NORM Collection
Cleveland Union Terminals Company
Work Equipment

The Cleveland Union Terminals Company was created after the construction of the Terminal Tower complex. As no steam trains were allowed into the underground station area an electric railroad was built to haul the passenger trains in and out of the terminal complex. The line ran from the New York Central Railroad's east side yard to its west side yard and also had connections with several of the other steam roads that used the facility.

The CUT, like all electric railroads, required special equipment to maintain the overhead catenary system which supplied power to the large electric locomotives needed to move the heavy trains. This equipment included several speeders and a variety of small flat cars. Some of this equipment can be seen in service in the photos below.

This photo shows a typical work train on the CUT performing maintenance on the overhead. (Museum Collection)

This photo shows another crew with a tower car and speeder. (Museum Collection)

This photo shows a tower car and wire car together. (Museum Collection)

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CUT equipment at NORM

The Museum is fortunate to have acquired three pieces from the line's maintenance fleet: a Buda speeder and two four wheeled flat cars, one of which is equipped with a tower that was used to maintain the overhead.

Speeder # 016

Speeder 016 arrived at the CUT as an open car, the line later constructed a wooden body for it (similar to that of the car in the first photo above), probably at its Collinwood shops. In addition to seating a work crew of four, its powerful four-cylinder gasoline engine allowed it to tow several small flat cars loaded with heavy items like spikes, ties and spools of wire.

The car was re-numbered 016 when it was sold to the Cleveland Transit System in the 1950's and has carried that designation to this day. Its original number on the CUT roster is unknown. The car's current body was constructed by the CTS in 1959 after the original wooden one was consumed by flames in a fire at the line's Windermere shops. In 1964 it was sold to the Shaker Heights Rapid Transit line, where it was repainted in their distinctive yellow paint scheme as you see it today. It remained in service there into the RTA days. Aquired by the Museum in 2001, it is in service once again as a valued part of our maintenance fleet.

Buda Speeder # 016 on display at the Museum in August of 2008. (B. C. Gage)

Here is a front view of Speeder # 016 at the Museum's Members Weekend in August of 2008. (B. C. Gage)

Speeder # 016 in action at the Museum's Members Weekend, 2008. (B. C. Gage)

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Tower Car # 018

Tower cars like X71 were a standard piece of maintenance equipment on street railways and main line electrifications alike. The tower portion of the car is constructed of wood, providing a layer of insulation between the linemen and the rails below should they happen to come in contact with them. To power the massive electric locomotives needed to haul the heavy steam passenger trains the CUT's overhead cantenary system carried 3000 volts of direct current.

This July 2009 photo shows Tower Car 018 on track 5 next to the Bennett Carhouse at the Museum. Our tie inserter is visible to the left. (B. C. Gage)

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Last Updated 01/13/2012