Our Collection - Rapid Transit Cars
Rapid Transit lines link the central city with outlying areas or suburbs with high-speed cars operating on dedicated private rights of way, frequently separated from road traffic. They are designed for high-density, frequent service along their routes.
Cleveland has two rapid transit systems, both of which today are operated by the Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA). The Shaker Heights Rapid Transit -- today's RTA "Blue" and "Green" lines which become the "Waterfront" line -- was built by the Van Sweringen brothers to connect their planned community of Shaker Heights to downtown Cleveland via a dedicated right of way. The "Blue," "Green," and "Waterfront" lines are low-platform operations.
Cleveland Transit System built the Windermere to Airport -- today's RTA "Red" line -- for fast cross town service from East Cleveland/Cleveland Heights on the east across downtown to West Park and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport on the west. The "Red" line is a high-platform operation.
Both rapid systems connect at Tower City (the former Cleveland Union Terminal) on Public Square in the center of downtown Cleveland. Our collection includes cars which were used on both rapid systems.
Please click on a car
name, below, to go its photo and description
Car #63
Car #71
Car #76
Car #113
Car #172
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Car # 63 (#352 ) Shaker Heights. Rapid Transit # 63 is a single-end PCC type streetcar. Built in 1947 by the St Louis Car Co. as Twin Cities Rapid Transit #352, it plied the streets of Minneapolis until 1954. At that time it was adapted for multiple unit train service and sold to the Shaker Heights Rapid Transit. It performed its duties along Shaker and Van Aken Boulevards. into the RTA era until 1985. NOTE: PCC stands for Presidents Conference Car. In the mid-30's several street railway companies got together to design a fast modern uniform streetcar design. This successful effort developed a car designed world wide into the present day. Quite a few are still at work in San Francisco, Boston and Kenosha Wis. |
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Car # 71 Shaker Heights Rapid Transit # 71 and #76 are single-end multiple unit PCC style cars built in 1948 by the Pullman Standard Car Co.'s Worcester, Mass., plant for Shaker Heights. These cars were unique having a left side center door for a still-born Cleveland Subway system. They also operated into the RTA era with retirement coming in 1985. |
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Car #
76 Please see Car #71 for descriptive information about this car. |
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Car # 113 Cleveland Transit System #113 was part of a second lot of high-platform transit cars for the Windermere to West Park rapid line. St Louis Car Co. built the double-end car in 1955. Retirement came in the mid 1980's when the RTA purchased new equipment from Japan. It was added to the museum's collection in 2002 to represent that era of electric rail service in Cleveland. |
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Car # 172
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