Clang, clang went the Trolley, Ding ding went the bell

 Horse Car #87 Portland, Maine c1885 - click to enlarge
Photo: Seashore Trolley Museum via www.mainememory.net

  Over the years trolleys have transported a lot of people, still do in some cities.  Here in Maine Portland started by having Horse Cars.  These cars pulled by horses in odd fashion, they were on tracks!  Electric motors soon replaced the horse and then the tracks were needed.

Portland-Lewiston Interurban #14 "Narcissus" in Gray, Maine c1930 - click to enlarge
Photo: Seashore Trolley Museum via www.mainememory.net

  Interurban lines ran between cities within about 50 miles of each other, at speeds of up to sixty miles an hour.  This particular line had stops in Falmouth, Cumberland, Gray and New Gloucester and it was very busy.  But with the end of World War Two the automobile became "king of the road", trains and trolleys became almost history.  Can you imagine the fuel savings by switching back?  That would some at great cost to rebuild lines, a recent study indicates an extension of passenger service from Portland to Lewiston would cost 118 million dollars!

York Utilities #88 in Sanford, Maine c1930 - click to enlarge
Photo: Seashore Trolley Museum via www.mainememory.net

  I can remember when my mother would take me to town for whatever reason, it was rare, she would take me on this trolley line from Sanford to Springvale (part of Sanford) for an ice cream soda at Normans Drug Store.  Boy! That was a long time ago.