Cleveland PCC trolleys: MU'd?

[tstage]

Both the Cities of Cleveland & Shaker Heights purchased PCC trolleys after WWII.  Cleveland operated theirs from 1946 to 1953 before they sold them to the City of Toronto.  Shaker Heights operated their PCCs for a much longer period - i.e. from 1947 up until the early 80s.

From my understanding the Shaker Heights PCC cars were only operated as single units and never MU'd.  What I'd like to find out is whether Cleveland's PCC cars were ever MU'd?  Or were they also operated as single units like Shaker Heights?

Even though I haven't found any definitive photos of MU'd Cleveland PCC trolleys on the internet and suspect that they were not, I thought I'd throw the question out on the forum anyhow.

Thanks for the input...

Tom

[gmpullman]

Kind of sketchy information available on these Cleveland Street Railway PCCs. The first group built by Pullman, 4200-4249 were equipped electrically for MU service but never had couplers installed (!)

4251-4274 built by St. Louis Car originally for Louisville but never ran there. 

After being sold to Toronto I understand some were outfitted for M-U operation but not all.

I'm going by information I have in a Harry Christiansen book which is like reading mimeographed newspaper clippings thrown in a grocery bag 

Seems like the PCC cars weren't suited well for Cleveland streets yet ideal for the Shaker Rapid service. Nine of the Toronto/Cleveland cars came back to operate on the Shaker Rapid.

I still recall riding the PCCs on the Shaker lines and in rush hour they were sometimes MUed four in a row. The interiors were always warm and inviting:

19680225 19 Shaker Heights Rapid Transit  #53 Interior by David Wilson, on Flickr

Good Luck, Ed 

[tstage]

Thanks, Ed.  I figured you would chime in at some point.

I did run across one photo of two Shaker Heights PCC cars MU'd together.  Looks like the Van Aken grade west of Warrensville Road?:

I think I might have read somewhere that some of the Shaker Heights PCCs were MU'd and some were not.  I'll have to hunt down that information to see what camp my Bowser Shaker Heights #53 & #55 PCCs cars fall into.

Tom

[gmpullman]

Somewhere around here I have a Shaker PCC roster. I'll try to find it.

My little PCC #53 is sandwiched between giants!

IMG_5613_fix by Edmund, on Flickr

I see the Shaker cars have an MU socket on the left side of the headlight which the Bowser model lacks. I got my HO PCC on a closeout sale, either the decoder was free or the PCC car was.

Here's a four-car rush hour set:

PCC_Shaker by Edmund, on Flickr

Here's the 56 with an MU plug:

Shaker_56_1966 by Edmund, on Flickr

This was on the stretch by E. 116th. St.

Some good info here:

https://www.trolleyville.com/tv/times/july2009/Shaker%20Heights%20PCC.htm

20 PCCs were obtained from Minneapolis (series 51-70) after Twin Cities Rapid Transit ended streetcar service in 1953. All cars except 51-55 were equipped for multiple unit operation and all of these “boomer” cars were built by the St. Louis Car Company.

"Except 51-55" there it is.

Regards, Ed

[tstage]

Yea, that is what I remember reading before, Ed.  Thanks for finding that info.

I wonder how much work/trouble it would take to change the five #s on the shell and outfit them with MU plugs?

Tom