of the electric arc, to the feel of rattan seats and varnished hardwood detailing. The Shore Line Trolley Museum operates the Branford Electric Railway, which together with the collection of cars is a nationally-recognized Historic District. The railway is the oldest continuously operating suburban trolley line in the United States.