Trolley Museum in East Haven Undergoing Elevation Project to Avoid Future Storm Damage

The Shore Line Trolley Museum in East Haven is recovering after being hit by both Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy, WFSB reports.

The museum houses nearly 100 vintage vehicles along with artifacts and documents from the trolley era. The museum also operates the Branford Electric Railway, a mile and a half long active trolley line that passes through Branford and East Haven.

The Branford Electric Railway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the oldest continuously operating suburban trolley line in the United States.

According to WFSB, only three trolleys were spared of damage after the storms hit. The storms also washed away the foundation below the tracks.

The museum is now working on elevating the trolley collection to steer clear of damage from future storms, the news channel reports.

The Elevating the Collection Challenge Match, where an anonymous donor matched all new contributions up to $30,000 was an immense success in raising funds for the elevation project. A total of $47,500 was raised as part of the challenge combined with the additional $30,000 surpassing 95 percent of the total $2 million needed to fund the project the museum announced on its website.

According to WFSB, the project is 75 percent complete and the museum is currently open for business. If you wish to donate to the elevation project click here.

Read more at WFSB.

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