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The Lake Shore Electric Railway Story

Herbert H. Harwood, Jr., and Robert S. Korach
CLOTH

This is the fully illustrated story of "The Greatest Electric Railway in the United States" connecting the Lake Erie cities of Toledo and Cleveland. Before its untimely death in 1938 it left a rich legacy of bold innovation and imaginative marketing practices.

A classic look at one of America’s favorite electric railways.

From 1901 to 1938 the Lake Shore Electric claimed to be—and was considered by many—"The Greatest Electric Railway in the United States." It paralleled the shore of Lake Erie, connecting Cleveland and Toledo with a high-speed, limited-stop service and even pioneered a form of intermodal transportation three decades before the rest of the industry.

To millions of people the bright orange electric cars were an economical and comfortable means of escaping the urban mills and shops, or the humdrum of rural life. In summers during the glory years there were never enough cars to handle the crowds seeking weekend retreats to Lake Erie’s beaches and amusement parks. To thousands of midwestern newlyweds the Lake Shore was one of the more enjoyable passages taken on the long but pleasant trip to Niagara Falls, which included the night boat from Cleveland to Buffalo.

Reaching its peak in the early 1920s, the Lake Shore Electric suffered the fate of most of its sister lines: unfortunate timing. Created as an alternative to dirty, expensive, and uncomfortable horsedrawn carriages and primitive roads, it was soon competing with automobiles, trucks, and buses on subsidized highways. It could not rival their convenience. The railway’s fixed costs and construction debt made the struggle economically unwinnable.

The Lake Shore Electric tells the entire story of this fascinating chapter in interurban transportation, even including the missed opportunities that might have saved this railway.

Herbert H. Harwood, Jr., has had concurrent careers as a railroad historian, writer, photographer, and working railroader. He spent 30 years in various management positions at C&O and B&O and their successor, CSX. He is author of eleven books on railroad and electric railway history and numerous articles.

Robert S. Korach has had a lifelong fascination with urban rail, and has worked with the Cleveland transit system, PATCO’s Lindenwold (NJ) high-speed line, MBTA, and the Los Angeles transit system. He is past president of the Association of Railway Museums and was elected in 1995 to the American Public Transit Association’s Hall of Fame.

Herbert H. Harwood, Jr., has carried on concurrent careers as a railroad historian, writer, photographer, and working railroader. He has spent 30 years in various management positions at the Chesapeake & Ohio and Baltimore and Ohio railroads and their successor, CSX Transportation.

Robert S. Korach is a native of Cleveland and has had a lifelong fascination with the transportation business and particularly with urban transit and the long-departed interurbans. Korach is past president of the Assn. of Railway Museums and in 1995 was elected to the American Public Transit Assn. Hall of Fame.

Series: Railroads Past and Present
Distribution: World
Publication date: 5/1/2001
Format: cloth 320 pages, 275 b&w photos, 15 figures, 12 maps, 8.5 x 11
ISBN-13: 978-0-253-33797-9
ISBN: 0-253-33797-6

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Item #: iu-book-lakeshore

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Price: $ 59.95

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