. ▁The ▁V ans ▁were ▁real ▁estate ▁developers ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁fr ustr ated ▁in ▁their ▁attempts ▁to ▁win ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁street car ▁line ▁from ▁their ▁Sh aker ▁He ights , ▁Ohio , ▁development ▁to ▁dow nt own ▁Cleveland . ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁the ▁V ans ▁purchased ▁a ▁cont rolling ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁York , ▁Chicago ▁and ▁St . ▁Louis ▁Rail road ▁( known ▁as ▁the ▁" N ick el ▁Pl ate ▁Rail road "), ▁whose ▁char ter ▁permitted ▁a ▁rail ▁line ▁into ▁dow nt own ▁Cleveland . ▁To ▁protect ▁their ▁Nick el ▁Pl ate ▁invest ment , ▁the ▁V ans ▁began ▁acqu iring ▁other ▁rail ro ads ▁as ▁well . ▁As ▁part ▁of ▁this ▁strategy , ▁from ▁November ▁ 1 9 2 4 ▁to ▁January ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁the ▁V ans ▁purchased ▁enough ▁stock ▁in ▁the ▁Er ie ▁Rail road ▁to ▁take ▁control ▁of ▁that ▁property . ▁ ▁Er ie ▁Rail road ▁purchase ▁of ▁the ▁Cleveland ▁and ▁Mah oning ▁Valley ▁The ▁complex ▁system ▁of ▁holding ▁companies ▁and ▁lo ans ▁which ▁the ▁V ans ▁used ▁to ▁build ▁their ▁rail road ▁emp ire ▁col lapsed ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁with ▁the ▁on set ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁Van ▁S wer ingen ▁rail ro ads ▁strugg led ▁with ▁bank rupt cy , ▁the ▁Er ie ▁Rail road ▁sought ▁ways ▁to ▁cut ▁costs . ▁The ▁company ▁was ▁still ▁pay ing ▁$ 5 5 8 , 9 6 7 ▁to ▁the