Thursday Doors – Trolley Doors

Posted on June 1, 2017 by

Red, arched and on a train! Trifecta!

This is one of those weeks when I have a nice crop of doors, but I don’t have a story to tell. Well, I do, but I told it for National Train Day. You may have noticed that I didn’t include many pictures of trolley doors last month. I was planning to feature them in a rare, extremely short Thursday Doors post. However, some very bad news this weekend allows me to share a bit of Thursday Doors humor, in Part-2. First, let’s talk about these doors.

The Connecticut Trolley Museum is the oldest operating museum dedicated to preserving equipment and recreating the experience of an urban electric railroad. Click the link(s) to learn more about the museum. Enter the gallery to see some doors. Next to the trolley itself, the trolley door is the coolest part of the ride. As far back as I can remember, trolley doors were automatic – front and back!

The Frog is the part that keps the trolley pole connected to the overhead wire.

For the unfamiliar, Thursday Doors is a weekly blogfest for door enthusiasts, coordinated by Senior Motorman, Norm Frampton. If you want to participate, all you need is a door. Raise your trolley pole, connect your frog to the catenary wires and set the switches for Norm’s trolley park. Once there, check out Norm’s doors. Then look for the blue frog (the other kind of frog). Click that tadpole and he’ll punch your transfer to the world of doors.

Part-2

As you may know, American southern rock pioneer Gregg Allman died over the weekend. The Allman Brothers Band has been a favorite of mine since I was in high school. They are the band I saw in concert more often than any other (four times).

My very favorite Allman Brothers song is “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” but it barely edges out a lot of other favorites. Lately, one song makes me think about Thursday Doors. And, since I’m unlikely to ever find myself in a situation where I can legitimately use it as the backdrop for one of Norm’s posts, I thought I’d take this opportunity to share the crazy thought I have, every time I hear this song.

“One Way Out” is a song about a man, trapped in an upstairs bedroom with a woman who is not his wife. Gregg Allman sets up the ending with the following lyrics:

“Ain’t no way in the world, I’m going out that front door
‘Cause there’s a man down there, might be your old man I don’t know”

I can’t help but picture the woman rolling over and saying:

“No, that’s just some guy taking pictures for Thursday Doors.”

I’ve added captions to the gallery photos where helpful. Click on any one of them to start a slide show. Below the gallery, if you have a few minutes, you can enjoy my favorite version of “One Way Out.”

Interesting as it’s not a folding door/
I’m guessing this is for baggage or cargo.
This elegant interior would have created some privacy for the motorman.
Very important door. It is an electric railway.
I know, it’s a mess. But look at all the doors!
Very important doors (restrooms)
It takes a lot of support to keep things running
I don’t know if they still serve it, but we had a very nice breakfast here when our daughter was little.
Yes, “rust!” but it’s a door and it’s a crane, and I love it.
One of the current cars in the rolling stock collection.
Doors to the trolley barn. Our car has been removed and is ready for our ride.
“Don’t touch that!” This car is for service of the overhead electrical system.
Ready to roll. All aboard!
In the museum. I love the colors.
Those are some serious doors!
The connection to the overhead wires.
I wish we still cared about the way public transportation looked.
Antique ticket boot inside the main entrance to the museum.
I don’t think they are functional, but they are beautiful.
Door into the museum.
This is an open car, but I guess these doors are for storage.
These may have been manually operated

About Dan Antion

Husband, father, woodworker, cyclist, photographer, geek - oh wait, I’m writing this like I only have 140 characters. I am all those things, and more, and all of these passions present me with opportunities to observe, and think about things that I can’t write about in other places. I have started this blog to catch the stuff that falls out, overflows and just plain doesn’t fit the other containers in my life.
This entry was posted in Attractions, Connecticut, History, Thursday Doors, Uncategorized and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

83 Responses to Thursday Doors – Trolley Doors

  1. Peter Nena says:
    June 1, 2017 at 5:23 am

    Those green doors are certainly beautiful.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Jean Reinhardt says:
    June 1, 2017 at 6:10 am

    You must have spent a long time at that museum, Dan. I love old carriages and would have been kicked out at closing time if I was there. Beautiful photographs and a nice music video at the end. Thanks, Dan.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Dan Antion says:
      June 1, 2017 at 6:29 am

      Thanks Jean. It’s not a very big museum but they have grown since we started going and they have some nice stock. They also host the CT Fire Engine Museum on their property. I’ll share that at some point.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  3. dweezer19 says:
    June 1, 2017 at 6:30 am

    Great doors Dan. I love, love the second shot. The perspective, fade, is all perfect. So sad about Greg Allman. They were at their early peak when I was in high school. Ageing finds us losing some of our most iconic celebrities and dearest friends…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. dweezer19 says:
    June 1, 2017 at 6:31 am

    Midnight Rider is one of my own favorites.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. GP Cox says:
    June 1, 2017 at 6:39 am

    You harvested in a great crop of doors, Dan!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Mike Powell says:
    June 1, 2017 at 6:39 am

    The doors are wonderful–I was especially attracted to the image of the rusted train car. You probably didn’t intend it, but your opening sentence made me chuckle with you use of the term “crop of doors.” Somehow the juxtaposition of those words seemed amusing to me. Who knew that the collective noun for multiple doors was a “crop?”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Dan Antion says:
      June 1, 2017 at 12:11 pm

      Ha ha – I’m glad you liked that Mike. I am drawn to that rusty door. I see so much potential behind the rust. I’m not sure what a group of doors should be called, but I’m glad ‘crop’ made you smile.

      Like

      Reply
  7. Judy @ NewEnglandGardenAndThread says:
    June 1, 2017 at 6:49 am

    Nice doors. I really like the arched one. And, I especially enjoyed the chuckle about who was at the front door. :-)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. Maggie Wilson says:
    June 1, 2017 at 7:13 am

    Love it when there’s an intersection of favourite things – red, arched, trolley doors for example. :)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. Liu Min says:
    June 1, 2017 at 7:24 am

    What a door collection! Thanks for sharing!:)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. Joanne Sisco says:
    June 1, 2017 at 8:05 am

    I can’t help but smile as I’m reading this post because I can practically hear the energy and excitement in your voice when you talk about trains … and I laughed out loud at your revised lyrics to One Way Out :D

    I’m picking the door with the lightning bolt as my favourite, although the barn doors with the triangular top runs a pretty close second! It’s the sequence of all the doors opened and lined up that appeals to me :)

    Happy Door Day, Dan. oooo – an unintentional alliteration!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Dan Antion says:
      June 1, 2017 at 12:18 pm

      Thanks Joanne. I think the lyrics could have happened. I mean, Thursday Doors is pretty popular. The triangle topped doors are amazing. It’s hard to capture the scale, unless you look at the lawn tractor I was trying not to include. I was trying to get a better shot of the alignment, but there is a ‘no trespassing’ sign near where I wanted to stand.

      Like

      Reply
  11. Dymoon says:
    June 1, 2017 at 8:30 am

    what a beautiful collection.. loved this post.. xxxo

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  12. loisajay says:
    June 1, 2017 at 8:43 am

    The doors are great but your choice of music is excellent!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. marianallen says:
    June 1, 2017 at 8:50 am

    Great collection! Even *I* love that rusty crane. And the red arched door. And the non-functional green ones. And the ones with the chain on. –So many good ones today!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Dan Antion says:
      June 1, 2017 at 12:21 pm

      Thanks Marian. That comment sounds like the dialog in my head when I was trying to cut back on the number of photos in the gallery. I do like the lightning bolt. If that doesn’t say “warning” I don’t know what does.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  14. ianbcross says:
    June 1, 2017 at 9:20 am

    Wonderful wide selection of portals, Dan.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  15. Pistachios says:
    June 1, 2017 at 9:29 am

    Hahaha I like the “very important” doors you included – can’t deny they’re important! – but the actual trolley doors are the real standout (although the padlock on the “high voltage” door is a nice touch). A marvellous collection of photos this week :)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Dan Antion says:
      June 1, 2017 at 12:23 pm

      Thanks! I wanted to give a little thanks to the donors that help support the museum. It seems a little sad that you give money and they build a bathroom, but, you do need that if you’re going to run the place. The trolley doors are so cool.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  16. John W. Howell says:
    June 1, 2017 at 10:02 am

    Great selection of trolly and museum doors, Dan. I thought your story of Thursday Doors and Greg Allman was right on. It would be you out there.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  17. joey says:
    June 1, 2017 at 12:04 pm

    Wow, that’s QUITE a fantastic collection! Rusty crane is tops!!! Also very fond of red wooden door to electrical, underseat storage, and the green wooden ‘not functional but beautiful’ set. You must have been euphoric with all the trains and doors :D

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Dan Antion says:
      June 1, 2017 at 12:27 pm

      Thanks – I do like that place. It’s good to know you liked the rusty crane door. I just want to go and play on that crane. It’s really fun to walk around and see all the stuff they’ve restored and the potential pieces in the yard.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  18. Retirementallychallenged.com says:
    June 1, 2017 at 12:11 pm

    Truly fabulous doors this week! I’ll never be able to listen to One Way Out again without thinking of you and your camera :)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  19. Audrey Dawn - Oldest Daughter Redheaded Sister says:
    June 1, 2017 at 2:40 pm

    So much history in these photos, Dan. I liked the rusty crane, too. And the green and cream trolly.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  20. jesh stg says:
    June 1, 2017 at 3:20 pm

    Love that rusted brown trolley(?) on the left! Admit, I had to go through your story a few times, before I caught the joke about Thurs. Doors. I would in my job call this a Freudian slip (just teasing!).
    (was retired for 3 years, but am saying “my job” because I have found myself working, unexpectedly)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  21. notetotraveler says:
    June 1, 2017 at 3:30 pm

    Nice photos of the Trolley Museum, Dan. Brings back memories for me – many moons ago I lived just down the street from the museum and passed by it nearly every day. My favorite is the rusty one.
    So sad about Gregg Allman. Midnight Rider was my favorite song from the Allman Brothers.
    Donna

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  22. Norm 2.0 says:
    June 1, 2017 at 4:42 pm

    I don’t know how you did it Dan, but I think Thursday Doors will now and forever be associated with adultery…and the Allman Brothers ;-)
    You put together a wonderful collection and I love the captions too – especially the rusty crane :-D

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  23. John Holton says:
    June 1, 2017 at 4:46 pm

    Great doors here, and “One Way Out” is probably my favorite Allman Brothers Band song.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  24. mltrautz@yahoo.com says:
    June 1, 2017 at 5:21 pm

    #1 bathroom doors are always the first to find. #2 I now have music to look up tomorrow when I do my music thing (though my human will be home so it might not happen) #3 Oh, I just am dying as I imagine you going in to take pictures of the guy from the song. Awkward😂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Dan Antion says:
      June 1, 2017 at 5:33 pm

      In reverse order, you never know what’s going on behind the doors we photograph. #2 – The Allman Brothers is worth researching, and #1, you’re right. I included them because of the importance of fundraising, but yes, you do have to find them right away.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  25. Candy says:
    June 1, 2017 at 8:10 pm

    love this collection – and thanks for that spot of humor too

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  26. bikerchick57 says:
    June 1, 2017 at 8:26 pm

    Nice selection of doors, Dan, but I’m laughing that you used the rusty crane again. I wonder what the editor would say if it all of a sudden was sitting in the backyard?

    Midnight Rider was my favorite Allman Brothers song by a mile.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Dan Antion says:
      June 1, 2017 at 8:36 pm

      Ha ha – I was wondering what you would say about that crane, Mary. I don’t think it stands a snowball’s chance of ever moving here. It may not even be high on the museum’s list of projects. Midnight Rider seems to be the crowd favorite. It’s a good song, for sure, and I think Gregg put everything he had into that song.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  27. Aunt Beulah says:
    June 1, 2017 at 10:14 pm

    I know that song and listen to it when I heard Gregg Allman had died. And Dan, the line you mention did not make me think of Thursday doors, but I laughed aloud when you did.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  28. reocochran says:
    June 1, 2017 at 11:42 pm

    The (trolley or train) open car with high wooden seats was beautiful, like a private booth. I loved the electric “flash” on one door. The yellow, red, green and other doors were fantastic, Dan. As usual, a “sight for sore eyes.” Or a “feast!” :)
    My brother Randy and I finished our Friday evening after a delicious BBQ dinner, playing Rummy with Micah, then after he fell asleep, I had one wine cooler and Randy had a few brews. We listened first to DVDs which included the band, “America” and then, “Band on the Run.” I told my brother that Paul McCartney will play a pirate in the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. We shuffled through his other DVDs and listened to “Live at the Fillmore.” I honestly hadn’t heard some of the songs or if I had, not listened very well. We didn’t find out till the next day on the way to the beach (after stopping by to see Mom) that Gregg A. had died, far too young. We looked up that night about when Duane (much too soon!) died. We both remembered what was going on in our lives in ’72. We drank a shot of good whiskey in their honor and then a few of our own usual beverages.
    Randy had seen the Allman Brothers after Duane passed away. Probably in Cleveland or while in college at OSU. Great “A side” on this post, no “B side!”
    The member of “America” had also died too young. We saw this band at the Delaware County Fair, apparently not too long after he died. . . (Shoot! Not sure of his name. Blame the drinking.) I love and wish to have someone to listen to, “I need you, like the flower needs the rain, I’ll say it once again, I need you.”

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • Dan Antion says:
      June 2, 2017 at 6:59 am

      The first time I saw the Allman Brothers was after Duane had died. I recognize their songs, almost instantly when I hear them. You’re right, too soon. I remember when America released their first Album. It’s amazing how we can hear a song and remember where we were at the time we first heard it, or during a special time when we heard it. I’m sure a great many people raised a glass to The Allman Brothers last weekend. I know I did. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Robin.

      Like

      Reply
  29. reocochran says:
    June 1, 2017 at 11:51 pm

    Dan Peek died in 2011 at age 60 from the band, “America.”
    I liked the way the Allman Brothers jammed and could make the sound so bluesy and moody, through instruments, as well as their emotional vocal renditions of other bands’ songs.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  30. Manja Mexi Movie says:
    June 2, 2017 at 5:57 am

    Many great doors and excellent soundtrack. The messier a photo, the better. And the “just some guy” joke is worth remembering for when occasion arises. :D

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  31. D. Wallace Peach says:
    June 2, 2017 at 10:49 am

    I didn’t even know CT had a Trolley Museum. Amazing that I lived there for so long and never visited. It looks like a lot of fun and some great doors. Made me smile :-)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  32. Glynis Jolly says:
    June 2, 2017 at 11:02 am

    Denver has a train museum but I do not think it is even half as grand as what you are showing in this post.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Dan Antion says:
      June 2, 2017 at 12:27 pm

      It probably is. I’m not saying that the photos lie, but the museum is smaller than most train museums that I’ve been to, and this is a much smaller area. Still, I think these guys do a great job with what they have and it’s a fun experience going there for a visit.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  33. Jennie says:
    June 2, 2017 at 5:43 pm

    This is great, Dan. Trains, and the Allman Brothers. Yes!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  35. dennyho says:
    June 3, 2017 at 9:31 am

    I saw a trolley in Asheville last weekend and wanted so badly to take a pic for my post this week-too many tourists hanging on it doing the same so I had to pass. How ironic I am reading your doors this morning…I like the tall, thin, red doors.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  36. misifusa says:
    June 6, 2017 at 11:28 am

    Love the post. Adore the trolley doors! Sad about Allman’s passing too…loved his music!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  37. pathbreakingwriter says:
    June 7, 2017 at 4:29 pm

    Great images of various doors. I don’t find so many doors but whenever I find one I make sure I post it on my website.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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