Lowell Trolley
One of the park trolleys outside the Boott Cotton Mill
Overview
LocaleLowell, Massachusetts
Stations3 [1]
Service
TypeLight rail
Services1
Operator(s)National Park Service
History
Opened1984 [2]
Technical
Track length1.2 miles
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification600 V DC overhead catenary
Route map
Lowell Trolley
Boott Mills
Suffolk Mill
Visitor Center

The National Streetcar Museum is a streetcar museum and heritage railway located in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is owned by the New England Electric Railway Historical Society, which also operates the Seashore Trolley Museum,[1] and is operated as part of the National Park Service's Lowell National Historical Park.

History

Lowell, like many other cities in the country, formerly possessed an expansive network of trolleys, which served as the primary method of transit throughout the city. Trolley service in Lowell ended in 1935,[3] and the last of the trolley trackage was removed during World War II.[3]

In 1978, Lowell National Historical Park was established in order to preserve the image of the Industrial Revolution in Lowell. In 1984, the Park acquired one closed and two open trolleys,[2] the former of which seats 48 passengers and the latter two of which seat up to 90 passengers.[3] Because the original trolley trackage was removed, the trolleys run along the former Boston and Maine Railroad tracks.[3]

Route

Map of the entire Park, with the trolley route visible in the center of the map.

The trolleys run daily from March to November, connecting the park to the downtown area of the city. Three regular stops are made, as well as several irregular stops upon passenger request.

References

  1. 1 2 "U.S. Streetcar Systems- Massachusetts". Railwaypreservation.com. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Lowell National Historic Park". Seashore Trolley Museum. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "The Trolleys". National Park Service. Retrieved May 24, 2021.

42°38′42.5″N 71°18′46.2″W / 42.645139°N 71.312833°W / 42.645139; -71.312833



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