It has been 75 years since trolleys serviced East Haven and surrounding areas, but the Shore Line Trolley Museum has continued to keep history alive with its exhibits, events, trolley yard, and operating trolleys. Recovering from COVID-19 closures, the Shore Line Trolley Museum is not only looking to grow its volunteer base, but add to its programming, as well.

“As the firsthand memories fade, we need to be able to convey the incredibly significant role the trolley car played in our state history,” said John Proto, executive director of the Shore Line Trolley Museum, which is operated by the Branford Electric Railway Association, Inc. “Our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic relies on volunteers being able to provide our program to visitors, bus tours, schools, and camps. We are embarking on some new and exciting involving STEM education and sensory-friendly programs, as well as virtual programming.”

Proto is now looking forward to the return of the trolley operator training classes as well as the trolley tour guide classes. The last full session of operator classes was held in 2019. In 2020, the pandemic shut down the training after two weeks. Any student who was in the class will be offered free registration this year.

Both training classes offer opportunities for people to get involved and help the Shore Line Trolley Museum’s mission, which is “to preserve and share the social and technological history and continuing impact of urban and suburban public transportation systems by sustaining and operating historic vehicles on the oldest continuously running suburban trolley line in the United States,” according to shorelinetrolley.org.

While Proto now serves as executive director, his initial involvement began with the operator class in 1999. A family illness forced him to take a step back from the class, but he returned to it in 2003. Now for nearly 20 years, Proto has been an active member at the museum.

“The operator training class was the catalyst for me in becoming an active member at the museum. I took the class again in 2003 and the rest is history,” said Proto. “It also led me to volunteering in other areas of the museum, which I think is the most interesting facet of the program.”

Proto noted that many of the museum’s “very active volunteers” got their start through the training program. Now many of those volunteers are also involved in other efforts such as restoration, exhibit planning, groundskeeping, car and physical plant maintenance, grant writing, and administration.

The trolley operator training class is a comprehensive program with four weeks of combined on-site and online instruction. Classes will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, March 5, 12, 19, and 26 at the museum, 17 River St., East Haven, with the final exam on Saturday, April 2.

Students will receive hands-on training on operating the cars and handling all aspects of the railway, plus historical information and public speaking skills. The class concludes with a final exam and a road test before completing training with at least three days of on-the-job training during the regular operating season.

“Then you’ll join our all-volunteer operating staff, who collectively keep the railroad rolling along for the enjoyment of visitors young and old,” said Proto. “Right now, we have 11 students from right in East Haven all the way into Rhode Island and New York. The class can hold right around two dozen students, so we have room for more.”

Those interested in taking the class must be 18 or turning 18 during the 2022 operating season. The training fee is $100, which includes the $45 membership dues for the 2022 season as well as all printed and online training materials, uniform shirt and slacks, engraved name tag, and the brass hat badge engraved with the student’s personal membership number. It also include the materials for the tour guide class.

“This is a pretty intense and very interesting course and new volunteers learn how to operate various trolley cars and get a basic mechanical understanding of how the car operates,” said Proto. “They also learn how to read and interpret our railroad signal system and how to understand and operate track switches. Since the safety of our volunteers and visitors is top priority, there is an emphasis on how to do all of this safely.”

The tour guide classes will be held Saturday, April 23 and Saturday, May 7. While there is no fee for the tour guide class, all participants must be members of the museum, paying dues for 2022. This class is open to those under 18 with parental consent.

“The Trolley Tour Guide program is for those who love interacting with the public, but do not desire the more intense mechanical instruction on trolley operation,” said Proto. “The course is two weeks on-site, learning about the museum and practicing public interaction and one additional online session. After training, you’ll be paired with an experienced volunteer before going solo.”

For information, visit www.shorelinetrolley.org.