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Cleveland Red Line

Posted by ntrainride on Sat Sep 15 23:45:31 2012

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Definitely nice commute route. cleveland rocks. With an R.C. Crumb Zap comix vibe to boot.



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(1177128)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Sep 16 11:52:09 2012, in response to Cleveland Red Line, posted by ntrainride on Sat Sep 15 23:45:31 2012.

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I had no idea Cleveland had a heavy rail subway/RT line. Especially one shared with light rail. Also, reports of Cleveland as an industrial wasteland have apparently not been exaggerated.

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(1177133)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Alan Follett on Sun Sep 16 12:06:56 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Sep 16 11:52:09 2012.

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Yep, it opened around 1955--probably the only completely new rapid transit system to be built in that decade.

Alan Follett
Hercules, CA

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(1177134)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun Sep 16 12:08:34 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Sep 16 11:52:09 2012.

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check out pix and text at nycsubway.org

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(1177136)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Sep 16 12:10:18 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun Sep 16 12:08:34 2012.

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Interesting system. 600V DC, but powered by overhead wire, not third rail.

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(1177137)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Easy on Sun Sep 16 12:13:56 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Sep 16 11:52:09 2012.

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I'm not familiar with Cleveland, but almost any city is going to look industrial if you follow the freight tracks.

What kind of animal was that?

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(1177138)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Sep 16 12:15:37 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Easy on Sun Sep 16 12:13:56 2012.

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Looked like a gopher.



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(1177143)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Easy on Sun Sep 16 12:22:03 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Sep 16 12:15:37 2012.

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That's probably what it was. It looked like the offspring of a rat and a beaver to me.

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(1177149)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun Sep 16 12:31:20 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Sep 16 12:10:18 2012.

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yes, like MBTA Blue, Evanston Branch of CTA from build to several decades ago when third rail was extended, outer ground level CTA Green before 1963 move to C&NW embankment.

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(1177156)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Jon Bell on Sun Sep 16 13:19:23 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Alan Follett on Sun Sep 16 12:06:56 2012.

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probably the only completely new rapid transit system to be built in that decade.

At least in the USA. Toronto's subway opened about the same time.


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(1177158)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Easy on Sun Sep 16 13:42:18 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Alan Follett on Sun Sep 16 12:06:56 2012.

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Can you really call one line a "rapid transit system"?

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(1177159)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Sep 16 13:47:15 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun Sep 16 12:31:20 2012.

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Using DC defeats the advantages of overhead wire, IMO.

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(1177160)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Sep 16 13:48:45 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Easy on Sun Sep 16 13:42:18 2012.

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Yes.

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(1177164)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun Sep 16 14:12:39 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Sep 16 13:48:45 2012.

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Agree. First, the trains are fully PROW w/ widely spaced stations. Second, w/the Shaker Heights lines the integrated lines cover a wide rider catchment area including tourist attractions, major sports venues, the CBD, and suburban residential areas.

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(1177165)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Easy on Sun Sep 16 14:26:57 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun Sep 16 14:12:39 2012.

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I was/am being pedantic, but only one line was built in the 1950's afaik.

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(1177168)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Edwards! on Sun Sep 16 14:34:57 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Alan Follett on Sun Sep 16 12:06:56 2012.

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Also,the first subwa in the US to operate to a major airport..

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(1177170)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun Sep 16 14:47:25 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Easy on Sun Sep 16 14:26:57 2012.

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So the history is that what we now call the Red Line was planned in the 20s. When Cleveland Terminal was built, there were "bellmouths" for a number of projected rail lines. As one can see riding the Red, most of the route is surplus ROW along mainline RRs--some controlled in the 20s/30s by the same Van Sweringen brothers who built the Shaker Heights Rapid Transit. Their house of cards collapsed in the Depression and like the IND Second System, nothing was built. Cleveland found the money and got the first piece done in the early 50s, buying the blue PCC type cars seen in the video Jon linked. In that era, CTA cut 4 low volume branches but then completely rebuilt the Garfield Park L to become the Congress line (now Blue). So, yes, the 50s were not a good decade for transit as streetcars were abandoned all over and expansion stalled.

For further history, Invisible Giants by Herbert Harwood on the Vans and CERA Bulletin 108 for an early 60s view of Cleveland Transit.

Cleveland does, however have a claim to fame--first US city w/ rapid Transit into the airport (1968).

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(1177173)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by orange blossom special on Sun Sep 16 15:02:03 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Sep 16 11:52:09 2012.

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"Also, reports of Cleveland as an industrial wasteland have apparently not been exaggerated."

I've been reading about a lot of gentrification there, but I've never been there personally. But there's been quite a few articles in the last few years about it.

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(1177235)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Alan Follett on Sun Sep 16 22:17:26 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Sep 16 13:47:15 2012.

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I believe the choice of overhead was made mostly due to safety concerns for steam road switch crews (NYC and NKP) operating adjacent to the repid transit line on the same embankment.

Alan Follett
Hercules, CA

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(1177242)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Jon Bell on Sun Sep 16 23:21:43 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Alan Follett on Sun Sep 16 22:17:26 2012.

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Also, the trolley-powered Shaker Heights cars were already running along the section between Terminal Tower and East 55th St., so CTS was able to save some construction cost by sharing the tracks.


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(1177244)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun Sep 16 23:57:49 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Sun Sep 16 13:47:15 2012.

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I beg to differ. The Illinois Central Electric (now called Metra Electric) from my experience beginning as a child is the gold standard by which to measure suburban/commuter rail service. And for speed, remember that North Shore tested the Electroliners at over 100mph on the Skokie Valley Route.

As to Cleveland, my experiences in 1963 (the blue PCC based rapid cars and MU PCCs on Shaker) and 1996 (3rd generation Rapid cars and Breda junk) is that the system performs well. I heard no tales of downed catenary in winter and we all know about DC and some years CTA having 3rd rail snow issues.

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(1177297)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Mon Sep 17 12:42:07 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun Sep 16 14:12:39 2012.

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To me, the closest comparative system is PATCO.

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(1177298)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Mon Sep 17 12:43:14 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Easy on Sun Sep 16 14:26:57 2012.

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But it's a system, requiring maintenance, rolling stock, operations, fare collection, cleaning, etc. Don't forget that there are two light rail lines which connect to it.

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(1177299)

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Mon Sep 17 12:44:30 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Jon Bell on Sun Sep 16 23:21:43 2012.

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Yeah, I didn't notice that, the line adopted an existing power system used by the streetcars.

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Re: Cleveland Red Line

Posted by Dan Lawrence on Sat Sep 22 16:45:58 2012, in response to Re: Cleveland Red Line, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Mon Sep 17 12:44:30 2012.

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That's what happened!!

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