Cleveland RTA "Blue Birds"

[Blutorse4792]

1. Do any of these still exist in operating condition?

2. Is there any video footage of them in operation floating around out there?

 

[JCitron]

I couldn't find any videos of these running. They are very similar, however, to the MBTA red and blue line cars manufactured by St. Louis Car Company. You might want to contact the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunk Port, Maine. http://www.trolleymuseum.org/ They have one of the largest collections of transit rolling stock and might be able to help you. If they can't help directly, they will probably know someone who does.

EDIT: This might help... http://www.trolleymuseum.org/collec...al&type=rapidtransit&sort=built&format=images

It appears they were retired about 11 years ago and no longer running....

"An example of the PCC rapid transit car from Cleveland is preserved a the Museum with No. 113 from the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. This car was retired in 2003 and saved by Trolleyville, U.S.A."

John

 

[Blutorse4792]

Thank you for the resources, John. Glad to see at least one got saved.

Both the "Blue Birds" and the MBTA cars are similar to the 5000 and 6000/1-50 series CTA cars, which were also designed by the committee and utilized PCC parts (a good portion of the Chicago fleet was actually salvaged from retired CSL/CTA streetcars).

 

[JCitron]

I agree that it's great that at least one has been preserved and by a great organization that's dedicated to preserving transit and trolley vehicles.

Growing up I had the opportunity to ride and see these cars, at least on the MBTA. The MBTA blue line also utilizes catenary for its outer-most service to Wonderland Park in Revere. They kept the ROW (The line is now standard gauge today) and catenary service of the former Narrow Gauge (BRB&L) line when they opened the service to Logan Airport in the early 1950s. It seems that the salt air is detrimental to the third-rail system so it's better to run with pantographs which come up just as they exit the tunnel at the airport station. These cars were replaced in the 1970s by some Hawker-Siddley cars, which are similar to the same on the orange line, but are really short and narrow compared to the older cars. These have been subsequently replaced, or being replaced by some Kawasaki cars.

I read about the CTA/CSL street cars being made into heavy-rail cars. You can see the similarities with the side windows to those of PCC trolleys.

John

 

[springtransit]

I agree that it's great that at least one has been preserved and by a great organization that's dedicated to preserving transit and trolley vehicles.

Growing up I had the opportunity to ride and see these cars, at least on the MBTA. The MBTA blue line also utilizes catenary for its outer-most service to Wonderland Park in Revere. They kept the ROW (The line is now standard gauge today) and catenary service of the former Narrow Gauge (BRB&L) line when they opened the service to Logan Airport in the early 1950s. It seems that the salt air is detrimental to the third-rail system so it's better to run with pantographs which come up just as they exit the tunnel at the airport station. These cars were replaced in the 1970s by some Hawker-Siddley cars, which are similar to the same on the orange line, but are really short and narrow compared to the older cars. These have been subsequently replaced, or being replaced by some Kawasaki cars.

I read about the CTA/CSL street cars being made into heavy-rail cars. You can see the similarities with the side windows to those of PCC trolleys.

John

They're Siemens cars, and are stainless steel. Makes you wonder why they didn't go with stainless steel or aluminum cars when they ordered the Siddley cars...

 

[JCitron]

They're Siemens cars, and are stainless steel. Makes you wonder why they didn't go with stainless steel or aluminum cars when they ordered the Siddley cars...

Thank you for clarifying that for me. I thought they were K's but now I recall the Ks were used on the commuter rail and the Siemens are new subway cars.

John