Car 024 shows the incarnations a trolley can experience in its life.  This car began life as Cleveland Railway 1217 – part of the same order as cars 1203, 12 and 1225.  In 1924 1217 went to the Shaker Rapid, later renumbered simply to 17.  With the coming of the first modern PCC cars to the Shaker Heights Rapid Transit roster in 1949 the line’s Kuhlman center entrance cars gradually were phased out of service as more and more PCC’s were acquired.  By 1954 the PCC’S had supplemented the center door fleet for normal service needs.  Six cars were retained until 1960 for use when extraordinary demands, such as major sporting events, begged additional line capacity.  By 1960 the call for extra cars was waning and it was decided to retire the last of the center entrance cars.  At this point it looked like the car 17 story was over.  But a new chapter of its story was about to be written for this aging car.

In 1955 CTS opened their own Rapid Transit line (RTA Red Line).  For overhead line maintenance they relied on former Cleveland Union Terminal speeders and track cart mounted equipment.  By 1960 it was obvious this arrangement was inadequate.  Ironically in 1954 CTS had scrapped a line car rebuilt from newer equipment.

To solve their line maintenance problem, CTS bought Shaker Rapid car 17 and parts from car 26 to build this line car at the CTS Windermere shops.  In addition to the usual roof platform and access hatches, other major changes included the addition of operating controls at the former rear of the car and a pair of heavier duty arch bar power trucks.  It is surmised that these trucks came from a pair either saved as spares for other former streetcar work equipment that went to the Rapid or was something that escaped the scrappers torch at the former streetcar shops at Harvard Avenue.  The car was painted in a dark blue scheme to match the new rapid transit cars purchased from the St. Louis Car Company.  It served well into the RTA era.  It worked alongside a newer line car RTA had acquired in 1980.  In 2012 RTA decided they no longer needed the car and in 2013 donated it to the Museum.  The car is operational and is being used to erect the overhead lines at the Museum.

Builder	Kuhlman Car Company/CTS
Type	Electric Work Equipment
Description	Double End Double Truck Arch Roof Composite Line Car
Year Built	1914, rebuilt 1960
Retired	2012
Acquired	2013
Seats	n/a
Length	51′ 0″
Width	8′ 5″
Height	11′ 8″
Weight	60,000
Trucks	Differential AB
Motors	4 WH 340
Control	WH HL-15E1
Brakes	WAB
Compressor	WH / Quincy 32