Working rail roads and their tracks.

MossRoad · Jul 27, 2023

5030 said:
Had to drive to Cleveland the other day and I found it amazing that the roads here in Michigan suck as well as the rest area's. We pay huge taxes here and insurance and Ohio is night and day better. Took 23 (pothole city) to Ohio 23 south. Once we crossed the Ohio line, everything changed for the better. I never hit ONE pothole all the way to Cleveland. Ohio has real rest areas instead of pit toilets and well water. They actually have food courts and items for sale (albeit inflated prices), quite a change from Michigan.

Michigan roads and rest area's SUCK, big time.

Should have taken a train....

5030 · Jul 27, 2023

MossRoad said:
Should have taken a train....

Don't work. Not leaving at 3 in the morning to go to Cleveland and then have to take a Uber to my destination, plus have to drive to Toledo anyway to catch AmTrak. Only 2.5 hours by car and my car gets 40mpg at 70 per with the climate control on.

Now, if you wanted to pick me up and drop me off, I'd be good with that, plus a return trip...lol

ArlyA · Jul 27, 2023

5030 said:
Don't work. Not leaving at 3 in the morning to go to Cleveland and then have to take a Uber to my destination, plus have to drive to Toledo anyway to catch AmTrak. Only 2.5 hours by car and my car gets 40mpg at 70 per with the climate control on.

Now, if you wanted to pick me up and drop me off, I'd be good with that, plus a return trip...lol

You need some cheese with that whine.

5030 · Jul 27, 2023

I can do baby swiss actually. Not whining at all, just stating what is. You don't take the train on a trip that is under a couple hundred miles anyway unless you are commuting, which I was not.

I will say that in general, Cleveland is a nice town, devoid of slums and ignorant people unlike Detroit or Flint or even Toledo.

I was born there many years ago and have never been back so it was an eye opener for me and the wife.

I don't venture very far from the farm anymore.

kenmbz · Jul 27, 2023

So no railroad and no tracks?

5030 · Jul 27, 2023

Yes and no. AmTrak goes to Union Station (Public Square) and then towards Pittsburg so no stops in between so the only alternative besides Uber is RTA (Regional Transit surface busses). Went to East 100th Street at Euclid Avenue and being an out of towner, I had no idea about the frequency of the RTA transport or if they even stopped at 100 Euclid Avenue and I had 3 pre set appointment times so driving was the most obvious method of getting there in a timely manner. All worked out quite well plus we got to see how good Ohio roads were and rest area's.

Positively light years above what we have here in Michigan and their taxes are less as well as insurance. Must be doing something right, unlike here, I'd say.

5030 · Jul 27, 2023

When I was a kid, I fondly remember taking the predecessor to RTA (CTS or Cleveland Transit System) to Public Square via light rail (was a station within walking distance from where we lived on the West Side of Cleveland) and transferring to the Shaker Rapid Transit (the light rail cars were built to resemble the then defunct Inter Urban light rail cars that ran all over Northern Ohio and Southern Michigan. Always a wonderful time and trip and if I remember correctly, it only cost 25 cents too. Worn naugahyde seats and lots of windows and lots of stops as well and the light rail ran right down the center of Mayfield Road to just about Brainerd Road. It was a rubber neckers dream. Have no idea if it's still there but when I have time, I'm gonna find out.

All the cars were single pole (not pantograph) and went pretty slow but that wasn't an issue for kid back then. Simpler times then, much simpler.

I remember reading somewhere that all the cars were removed from service and scrapped and replaced with the CTS/RTA light rail cars. I also read that the lower concourse of the Lorain-Carnegie viaduct is going to be refurbished and light rail will run under there, connecting Public Square to the West 25th Street area. Tracks have always been there from the 30's.

Finally, I still remember riding down Lorain Avenue on Saturday morning with my mom to West 25th Street and going to the Westside market for groceries. What a treat that was. The best new York style cheesecake was there to buy and mom always did along with fresh meat and vegetables and taking the '22' bus back home and listening to all the ladies talk in languages I could not understand.

At 73, the memories are still there and I enjoyed going back in time and posting it.

MossRoad · Jul 27, 2023

5030 said:
When I was a kid, I fondly remember taking the predecessor to RTA (CTS or Cleveland Transit System) to Public Square via light rail (was a station within walking distance from where we lived on the West Side of Cleveland) and transferring to the Shaker Rapid Transit (the light rail cars were built to resemble the then defunct Inter Urban light rail cars that ran all over Northern Ohio and Southern Michigan. Always a wonderful time and trip and if I remember correctly, it only cost 25 cents too. Worn naugahyde seats and lots of windows and lots of stops as well and the light rail ran right down the center of Mayfield Road to just about Brainerd Road. It was a rubber neckers dream. Have no idea if it's still there but when I have time, I'm gonna find out.

All the cars were single pole (not pantograph) and went pretty slow but that wasn't an issue for kid back then. Simpler times then, much simpler.

I remember reading somewhere that all the cars were removed from service and scrapped and replaced with the CTS/RTA light rail cars. I also read that the lower concourse of the Lorain-Carnegie viaduct is going to be refurbished and light rail will run under there, connecting Public Square to the West 25th Street area. Tracks have always been there from the 30's.

Finally, I still remember riding down Lorain Avenue on Saturday morning with my mom to West 25th Street and going to the Westside market for groceries. What a treat that was. The best new York style cheesecake was there to buy and mom always did along with fresh meat and vegetables and taking the '22' bus back home and listening to all the ladies talk in languages I could not understand.

At 73, the memories are still there and I enjoyed going back in time and posting it.