Cleveland Railway (Ohio)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Forest City Railway |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Defunct | 1942 |
| Fate | Acquired by city of Cleveland to form Cleveland Transit System |
| Headquarters | Cleveland, Ohio , United States |
| Products | Streetcar and bus transit services |
The Cleveland Railway Company provided public transportation services in Cleveland, Ohio between 1910 and 1942, taking over the assets previously held by the Forest City Railway (operational from 1906 to 1909). Its operations featured a fleet that included PCC streetcar models.
Although National City Lines never possessed ownership of Cleveland’s transit system, General Motors obtained bus contracts that contributed to the discontinuation of streetcar service. A controversy emerged when Mayor Ray T. Miller and several city council members were observed using new vehicles manufactured by GM shortly after the company secured the bus contract. Attempts to involve the FBI were unsuccessful due to the prominent status of the officials involved.
In 1942, the city of Cleveland acquired the Cleveland Railway Company, establishing the Cleveland Transit System, which later evolved into today’s Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority.
The streetcars from Cleveland were sold to the Toronto Transit Commission, where they remained in operation until 1982. Additional cars were sold to the Berlin and Waterloo Street Railway Company.
Fleet
- Peter Witt streetcar – 130 units ordered during 1915–1916
- Additional Peter Witt streetcars ordered in 1918; five units were sold in 1923 to the London Street Railway, and subsequently resold in 1941
- Presidents' Conference Committee cars – A total of 75 all-electric vehicles sold in 1952 to the Toronto Transportation Commission, comprising 50 Pullman Standard A11 models and 25 St. Louis Car Company A12 units (originally commissioned by Louisville Railway)
Corporate mergers
The formation of Cleveland Railway involved several consolidations:
- Cleveland Railway (established March 1, 1910)
- Cleveland Electric Railway (founded March 25, 1893)
- East Cleveland Railway (chartered September 20, 1859)
- Broadway and Newburgh Street Railway (established 1872)
- South Side Street Railroad (formed 1874)
- Cleveland City Railway (incorporated May 1893)
- Woodland Avenue and West Side Street Railroad (created 1885)
- Woodland Avenue Railroad (also known as Kinsman Street Railroad) (established 1859)
- West Side Railway (founded 1863)
- Superior Street Railway (chartered 1867)
- St. Clair Street Railroad (formed 1863)
- Woodland Avenue and West Side Street Railroad (created 1885)
- Municipal Traction (created in 1906)
- Forest City Railway (established in 1903)
- Low Fare Traction (formed in 1906)
- Cleveland Electric Railway (founded March 25, 1893)
See also
- Streetcars in Cleveland
- National City Lines – Enterprise owned by automotive and fuel manufacturers, including General Motors, known for targeting streetcar networks for closure.
- Great American streetcar conspiracy
- Northern Ohio Railway Museum
External links
- History Detectives – PBS program episode focusing on Cleveland’s streetcar system.
- Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry