To keep steam engine smoke out of downtown Cleveland, the Van Sweringen brothers and the New York Central railroad electrified the Cleveland Union Terminal’s 17 miles of track between Collinwood and Linndale with 3,000-volt DC wire. Powerful electric locomotives pulled the trains in and out of downtown. Naturally, the overhead power wire needed inspection and maintenance. A simple tower on a motorcar flat did the job. Pulled by the Buda motorcar, Tower 018 served until the coming of diesels in 1952 made it obsolete. After the wire came down on the Union Terminal system, this car was sold to CTS for use on its parallel new rapid transit line.
Tower cars like 018 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 working with the often-live wires and the rails below.
| Builder | J.R. McCardell and Co. |
| Type | Work Equipment |
| Description | Tower Car |
| Year Built | |
| Retired | |
| Acquired | 1982 |
| Seats | n/a |
| Length | |
| Width | |
| Height | |
| Weight | |
| Trucks | |
| Motors | n/a |
| Control | n/a |
| Brakes | n/a |
| Compressor | n/a |