Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is a Class III railroad [2] operating diesel-electric and steam-powered[3] excursion trips through Peninsula, Ohio in the Cuyahoga Valley, primarily through the scenic Cuyahoga Valley National Park.[4]

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

Overview
Headquarters	1664 Main Street/Route 303, Peninsula, Summit County, Ohio
Locale	Cuyahoga Valley National Park from Independence to Akron OH
Dates of operation	1975–Present
Predecessor	Chessie System
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length	26 miles (42 km) leased from National Park Service[1]
Other
Website	http://www.cvsr.org/
Route map Cleveland Union Terminal (B&O) Brooklyn (B&O) Willow (B&O) South Park (B&O) Rockside Canal Exploration Center Alexanders (B&O) Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge Brecksville (B&O) Jaite (B&O) Boston Mill (B&O) Peninsula Depot (B&O) Everett (B&O) Indigo Lake Ira (B&O) Botzum (B&O) Old Portage (B&O) Big Bend Akron Northside (B&O) to Akron CT&V Depot (B&O) to Akron Union Depot (B&O) Akron Junction (B&O) East Akron (B&O) Krumroy (B&O) Myersville (B&O) Aultman (B&O) North Canton (B&O) Canton Lincoln Highway Canton (B&O) North Industry (B&O) East Sparta (B&O) Sandyville (B&O) Mineral City (B&O) Valley Junction (B&O)

History

CVSR Brecksville station, set against the scenic Route 82 bridge over the Cuyahoga River Valley, is one of several stations modeled after historic train stations within Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Based on a track bed and rails originally laid down around 1880, right-of-way ownership transitioned over the years from Valley Railway to Cleveland Terminal & Valley Railroad (CT&V), to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, to the Chessie System. Currently, the National Park Service own the rails and right-of-way within Cuyahoga Valley National Park. CVSR co-operates with Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway (WLE) on operation of the railroad track south of CUVA to Canton. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad operates their excursion trains in co-operation with both the NPS & WLE.[5][6]

The history of trains in the Cuyahoga Valley stretches back more than 100 years. In 1880, the Valley Railway began operations, transporting coal to Cleveland, Akron, and Canton from the Tuscarawas River Valley and providing passenger service along the way. After a decade of operation, the Valley Railway became part of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. In the 20th century, competition from automobiles, trucks, and buses caused the decline of both freight and passenger service. Interest in the line was renewed in 1972 as a scenic excursion route and the Cuyahoga Valley Preservation and Scenic Railway Association was born.

Accidents

CVSR engine 365 sits at the Canton Lincoln Highway Station.

Flood damage to CVSR tracks north of Bath Road.

Cuyahoga River flooding CVSR tracks north of Vaughn Road.

CVSR staff load and transport bikes with a Bike and Hike ticket.

The CVSR has had a few accidents in recent history including most recently hitting a car at a crossing. A person died in 2004 after being hit by train 1822 during a Polar Express excursion.[7][8]

On June 18, 2009, an automobile collided with a weekday train at an ungated crossing with no warning lights. The driver of the car was not expecting the train as he thought it only ran at weekends.[9]

On July 13, 2012, a southbound CVSR train struck an eastbound car at the Portage St. crossing in northern Stark County. The elderly female driver was killed.

On November 1, 2015 a pedestrian was killed by the train in a collision in Peninsula, OH.[10]

Today

Originally known as the Cuyahoga Valley Line, the scenic railroad now operates as Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR).

Future

Several Ohio and Erie Canal-oriented organizations in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and Summit County are pushing for extension of CVSR operations farther North along the Canal corridor into Cleveland. Some other organizations have been researching the feasibility of commuter rail operations between Akron-Canton and Cleveland.

From the current CVSR Rockside station, (other railroads') existing tracks follow the West Bank of the Cuyahoga River to along: Valley Belt Road, Bradley Road, Jennings Road, Steelyard Drive, Holmden Avenue, Quigley Road; Crossing over the Cuyahoga River on the railroad draw bridge near Quigley and West 3rd., then follow the east bank of the Cuyahoga River to Canal Road near Commercial Road, ending up along Canal Road between Ontario Avenue and West 2nd. Street.

One of the big issues to be resolved would be scheduling and controlling access since the tracks through Cleveland and Newburgh Heights are used by freight train traffic, and much of the route above is single track with limited sidings.

Schedule

CVSR's schedule varies with seasonal demands. Currently, CVSR operates on Saturdays in January–February, Saturdays and Sundays in March–April, Fridays-Sundays in May and Tuesdays-Sundays in June through October. In November, the scenic train runs on weekends only due to The Polar Express. One train makes daily round-trips from Independence to Akron, which takes about 3 hours (1½ hours one-way).

Operations

CVSR offers a variety of trips throughout the year.

National Park Scenic[11]

National Park Scenic excursions allow passengers to ride throughout the entire route as well as get on and off at various stations along the way.

Steam in the Valley

Typically each year CVSR hosts visiting steam-powered equipment. Examples of such equipment include Ohio Central No. 1293, Viscose No. 6, and Nickel Plate Road No. 765.[12]

The Polar Express

Around mid-November and continuing through mid-December, the CVSR provides special Polar Express themed excursions both during the day as matinees and in the evenings. The excursions are only offered out of Rockside and Akron Northside stations. Children (and even adults) are encouraged to ride in their pajamas. Elves greet passengers at the door and help them find their seats. While underway, the elves read the story of the Polar Express, serve hot chocolate and cookies, play games, and sing Christmas songs. Both trains eventually end up at the "North Pole". On the return trip, each child gets a surprise visit from a very important jolly fellow.

Bike Aboard

For $5 a bicyclist may ride the train one way from any one of CVSR's 9 stations. The bike is loaded onto a re-purposed baggage car and bikers are seated in a car directly following it. Similar programs are in place for hikers, runners and passengers with kayaks for a slightly different price. The Bike Aboard program is only offered from May through October.[13]

Train to Canton

In summer 2003, CVSR began service between Akron and Canton. CVSR provided service between Akron Northside Station and Canton Lincoln Highway Station until 2013.[14] Canton service ended due to lack of ridership and poor track conditions.

Stations

Stations	Address [15][16]	Elevation^[A]	Nearby^[B] Points of Interest	Image
Rockside	7900 Old Rockside Road, Independence, Ohio 44131	598 feet (182 m)	GCRTA Routes 51C (Rockside Rd) and 77F (Brecksville Rd) bus connection; Eleven Mile Lock 39; Thornburg Station (food)
Canal Exploration Center	Canal Road & Hillside Road, Valley View, Ohio 44125	611 feet (186 m)	Canal Visitor Center, Twelve Mile Lock 38
Brecksville	13512 Station Road, Brecksville, Ohio 44141	635 feet (194 m)	Station Road Bridge; Pinery Dam & Feeder, and Lock 36; Whiskey Lock 35
Boston Mill	7100 Riverview Road, Peninsula, Ohio 44264	663 feet (202 m)	Boston Store Visitor Center, Boston Lock 32, Lonesome Lock 31, Wallace Lock 33, Boston Mills Ski Resort, food
Peninsula Depot	1630 West Mill Street, Peninsula, Ohio 44264	693 feet (211 m)	Peninsula Visitor Center, Peninsula Lock 29, Peninsula Feeder Lock 30, Deep Lock 28 and Quarry, food
Indigo Lake	Riverview Road, Peninsula, Ohio 44264 [17]	739 feet (225 m)	Hunt Farm Visitor Center, Beaver Marsh, Pancake Lock 26, Johnny Cake Lock 27
Howe Meadow stop[18]	4040 Riverview Road, Peninsula, Ohio 44264	741 feet (226 m)	Hunt Farm Visitor Center, Everett Road Covered Bridge
Botzum	2912 Riverview Road, Akron, Ohio 44313	754 feet (230 m)	Niles Lock 24, Mudcatcher Lock 25 (Station located in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio)
Big Bend	1337 Merriman Road, Akron, Ohio 44313	782 feet (238 m)[19]
Akron Northside	27 Ridge Street, Akron, Ohio 44308	885 feet (270 m)	Mustill Store, Quaker Square, National Inventors Hall of Fame a.k.a. Inventure Place
Canton Lincoln Highway	1315 Tuscarawas Street West, Canton, Ohio 44702	1,029 feet (314 m)	McKinley Memorial Mausoleum, Canton Museum of Art, First Ladies National Historic Site

Equipment

Locomotives

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad - Locomotives[20]

Manufacturer	Model	Description	Road Numbers
ALCO American Locomotive Company	Alco C420	Road/Switcher	365
Budd Company	RDC-1	Rail Diesel Car	M-3
MLW Montreal Locomotive Works	MLW C-424	Road/Switcher	4241
MLW Montreal Locomotive Works	MLW FPA-4	Passenger	800, 6771, 6777
MLW Montreal Locomotive Works	RS-18	Road/Switcher	1822

Cars

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad - Cars[21]

Number	Name	Type	Heritage	Notes
1	St. Lucie Sound	Observation/bar/sleeping/lounge car	ex-Florida East Coast Railway	Acquired 1995.
105		Coach/ADA car	née-Boston and Maine Railroad	Demotorized Budd Rail Diesel Car RDC-3 combine. Acquired 2008 and used for handicapped accessibility.
110-112		Lightweight coaches	ex-Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway, exx-New Jersey Transit Rail Operations, exxx-Penn Central Transportation Company, née-Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway	Built 1939 Budd Company. Acquired 1994.
161	Steven W. Wait	Dining car	ex-MARC Train, née-Pennsylvania Railroad	Converted to dining car in early 2019.[22]
8283	Sharon Inn	Edu-trainment car	ex-MARC Train, née-Pennsylvania Railroad	Converted to educational car for kids. [23] Re-lettered and re-numbered in 2020.[24]
163	Siegfried F. Buerling	Coach	ex-MARC Train, née-Pennsylvania Railroad
164	R.T. Green Family	Coaches	ex-MARC Train, née-Pennsylvania Railroad
165	George Washington Cooper	Coach	ex-MARC Train, née-Pennsylvania Railroad	Renamed in 2018.[25]
8260	Greensburg Inn	Coach	ex-MARC Train, née-Pennsylvania Railroad	Preserved in honor of Ruth Renner Percy, re-lettered and re-numbered in 2020.[26]
167	Simon Perkins	Coach	ex-MARC Train, née-Pennsylvania Railroad
8243	Astabula Inn	Coach	ex-MARC Train, née-Pennsylvania Railroad	Preserved by the Clarence Reinberger Foundation, re-lettered and re-numbered in 2020.[27]
169	Spirit of Summit	Coach	ex-MARC Train, née-Pennsylvania Railroad
357		Head end power car	née-US Army	Acquired 2018.
377	Silver Solarium	Dome/Observation car	née-Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad	Built 1948. Acquired 2018.[28]
450	Silver Peak	Baggage car	née-Chicago, Burlington and Quincy	Built 1940 by Budd.
688		Head end power car	ex-Amtrak, née-US Army	Rebuilt by Amtrak from a 1951 troop kitchen.
727	Fort Mitchell	Combine car/ADA car	née-Central of Georgia Railway	Acquired 1995. Used for handicapped accessibility.
1105	Silver Bronco	Dome car	ex-Rio Grande Zephyr née-Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad	Acquired 2011.
1129		Baggage car	née-Northern Pacific	Built 1947. Acquired 2009. Upgraded for Bike Aboard program.[29]
2914	A.A. Augustus	Coach	née-New York Central Railroad	Built 1948 by Budd Company. Converted to dining car in 2018.[30]
3126	Cuyahoga Inn	Dining car	ex-Amtrak, née-Pennsylvania Railroad	Acquired 2006.
3450		Baggage car	née-Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway	Built 1940s Budd Company.
4718	Silver Lariat	Dome car	née-Burlington Northern Railway	Built 1948 by Budd. Acquired 2018.
6217		Coach	née-Seaboard Coast Line Railroad	Built 1947 by Budd Company. Acquired 1996. Renovated as a premium coach in 2019.[31]
8449	Silver Rapids	10-6 Sleeper car	née-Pennsylvania Railroad	Built 1948 by Budd. Acquired 2018.
8700		Cafe car	ex-Amtrak, née-Southern Pacific Transportation Company	Built 1950. Used on the Auto Train. Acquired 2002.
8704	Furnace Run	Cafe car	ex-Amtrak, née-Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad	Acquired 2007.
79896		Caboose	ex-Adirondack Scenic Railroad, née-Canadian National	Built 1977. Acquired 2016.

Management[32]

• Joe Mazur, President/CEO
• Bobby Dinkins, Vice President of Development and Marketing
• Greg Domzalski, Director of Finance
• Jeremy Schroeder, Director of Operations
• Kelly Koehler, Director of Events

See also

• ABC Railway
• ALCO RSD-5
• Heritage railway
• Cleveland railroad history
• List of crossings of the Cuyahoga River
• List of heritage railroads in the United States
• List of Ohio railroads
• List of Ohio train stations
• Ohio and Erie Canal

Notes

^ A: Elevation or Altitude approximations obtained through Wiki ToolServer GeoHack link to United States Geological Survey National Elevation Dataset:
Where "-Longitude" is the degrees in decimal with the "W" suffix replaced by a "-" prefix
"Latitude" is the degrees in decimal without the "N" suffix.
^ B: "Nearby" means within a mile walk or so, one-way.

References

1. https://s6d5h5k2.stackpathcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-2021-CVSR-Strategic-Plan.pdf
2. "Roster of Equipment". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Archived from the original on 2008-05-09.
3. "Steam Returns to the Cuyahoga Valley". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14.
4. "CVSR". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
5. "Recreation - CVSR". Cuyahoga Valley National Park, National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. Archived from the original on 2008-06-21.
6. "Partnerships - CVSR". Cuyahoga Valley National Park, National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior.
7. "Railroad Safety Statistics 2004 Annual Report" (PDF). Federal Railroad Administration, United States Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-04-22. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
8. "Railroad Safety Statistics 2005 Annual Report" (PDF). Federal Railroad Administration, United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
9. CR Rae (June 19, 2009). "Train accident in Springfield Township". The Suburbanite. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
10. "Pedestrian killed by Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad train". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
11. https://www.cvsr.org/national-park-scenic/
12. https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2010/09/cuyahoga_valley.html
13. https://www.cvsr.org/bike-aboard/
14. https://www.cantonrep.com/article/20130708/NEWS/307089914
15. "Directions". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
16. "Cuyahoga Valley National Park - map" (PDF). National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-06-25.
17. "Domestic Names - Search". United States Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
18. "Directions". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Archived from the original on 2008-05-14.
19. "Cuyahoga Valley National Park - map". Summit County Engineer Viewer.
20. https://www.cvsr.org/our-fleet/
21. https://www.cvsr.org/our-fleet/
22. https://poweringahead.cvsr.org/
23. https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/10/cuyahoga-valley-scenic-railroad-opens-innovative-edu-trainment-car.html
24. https://www.cvsr.org/our-fleet/
25. https://www.cvsr.org/cuyahoga-valley-scenic-railroad-to-rename-car-for-civil-war-vet/
26. https://www.cvsr.org/cvsr-hosts-ceremony-renner-percy-family-car/
27. https://www.facebook.com/CVSRailroad/posts/today-car-168-received-new-lettering-and-a-new-number-the-car-has-been-renamed-t/2830190563753494/
28. Hlavaty, Kaylyn (2018-09-13). "Historic railcars arrive from California as newest addition to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad". newsnet5. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
29. https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/news/upload/Transit-In-Parks-Program-Flier-smaller-file.pdf
30. https://poweringahead.cvsr.org/
31. https://www.beaconjournal.com/news/20190613/cuyahoga-valley-scenic-railroad-to-add-rolling-childrens-museum-car-and-another-for-corporate-board-meetings
32. https://www.cvsr.org/board-staff/

General references

•  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Park Service.

External links

• Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad