A Shaker Rapid Album is a pictorial history of the rapid transit cars that have carried passengers between downtown Cleveland and suburban Shaker Heights. Drawing on their extensive collections of Shaker Rapid photos, co-authors Jim Toman and Jim Spangler trace the different kinds of cars used on the line since 1920, from the 1200-series center-entrance fleet, through the colorful PCC car era, to the current fleet of Breda LRVs which have operated the line since 1982. Each photo section is preceded by a short essay giving the basic history of the various fleets. The photo selection covers the two branches of the Shaker line from its outer terminals at Green and Warrensville-Center roads, through Shaker Square, to the Cleveland Union Terminal station, on to the 1996 Waterfront extension, and many stops in between. The album shows the cars in all kinds of weather and in many different paint schemes. A Shaker Rapid Album contains 173 photos in all, with a 16-page center spread in full color. The "rapid" made the development of Shaker Heights possible, and it continues to be one of the most distinctive features identifying that classic Greater Cleveland suburb.
James A. Toman was born in a southeast suburb of Cleveland. At an early age, he became fascinated with streetcars, and his first college research paper was on the history of the streetcars in Cleveland. With time, his interests broadened to encompass many aspects of Cleveland history. One result of that interest was his co-founding Cleveland Landmarks Press in 1980 to publish books about the city’s history. He has authored or co-authored 17 books on various Cleveland topics, particularly those relating to the downtown district and to public transportation. An inveterate collector of Cleveland streetcar photographs, he has also photographed most of the streetcar, light rail, and subways systems in North America. He holds a doctorate in education and has been involved in the teaching field for 42 years. He is currently the director of the Social Sciences Division at Lorain County Community College. He lives in Cleveland.
James R. Spangler, a native Clevelander, grew up in an area of the city well served by several streetcar lines. Following high school and a stint in the armed services during World War II, he was employed by the Cleveland Transit System as a traffic checker, and in that capacity came to know the system from end to end. He then moved on to the U.S. Postal Service where he spent the next 35 years until retirement. He joined the Euclid Railfans Group and together with several good friends began to photograph the system. Over the years he has accumulated a large collection of photographs documenting the city’s streetcar heritage. He has presented programs before many Cleveland groups, and for years has been a fixture at most of the areas railfan gatherings. Spangler is a member of the Northern Ohio Railway Museum. He has co-authored three books on Cleveland transit and contributed to many others. A father of two and grandfather of six, he lives in suburban Mayfield Heights.
