Maine native Don Barter of Jefferson spends the offseason driving a school bus for Lincoln Academy in Damariscotta. During the summer, Barter continues to drive, but instead of a school bus he drives the new Newcastle-Damariscotta-Boothbay Harbor trolley.

The trolley runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Sept. 5 from 10:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. It travels through the twin villages of Newcastle and Damariscotta every half hour, stopping at the train depot, Newcastle Publick House, Colby & Gale, Rising Tide, Hannaford, CLC YMCA, Great Salt Bay School, Round Top Ice Cream, Yellowfront, and Theater Street Downtown. In-town trips are free.

On all three days, the trolley also makes trips into Boothbay Harbor twice a day. It leaves the Newcastle Publick House at 9 a.m., where people traveling can leave their cars in the upper lot. It takes visitors into Boothbay Harbor, dropping them off near the downtown Whale Park, and picks up passengers at the same location before heading back up to Newcastle. It makes a second trip at 4 p.m., arriving in Boothbay Harbor around 4:30 and returning to Newcastle around 5 p.m.

“I love Boothbay,” Barter said. “Especially the Boothbay Railway Village; my wife and I come down at least once a summer. And I used to play the trumpet on the library lawn concerts.”

Barter alternates routes to Boothbay Harbor, taking either River Road or Route 1. He often asks his passengers which way they'd like to go.

On Sundays, the trolley also goes the other direction to Pemaquid Point Light. It leaves at 11 a.m. and returns at 2 p.m. Round-trip tickets to both Pemaquid and Boothbay Harbor cost $5.

“I think the trips to other areas are great, especially because you don't have to fight parking,” Barter said. “In Boothbay, parking can be a nightmare; this way you can leave your car in Newcastle and don't have to worry at all, and you can even ride the Rocktide Trolley in Boothbay.”

Barter also talked about the convenience of the in-town trolley rides. One of the trolley's stops, the Great Salt Bay School, was added solely to allow patrons a convenient spot to park.

“You can leave your car and not have to worry about finding a spot downtown. Spend a couple hours shopping and hop back on when you’re ready to head home.”

Barter was born in Camden and has lived his whole life in Maine. He and his wife Ruth will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on Sept. 3.

“I was a senior in high school and my wife was a junior when we married,” Barter said. “Seems like just yesterday. Time moves awful fast.”

Before he worked as a driver, Barter was an independent welder and fabricator. He was part of the team that built the Donald E. Davey bridge between Wiscasset and Edgecomb, and every time he and his wife go over it, he jokes: “I hope my welding holds up.”

Last year, the trolley serviced a total of 783 riders throughout the season, according to Mary Ellen Barnes of the trolley and train committee.

“The trolley encourages visitors and area residents to spend more time in our communities and gives them an option for affordable travel, including those summer residents that come here to work and may not have a car,” Barnes said. “These residents have an opportunity to see more of Maine and visit areas they otherwise couldn't get to.”

“I love driving this trolley,” Barter said. “I think it's a blast and I hope more people learn about and use it.”