Columbus Railway Power and Light Co. Streetcar No. 703

Introduction of CRP&L No. 703

Columbus Railway Power and Light Company No. 703 was built by the G.C. Kuhlman Car Company of Cleveland in 1925, one of over 20 streetcars that operated in and around downtown Columbus from the early 1900s to the late 1940s. Streetcars, also known as trams or trolleys, were once a common means of urban transport in the United States. Early street railways carried passengers in cars towed behind horses, or, in some cases, behind small steam locomotives (called “steam dummies”). By the 1900s, however, electric streetcars like 703, which draw their power from overheard wires, had replaced steam and horses, being faster, quieter, cleaner, and able to carry more passengers.

Service History

Columbus was once known for its extensive streetcar system, which handled residential traffic as the city and its surrounding communities grew. Key routes could be found along Parsons Avenue, Neil Avenue, and High Street, extending as far north as the suburb of Clintonville. Large steel arches were built spanning these major streets to hold the overhead wires powering the streetcars and to illuminate the streets at night. These would earn Columbus the nickname of “Arch City,” a nickname which stands to this day.

Retirement and Legacy

Ultimately, Columbus streetcar services were phased out, as the rails the cars rode on required more maintenance than roads. Buses were brought in as replacements on the former streetcar routes. At first, electric trolley buses, which drew power from overhead wires just like the streetcars, were used, but these themselves were replaced in 1965 by more flexible diesel buses. Nowadays, modern buses fuelled by compressed natural gas operate on the routes which 703 and the other streetcars served nearly a century ago. 703 completed its final run on September 5, 1948, and was acquired by the Ohio Railway Museum in December 1962.

Preservation Efforts

When acquired, the streetcar received new electrical components and was converted to operate on the museum’s 4' 8.5" standard gauge trackage, narrower than the 5’ 2” gauge tracks of the Columbus streetcar system. As the last remaining 700 series Columbus streetcar, it stands as a historic symbol of the city’s past. Evaluation and restoration of the streetcar’s electrical mechanical components is ongoing, but with your support, this icon of Columbus’s past can run again. Ask one of our volunteers about the many ways you can help keep the past alive at the Ohio Railway Museum today.

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