Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 4104

No. 4104 is a trackless trolley built by Neoplan USA in 2003 for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). Also known as a “trolley bus” or a “trolley coach”, these vehicles used two overhead wires to complete its electric circuit as compared to the usual one wire that traditional trolleys use. The original 28 Neoplan buses within this small fleet were the first low-floor trolley buses in North America, and due to the lack of room under the vehicle, controls were placed in pods on the roof. Low-floor vehicles were created in an attempt to speed up the boarding process (as passengers would not need to climb stairs) and provide a more accessible design for wheelchair users. This model also has an extra left-side door used at Harvard Square and for certain left-side stops. The MBTA operated the Neoplan trackless trolleys on routes based in Cambridge. In 2022, the MBTA replaced these vehicles with diesel buses and with an eventual plan to use hybrid diesel-battery buses. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) donated this trolley bus to Seashore in 2023.