Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

Overview
Headquarters	1664 Main Street/Route 303, Peninsula, Summit County, Ohio
Reporting mark	CVSR
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	https://www.cvsr.org/
hide Route map Legend Cleveland Union Terminal (B&O) Brooklyn (B&O) Willow (B&O) South Park (B&O) Rockside Canal Exploration Center Alexanders (B&O) SR 82 / 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 (B&O) North Industry (B&O) East Sparta (B&O) Sandyville (B&O) Mineral City (B&O) Valley Junction (B&O) Key: CVSR B&O This diagram: view talk

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]

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,^[when?] 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.

Today[]

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

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.

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.

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.

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]

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[]

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.^[11]

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 nine 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)
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[]

Retired Locomotives[]

Cars[]

Management[]

As of 2021 the railroad's management consists of:^[28]

• 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[]

References[]

General references[]

External links[]

• Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

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