Pennsylvania Trolley Museum Picks Up Where History Left Off This weekend, the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum will debut a new exhibit centered on the PBS KIDS series Jim Henson's Dinosaur Train". The interactive display will include characters from the show, rides on a restored antique trolley, children's games, and special guests from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History who will share fun facts and an exhibit featuring fossils, dinosaurs, reptiles and more. As Executive Director Scott Becker gets ready for the Dinosaur Train to roll into town, he is excited about not only what's ahead for the Museum, but all of the history behind it as well. "The museum has really been on a roll for the last several years, and we've grown dramatically. But our main attraction and our mission remains the same: telling the story of Pennsylvania's Trolley Era." According to Becker, the history of trolleys is inexorably linked to the history of American growth and greater prosperity. "We've had trolleys operating in Western Pennsylvania since 1890. which was really the dawn of the electric age, says Becker."At that time, when people would see a trolley coming down the street and they'd see the sparks from the electric wire connected to each trolley overhead, for most of them, that was the first time they'd ever seen electricity outside of a lightning storm. Trolleys revolutionized living patterns, how suburbs were built around cities Canonsburg was a trolley suburb. People would take the trolley to work, to go to school, to go shopping. Many people's lives revolved around access to the streetcar and today, it's a great story about America in the 20th century: how the country grew,how cities grew, and how communities that the oil and gas industry shares with trolleys. were linked together by the inter-urban trolli Trolleys on display at the PA Trolley Museum Office in Washington so they really are our bors Range's Mike Mackin points to the history This year, Range is celebrating 25 years of operations in Pennsylvania, but the oil and gas Becker has been with the Museum since 1993. But his love for trolleys began long before that." grew up next to the New Haven railroad in Connecticut, and those were electric trains. I started volunteering with a trolley museum near there when I was 15 years old, and I've been at it ever since, over 45 years now!" industry has been here much longer than that. In fact, the very first oil well in the country was drilled just outside of Titusville, Pennsylvania 1859.As that industry grew, manufacturing followed, and trolleys were helping to transport At the PA Trolley Museum, visitors can climb aboard restored trollies and take a ride on what Becker describes as the old inter-urban proud to partner with the Trolley Museum and line that ran from Pittsburgh to Washington."It was originally built in to share such an important aspect of American 1903, the same year the Wright Brothers flew the first airplane.And histor)y it was in service until August of 1953." While the museum has had to replace and restore some of the tracks and wire over time, there are around the world."We've had visitors from still some parts of the line that are original."And we actually have the last trolley that ran the line in 1953 here at the museum as well. workers to the jobs that built this country.Were Taking a ride on a restored trolley at the PA Trolley Museum want to be part of preserving this history Along with the new Dinosaur Train Exhibit that will open on Saturday, September 22. the Museum recently debuted a new Trolley Operator Simulator, and in October, the annual Pumpkin Patch Trolley exhibit will once again hit the tracks in Washington County. And that history is shared with visitors from Japan, Germany Australia, England," says Becker. Our volunteers come from quite a distance too. Range Resources is a long-time supporter of the PA Troll Museum. Over the last ten years, the company has donated close to who help us run every aspect of the Museu $175,000. Becker says that support has been key to the Museum's continued operations and growth. "We are blessed to have the support from Boston, Massachusetts; from upstate New 724) 228-9675 or visit www.patrolley.o that we get. It's huge.And Range Resources is really a great example York:Atlanta, Georgia; Cleveland: Philadelphia. of a company that has stepped up and helped us in a lot of ways. They Last year they donated over 30,000 hours to the have been great neighbors for us here in Washington County, and in Mum. These are people who just love what fact, our property is literally right next to Ranges Independence Field ere doing here at the Trolley Museum, and they We have a base of approximately 150 volunteers Some are local, but others come from places like For more information on times and tickets: Sponsored content brought Range Resources