Cleveland Flats and time

[eje]

It's kinda hard to believe my folks permitted me to wander about Cleveland unsupervised when I was twelve and thirteen. Back then in '64 and '65 the EL used multiple Trainmasters to haul ore from the Erie Docks along the west bank of the Cuyahoga River out to Randall yard and thence to Youngstown. You could make a great day of a Saturday hanging around Irishtown Bend below the very dangerous public housing project at Riverview and watching the trains. It's all gone now for many years. The Royal Castle at 25th and Detroit was lunch. The old Erie tracks crossed the river south of Columbus Street on their way east. Looking back, I would never even think of hanging out around there now. But it was great.

[Brakie]

I use to sneak off and hang around the Columbus Union Station when I was 7-that was in '55..I had no fear because at that time you could leave your windows and doors open.

The station is long gone and "short" North can be hazardous to travel through after dark.