Lake Shore Electric Railway in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, United States | Activity Centre

Trolleys - electric-powered streetcars and interurban - were major players in transportation in Cleveland and Northern Ohio, United States at the end of the19th and first half of the 20th Centuries, but both of these ceased to exist in Cleveland by 1954.

Today these important players in the area's growth are unknown except for the former Shaker Heights Rapid Transit, now Greater Cleveland RTA's. lines - and at the Lake Shore Electric Railway museum on Cleveland's Lakefront.

Many of you may know them by their former name, Trolleyville USA, in Olmsted Township. Trolleyville closed in 2005 and the entire Gerald E. Brookins Museum of Electric Railways collection of 31 historic trolley cars had to find a new home or they would be lost to Cleveland forever.

A group of volunteer trolley enthusiasts and area businessmen were not about to let that happen, and neither was the City of Cleveland. All felt that the trolleys had to remain there, and to be displayed and run as part of Cleveland's heritage.

This dedicated group created the Lake Shore Electric Railway to move, preserve, restore, and operate the collection to preserve this important part of Northern Ohio's culture for years to come.

(The name wasw taken from the original Lake Shore Electric Railway, which ran from Cleveland's Public Square to Rocky River, Avon Lake, Sheffield, Lorain, Vermillion, Huron, Bellevue, Sandusky, Norwalk, and Toledo from 1894 to 1938).

They are the successors to Trolleyville, and they have brought its extensive historic collection of cars - some of which are a century old and still operational! - to Cleveland's Lakefront.

Lake Shore Electric Railway, invites you visit them at the former Port of Cleveland Dock 32, just north of the Cleveland Browns Stadium and the Great Lakes Science Centre.

Your visit gives you the opportunity to see and touch 23 vintage trolleys, and explore several interpretive displays about their history and future. (RTA is storing their 9 heavy Chicago, Aurora & Elgin interurban cars until their permanent museum is ready).

www.lsery.org