SHELBURNE FALLS — Outgrowing the Car Barn built in 2016, the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum is expanding so that it can store more trolleys in its facilities.

The expansion will increase its already existing 40 by 60-foot Car Barn by 43 feet. The project is scheduled to be completed by next month.

“Every time I walk into the existing barn, I wish we had more room. When this is finished in the spring, we will have space for more trolleys as well as a more organized shop space for our restoration activities,” said Josh Redenz, a restoration manager at the museum. 

Funding for the $150,000 addition came in part from a $50,000 grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Cultural Facilities Fund. Additional funds totaling about $100,000 came from individual donors, bequests, and grants from Amherst Railway Society and Massachusetts Railway Enthusiasts.

“This means more safe indoor storage for our expanding fleet of trolley cars,” said Sam Bartlett, the museum’s president.

The project also includes installing a new water main to be compatible with a fire-suppression system that can be added in the future.

The expansion coincides with the addition of two new cars to the collection. The museum recently acquired a Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), predecessor of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) line car No. 3283 that was used for overhead wire repairs beginning in 1950. They also plan to bring in the new “Berkshire Hills” parlor car to the museum shortly.

“This extension will provide us with space to do much-needed work on both of these cars, and we want to keep them protected from the elements,” said Bartlett.

The “Berkshire Hills” is a parlor trolley car from the Berkshire Street Railway, which operated in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut but was based in Berkshire County. The car, built in 1903, was retired in 1923.

Parlor cars were rare in their time, and very few remain. The “Berkshire Hills” was beautifully appointed inside and out, with large windows, wicker chairs, carved interior embellishments, and carpeted floors. Passengers could ride the “Berkshire Hills” from Bennington, Vermont, to Great Barrington for double the price of a ride on a regular trolley car.

The “Berkshire Hills” was sold in 1932 and converted to a diner, which operated for many years and was first known as the "Berkshire Hills Diner." In the early 1990s, a fire badly burned the interior, and after that, it was donated to Seashore Trolley Museum, which agreed to donate it to the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum. 

The museum plans a long-term restoration of the "Berkshire Hills,” car. Visitors will be able to view the car, the damage from the fire, and the work in progress as the volunteer restoration team works on the vehicle.

These two additions, Bartlett explained, represent two ends of the trolley industry from maintenance vehicles to the high-end luxury rides.

“It is going to be a long time before the Berkshire Hills carry passengers; it needs a lot of work,” Bartlett said.

The museum is closed for the winter and will reopen on Memorial Day weekend. Guests can ride on Shelburne Falls and Colrain Street Railway No. 10, which used to run over the bridge now known as the Bridge of Flowers. The museum actively seeks volunteers to help with the restoration and operation of its trolley collection. Donations for the Line Car, "Berkshire Hills" or the Car Barn are welcome at www.sftm.org.

Staff Writer Bella Levavi can be reached at blevavi@recorder.com.