The third and final part of the tour....

 

PART ONE -- THE RED LINE

PART TWO -- THE BLUE/GREEN (SHAKER) LINES

PART THREE -- THE WATERFRONT LINE

 

Fellow forumer BuckeyeB of Columbus and I rode a Green Line train from Shaker Heights through to the Waterfront Line downtown. But when we got to Tower City Center, RTA's main train station, a huge crowd boarded. The crowd was probably transferring from a Red Line train from the West Side. Turns out there was a concert at Cleveland Browns Stadium:

 

 

Riverbend Condos as viewed from the Waterfront Line and the Settlers Landing Station:

 

Future site of Eaton Corp. world headquarters?

 

The crowd disembarks at the West Third Street station for Cleveland Browns Stadium:

 

Amtrak station platform (station building is right behind me on the train). Waterfront Line trains make stops on passenger request at the Amtrak station platform to make train connections:

 

The North Coast Station on East 9th Street:

 

 

 

 

Obligatory tourist shot:

 

I'm particularly proud of these next nine photographs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then we got another nice surprise. We saw and immediately remembered that much of the old Trolleyview USA streetcar collection is in an old port warehouse, called the Lakeshore Electric Railway Museum. Starting next weekend, the museum is open to the public (Saturdays and Sundays). Due to our important positions in life (er, due to good luck), BuckeyeB and I asked for and got a preview tour of the museum:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We arrive back at the Waterfront Line, this time we board at the West Third Street station. It has some football motifs in the design:

 

 

 

Demolition of the old Flats East Bank for the new Flats East Bank, as viewed from the Waterfront Line:

 

 

 

Settlers Landing Station, Cuyahoga River, B&O Railroad bascule lift bridge, Veterans Memorial Bridge, Stonbridge housing development and Nautica Stage. One of the coolest views available from Cleveland's rail system:

 

Tower City Center Station, on the side of the light-rail platforms. The heavy-rail (Red Line) platforms are on the other side of the ticketing concourse:

 

We dined on East Fourth Street, a short walk from the Tower City station:

 

 

 

 

Art deco, street vistas and sunshine on display on Prospect Avenue at Tower City Center:

 

The RTA station concourse at Tower City Center. We stopped back there to get the time of departure for the #55 bus from Public Square to Lakewood:

 

The long escalators between track level and street level, notably Public Square:

 

Pointy buildings on Public Square, starting with Ohio's tallest:

 

Terminal Tower (Tower City) built in 1930 and the Old Stone Church built in 1853:

 

For my money, one of the prettiest 'scrapers in America:

 

My ride is here, so I must go:

 

The #55 bus leaves downtown on the Shoreway's mile-long bridge. The end to a tremendous day:

 

What a great set; Cleveland looks really good and very 'big city'.  It really makes me wish that Cincy had light/heavy rail.  It also saddens me to think what could have been with that abandoned subway :-(

Phenomenal set, KJP.  You've inspired me to do some exploration by rail sometime soon.

Due to our important positions in life (er, due to good luck), BuckeyeB and I asked for a got a preview tour of the museum

 

Don't be modest. They know a transit celebrity when they see one. :wink:

 

Great shots on parts 1, 2, and 3! The city looks fantastic with those blue skies and the influx of people for the Kenny Chesney concert sparked some added energy downtown.

 

I checked out their website and wasn't clear as to the hours. One section (kinda buried in the site) said 12pm - 5pm but it also indicated the site hasn't been updated since August of 2006. I'll drop them a line and ask. If they're open for business during the next Veterans Memorial Bridge and Subway Tour on July 5th, that would be awesome to do both in one day.

^ Oh, it was a Kenny Chesney show, I see. That's why the crowd doesn't exactly look like they're ready to rock.

^Yeah, it took me a while to figure it out too. I was walking around and thought, "Wow, the Texas Rangers sure do have a lot of cowboy-hat wearing fans in NEO!" Then it hit me.

Great photo set, Ken!

 

It's always great to be reminded of the great transit we have available to us.

excellent series. i'm surprized no one has really done it until now? fantastic views.

 

kind of off topiv but anyone know what is going in on that e4th & prospect corner -- the spot in the pic above with the guitar player/busker guy? it's kind of an odd space w/ all the pillars, i wondered how it would be put to use. thx.

Looks like a grand day to be in Cleveland.  I've taken the RTA rapid transit before in Cleveland and found it quite enjoyable.  When we told our friends up there we were taking it they though we were crazy!  Transit has a negative stigma about it right now that is really hard to shake.  Fortunately for Cleveland, there is a great system already in place!

LOVELY....JUST LOVELY.  THE NORTH COAST HARBOR PICTURES ARE GREAT.  HOW SAYS PEOPLE DON'T GO INTO DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND?!  HUMPH!

Great photos and it looks like a fun day!

 

The forumers from Columbus and Cincinnati should post some rail tours of their cities. ( :? )

 

For comparison, a few archive shots:

 

Terminal Tower 1978, Airport-Windermere:

 

Shaker Rapid:

 

Approaching Shaker Square:

 

Airport:

 

 

Fantastic tour of a great city blessed with both heavy and light rail.  As already stated, your shots really bring out the "city" in Cleveland. 

Thanks, all of you!

Great series!

Best KJP photo thread ever.

Hey who was that guy in the shades and the ball cap who kept turning up in all the pics?? ha ha

Hopefully if Eaton does build that new building it will lead to more use of the waterfront extension (line).

Hey who was that guy in the shades and the ball cap who kept turning up in all the pics?? ha ha

 

Some stalker....

Is it the Waterfront Line that is hardly ever used and has failed to spur much development?  I seem to remember reading an editorial against the Cincinnati streetcar that cited the failure of Cleveland's Waterfront line as a reason to not build the streetcar.

Yeah, the waterfront line is mostly used during events at the Browns Stadium.  However, with the Flats project starting now, I am sure it will get a some more use and may be development that was spurred from this line. 

Is it the Waterfront Line that is hardly ever used and has failed to spur much development?  I seem to remember reading an editorial against the Cincinnati streetcar that cited the failure of Cleveland's Waterfront line as a reason to not build the streetcar.

 

So the editorial writer had a predisposition against rail, using the exception to the rule to make their case? Lovely.

OMG. I loved this thread. I frequently view photos of the rail networks in Europe, but have seen scant pieces of the network in the US -- for public transit.

Awesome series.

Great pics.  Reminded me of taking The Rapid from the airport all the way to the end of the Green Line in the mid 80's when I was in college....for just a buck!  My roomate would drop me off at the airport as he lived on the west side, and my parents would drive in from geauga county to the end of the line to pick me up.  Very fond memories of falling in love with Cleveland. 

Thanks!