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Click here to register! (Deadline is Sunday, March 23)
You’re invited to participate in the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum’s New Operator Training! This hands-on course will teach you how to operate our trolleys and start your journey to qualify as a volunteer museum operator.
As an operator, you’ll have the opportunity to make sure each visitor has an exciting trip back in time to the Trolley Era. You’ll also have the chance to connect with our community of volunteers who share a passion for trolleys, history, and education.
The operator-training process at PTM is long, and, like all endeavors to learn a new skill, can be a bit of a challenge. However, participants also find it to be extremely rewarding and end the course proud of their accomplishments. We’re looking for volunteers who have lots of enthusiasm, aren’t afraid of some hard work, and are ready to put in the time to become an operator!
The two group instruction days for this course will be on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6. These are just two parts of the New Operator Training process. The complete process will proceed like this:
Step 1 (optional but encouraged): Attend our Volunteer Open House on Saturday, March 8! Get to know the Museum and our volunteer team.
Step 2 (Before April 5): Shadow our operators during a three-hour shift at the Museum on a day of your choosing.* Before group instruction, students will also be required to watch several short videos about operating procedures and take a quiz on the information. This quiz can be retaken until you pass. The sign-up for shadowing, along with the videos and other instructional material will be distributed to participants after they register for this course.
Step 3 (April 5-6): Attend group instruction from 9 AM- 4 PM each day. Meet your fellow student operators and practice operating the variety of cars in our collection.
Step 4: Sign up for a third day of individual instruction during which you’ll review what you and your instructor would like.
Step 5: You’ve graduated from New Operator to Student Operator! Now, you’ll complete 15 days of student operation. This means operating for the public under the supervision of an experienced operator. You will have an extended period of time to complete these days, though we recommend operating often enough that you remember the instruction you received the previous time. When you have completed these days, you will test to become an official Senior Operator.
To participate in this course, you must be 14 years of age** and a current member of the museum. New operators must be Museum members as well as complete their state-required clearances (instructions here) before in-person training steps commence. Those 18 years of age and older must have a valid driver’s license to participate.
Attendance on both days of group instruction is mandatory to be part of the Spring 2025 class. Your additional training day, Student Operator days, and eventual shifts as a Senior Operator all have flexible scheduling- you’ll never be required to operate on a day you do not wish to. If you can’t make it to the April 5-6 class, but are still interested in becoming an operator, email mmeer@patrolley.org to discuss future opportunities.
Space is limited so register today!
*Shadowing sessions will occur on days during which the Museum is open and operating trolleys. During your training period, that’s our school year schedule: Thursday- Sunday except for Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30 when the rail line will be temporarily closed. The Museum expands its hours to Tuesday-Sunday from June to the end of August. As a Student Operator, and then eventually a Senior Operator, you can also sign up to operate during rentals, groups, and field trips on days the museum is closed to the public.
**Operators ages 14-17 will not be able to operate for paying visitors. They can still operate the trolleys for maintenance projects and volunteer-only events as well as be a conductor (an operator’s assistant) for paying visitors. Teens enjoy this class and their time as a volunteer operator- so we definitely still recommended it for trolley-loving youth!
