Looking for a new volunteer opportunity to spark joy in your life? Seashore Trolley Museum seeks new recruits from the community who want to learn a unique, new skill and help the Museum provide an awesome experience for guests this season by becoming volunteer trolley Conductors and Operators!
Seashore Trolley Museum's trolleys are the real deal; they operate on an electric railway and are the real trolleys from the late 1800s-early 1900s (and some cities like Boston, El Paso, New Orleans, etc. still operate trolleys and/or light rail vehicles today!). These are different than the tourist trolleys (which are really buses designed to look like our real trolleys for nostalgia) that are out in the summers and are operated by for-profits with paid bus drivers.
Volunteers will learn how to be a Conductor first. During the training classes, new volunteers will be trained by a pair of Seashore Instructors. Topics will include the ins and outs of the information shared with guests about the museum’s history and the robust transit collection, how to safely board guests on the trolleys, how the railroad works and is operated (rules), and the duties of being a Conductor. Additional experience will be gained by working with experienced Conductors. When ready, the students will be qualified as Seashore Conductors who will be able to work in revenue service, paired with a qualified Operator who will operate the car. The next step will be to complete further instruction with a Seashore Instructor on operating the car.
The Museum is holding their next training courses in August. To be eligible, volunteers must become members of the Museum, be 18 years old by the conclusion of the course, and must hold a valid motor vehicle operator’s license from any U.S. state.