Message from a friend is below. Any comments from readers in Ohio or elsewhere with more details?

Wesley

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Hi Folks:

Just got some interesting news from Cleveland which I thought I would share with you.

"During the first week of June, two CA&E cars from the Trolleyville collection will be trucked to the Brookpark Yard of the RTA and then towed to the RTA main shops (Central Rail) in preparation for special runs on the RTA Waterfront light rail line over the July 25, 26 & 27 weekend. The runs supposedly will be open to the public.

"The cars will be trucked by Silk Road, which is in town anyway, trucking Breda light rail cars to Hornell, NY for mid-life overhauls.

"The cars in question are probably the two oldest wooden Midwestern interurbans still in existance and running. Car 36 was built in 1902 by Stephenson, and Car 303 in 1906 by Niles. Both cars are to be fitted with one pantograph each and operated as a two-car train. If this operation is successful, it could be an incentive for the City of Cleveland to develop a heritage streetcar operation. Stay tuned for further developments."

> If this operation is
> successful, it could be an incentive for the
> City of Cleveland to develop a heritage
> streetcar operation. Stay tuned for further
> developments."
That is some fantastic news ... considering the "state of ohio"
Gee ... It's too bad they can't dig up a car that originally ran in Cleveland. I wonder where they could get one ????

lamontdc@adelphia.net

> That is some fantastic news ... considering
> the "state of ohio"
> Gee ... It's too bad they can't dig up a car
> that originally ran in Cleveland. I wonder
> where they could get one ????

There are some cars from Cleveland at Trolleyville in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, where the cars mentioned above are from.


jftrolley@aol.com

> There are some cars from Cleveland at
> Trolleyville in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, where
> the cars mentioned above are from.

Excuse me, I left out the word INTERURBAN. It was 65 years ago on May 15 that the last interurban car left Cleveland, Ohio

lamontdc@adelphia.net

According to word received, the cars were moved last Tuesday. Wish them Luck!


lamontdc@adelphia.net

I think this move is potentially disastrous from an historical standpoint. One thing that is not being considered here is that car 36 is almost completely intact and pristine on the interior. Everything on that car with the exception of the exterior paint job is EXACTLY as it left Wheaton in 1957. The interior has never needed repainting, the seats have never needed reupholstering - the car is a time capsule. I think that if these cars are put into occasional regular service (not excursion service - regular service) as planned, you will see those rattan seats slashed, peoples' initials carved into the mahogany window piers, and other vandalism. Even if this damage is easily fixable, which in the two examples cited above it would NOT be, it would necessitate "restoration" work - and the car would no longer be original. Car 303 already had the interior stripped and rebuilt by Brookins, so that car is not nearly as historic. But car 36 is - or, at least was - an absolutely pristine example of 1950's wood interurban operation. This sounds like traction's answer to the Pennsy "chalk-marked firebox" debate.

Frank Hicks

fullparallel@wideopenwest.com

To get a confirm or deny on this - I tried to call their number and got a 'temporarily disconnected' - are they operating at all this year, or is this particular disposition a sign of a decision to actually begin disposition of various equipment? Anybody? I know the lease was up and they've been looking around - just hadn't heard of any final decisions.

randygustafson@stoneconsulting.com

I was in Cleveland on a Saturday last November, on a visit from Rochester, N.Y., and stopped by Trolleyville on a whim. Although it was not open, it just so happened that the few volunteers there that day for a work session were eating lunch and let us take a look, especially after I mentioned I was a member at New York Museum of Transportation in Rochester. They gave us an extensive car house tour; I thought they went wild when my dad, who was with me, mentioned he had ridden the Lake Shore Electric as a boy (they were about ready to pull out a tape recorder). Anyway, except for the fact that they had just obtained a complete and operational car from Cleveland's Rapid, the Trolleyville volunteers seemed a bit down about the future. About the best they knew was that they just did not know what the future would bring. It is such a shame as they are facing the impossible challenge of trying to move an entire trolley museum. One good aspect is that virtually every piece of equipment is stored inside a car house and is therefore in at least fairly good condition. As far as operations this year, I have no current information except that the volunteers I spoke to expected to operate this year.


crloweny@cs.com