Bruce Thain

wesp · **Posted:** Wed Apr 18, 2018 4:33 pm

Friends,

Bruce Thain died recently. He was a member of Shore Line Trolley Museum. Bruce operated Rail Technical Services in Guilford, CT. Projects include the Greek tram stored in North Carolina, Capital Traction 27 for National Capital Trolley Museum, and Boston Elevated Railway 5706 from the Boston Street Railway Association.

Wesley

Quote:

Bruce Thain was born in Brooklyn to Lawrence and Ruth Thain. He died at the Connecticut Hospice in Branford on April 14 with his beloved wife Vivian by his side, singing his favorite folk tunes. He was 78.
Bruce grew up in Brooklyn and spent summers as a kid in Island Beach, New Jersey. He and his brother, Rob, became close companions there, something that continued through their lives.
Bruce and Vivian married on the M/V Commander on the Hudson River on Aug. 13, 1994. Bruce was a no-frills man who requested peanut butter and jelly on Ritz crackers for hors d'oeuvres at their wedding. (They were a hit.)
Bruce was a navy veteran, serving from 1964-68. He modestly didn't discuss it. "I'm no hero," he'd say.
Though he was a machinist by trade, restoring trolley cars was Bruce's passion in life. He had been a member of the Shore Line Trolley Museum since 1956. Bruce owned his own machine shop, Rail Tech, in Guilford, where he restored trolleys for museums, since 1990.
Bruce was a consummate gentleman who always went above and beyond for loved ones. He is survived by his wife Vivian; brother Rob; niece Katy; nephew Jeff; stepchildren Guy and wife Margaret, Marcy and husband Tom, Meredith and husband Scott; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren and five grandnieces.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 21, at 11 a.m. at the Stony Creek Congregational Church in Branford. The burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Shore Line Trolley Museum: http://www.bera.org/donate.html or Guilford Garden Club Tree Fund, P.O. Box 608 Guilford, CT 06437. Arrangements in care of the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church St, Guilford. To share a memory or leave a message of condolence for the family, please visit: http://www.GuilfordFuneralHome.com

QJdriver · **Posted:** Wed Apr 18, 2018 5:18 pm

Thank you for posting this. I never met Bruce, but his brother Rob is one of our brothers out here in Colorado. Just recently he lost his wife, Joanie (another fine rail), and had just been back east for a nice visit with Bruce...

They aren't making folks like them anymore.

G. W. Laepple · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 5:10 pm **Posts:** 1182

I worked with Bruce Thain in 1976, when he was helping Ed Blossom at the Dushore Car Co. regauge and otherwise ready a Blackpool (England) "boat" tram for use in Philadelphia during that city's bicentennial observances. He was a cool guy to work with, and without his help, I don't know if Ed and his crew would have gotten the car done in time. I last saw him two years ago, at Denver Union Station. Even though we weren't in close contact in the intervening 40 years, I always considered him to be a friend. He will be missed.

Brian Norden · **Posted:** Wed Apr 18, 2018 9:04 pm

Bruce Thain also had connections years ago with Orange Empire Ry Museum (then Orange Empire Trolley Museum).

John Cole · **Joined:** Mon Sep 15, 2008 12:39 am **Posts:** 16

While I never met Bruce, it appears wherever he went he worked on projects to help rail preservation. Out at Orange Empire we have a drop pit in the motorpool building that has a first rate drop pit built by Bruce that is in use to this day. His workmanship on the build is first rate, and I for one has benefitted from his labors for over 20+ years keeping our fleet of forklifts and work equipment running. Green signals Bruce, and thank you.

S Bartlett · **Joined:** Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:26 pm **Posts:** 51

Another of Bruce's projects was Shelburne Falls and Colrain Street Railway No. 10's (Wason 1896) electrical and mechanical restoration. He also strung our overhead. I learned a lot from working with Bruce, and will miss him.