2318 is one of only two Cleveland trolley trailers to survive out of nearly 500 built. The trailer was born out of economics. It took two people to operate a trolley, a motorman to run the car and a conductor to collect fares. A trailer allowed frugal transit operators to double their passenger hauling capacity, while saving greatly on operating costs. Two regular trolleys would require a crew of four. A motor-trailer train of equal seating capacity only required a crew of three. A trailer is unpowered and must be towed by a conventional trolley. Cleveland was among only a handful of cities nationwide to operate motor-trailer trains.
The Cleveland Railway Company (CRC) used trailer cars to increase capacity during peak hours. In 1917 the line took delivery of 50 such cars from the Kuhlman Car Company of Cleveland. Designed as mates to the 1100 and 1200 series street cars then in service, they seated an additional 60 riders and were a familiar sight on the streets of downtown Cleveland for many years.
After World War II, a riding boom on the Shaker Heights Rapid Transit Line caused the line to seek out additional capacity. This was a short term need until new PCC cars on order could be delivered. Three trailers cars now surplus to CTS were acquired by the Shaker line to be used in rapid transit service with their fleet of center entrance 1200 series cars. Car 2318 was among them and was renumbered to 56 on the Shaker. With the coming of the PCC cars, which were capable of multiple-unit service, the trailers became superfluous. Relegated to its final assignment on the line as a trackside shed, 2318 was renumbered yet again as 44. The car carried its coal stove as the only source of heat until it was retired from service.
In 1968 the Shaker Rapid went through a house cleaning and some the older equipment on the property was either scrapped or sold. Thanks to preservation efforts, we are fortunate to have in our collection one of the remaining two CRC Kuhlman 2300 series trailers left today. Car 2318 was among those spared from the scrappers and spent a few years as a shed in southern Ohio before being acquired by the Seashore Trolley Museum of Kennebunkport, Maine. In October of 2009 Seashore acquired car 2365, the other remaining CRC trailer, in the dissolution of the Lake Shore Electric Railway Museum’s ex-Trolleyville collection, making 2318 redundant. The car was acquired by NORM and moved to the Museum in October of 2010.
| Builder | Kuhlman Car Company |
| Type | Unpowered Street Car Trailer |
| Description | Single End Double Truck Arch Roof Low Floor Center Door |
| Year Built | 1917 |
| Retired | 1948 |
| Acquired | 2010 |
| Seats | 60 |
| Length | 49′ 0″ |
| Width | 8′ 5″ |
| Height | 10′ 8″ |
| Weight | 25,900 |
| Trucks | shop |
| Engine | n/a |
| Control | n/a |
| Brakes | |
| Compressor | n/a |