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Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

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"CVSR" redirects here. For the solar power plant, see California Valley Solar Ranch.
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
Overview
Headquarters1664 Main Street/Route 303, Peninsula, Summit County, Ohio
Reporting markCVSR
LocaleCuyahoga Valley National Park
from Independence to
Akron OH
Dates of operation1975–present
PredecessorChessie System
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length26 miles (42 km) leased from National Park Service[1]
Other
Websitehttps://www.cvsr.org/
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)
OH-82.svg 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 Lincoln Highway
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:

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

History

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Formation

[edit]
Further information: Valley Railway

During the 1860s, as railroad construction across the United States was booming, citizens of the Cuyahoga Valley area expressed their desires for their own railroad.[5] Plans were subsequently made for a rail line to be built through the area, but they were quickly dropped, due to a lack of financial support.[5] The project was then resurrected by the financial support of David L. King, who owned various acres of property in the area.[5]

On August 21, 1871, the Valley Railroad Company was incorporated, with the intention of running trains from Cleveland to Akron, Middlebury, and Canton, rivaling the nearby Ohio and Erie Canal.[5][6] Construction of the railroad's right-of-way began, but following the Panic of 1873, a lack of funding halted the project again.[5] In 1878, capitalists from Cleveland and New York chose to fund the project, on the condition that the railroad company increased its capital stock, and construction subsequently resumed.[5]

Operations

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The first passenger train on the Valley Railroad's new route ran on January 28, 1880, between Cleveland and Canton. Regular passenger and freight operations began five days later, on February 2.[5] The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) expressed interest in reaching Cleveland via the Valley Railroad's route, and in the fall of 1889, brokers from New York purchased the majority of the Valley Railroad's stock and turned them over to the B&O.[7] The line between Cleveland and Akron was subsequently reorganized as the Cleveland, Terminal and Valley Railway; it later became known as the B&O's Valley Division.[6][7][8] While the division was originally the route of various passenger trains that ran once a day, passenger operations gradually dwindled, until only one train remained—the Cleveland Night Express.[7]

The Cleveland Night Express was discontinued by the 1960s, as competition from automobiles, trucks, and buses caused a major decline of both freight and passenger service on the division.[7][9] The B&O's successor, the Chessie System, retained and upgraded the rails of the Valley Division to operate their daily ore trains between Cleveland and the steel mills in New Castle and Youngstown.[7][10]

In the early 1970s, the Midwest Railway Historical Foundation expressed interest in using the railroad line between Cleveland and Akron for weekend tourist excursion operations, with Grand Trunk Western steam locomotive No. 4070 as the motive power.[7][8][11] The foundation attracted support from Siegfried Buerling of Hale Farm, the Western Reserve Historical Society, and lawyer and Cleveland County Fair director Henry Lukes. A new organization—the Cuyahoga Valley Preservation and Scenic Railway Association—was formed in 1972.[11] While the Chessie System was initially reluctant, the company's chairman, Cyrus Eaton, agreed to allow the foundation trackage rights for the division.[7][8][11] The Cuyahoga Valley Line's inaugural train ran on June 26, 1975.[11]

In 1985, the Chessie System's successor, CSX, obtained permission to abandon the right-of-way in favor of an alternate route that ran to Cleveland, and the Cuyahoga Valley Line consequently went through a hiatus without excursions for two ensuing years.[8] In 1987, the National Park Service (NPS) purchased the Cleveland-Akron line for $2.5 million, intending to expand passenger train service on the line to attract visitors to the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area.[8][12] The Cuyahoga Valley Line resumed its excursion operations in 1988.[8][12]

In 1994, the Cuyahoga Valley Line was reorganized as the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR), and expanded operations while upgrading their equipment with new ALCO and MLW diesel locomotives and Budd steel passenger cars.[6][8] In June 1999, construction was completed by the NPS on a new shop facility for the CVSR to use for locomotive maintenance.[10]

The railroad adopted a strategic plan which recommended that it expand its operational capabilities. To do so, additional locomotives would need to be purchased. The plan specified that the CVSR seek to become "the largest collection of preserved Alco locomotives in the country."[13] The railroad established a capital campaign, "Leading the Way Locomotive Fleet", to help it acquire the engines. By June 2024, it had raised $1.5 million toward its goal of $3 million.[13][14]

In late June 2024, the CVSR acquired an Alco FPA4 and an FPB4 from the Grand Canyon Railway,[13] giving it a total of five locomotives.[14] The acquisition allows the railroad to operate two trains at once. It also allows for one locomotive to receive maintenance without impacting the operational schedule, which will enhance reliability.[14] CVSR said it intended to purchase an additional FPA4 and FPB4 from the Grand Canyon Railway in the future.[13][14]

Future

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On January 26, 2023, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency and its partner agencies established plans to extend CVSR from its current northern terminus at Rockside Road in Independence, Ohio, all the way into Cleveland.[15]

Accidents

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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 several accidents in recent history:

  • In 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.[18]
  • In 2012, a southbound CVSR train struck an eastbound car at the Portage St. crossing in northern Stark County. The elderly female driver was killed.
  • In 2015 a pedestrian was killed by FPA-4 6780 (when it was still numbered 800) in a collision in Peninsula, Ohio.[19]

Operations

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CVSR offers a variety of trips throughout the year. It operates excursion trains, and in a partnership with the NPS, the railroad helps visitors access various parts of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The CVSR also co-operates with Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway (WLE) to operate on trackage south to Canton.[9]

National Park Scenic

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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.[20]

Steam in the Valley

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Grand Trunk Western 4070, a steam locomotive, was originally the primary motive power of the CVSR, but since 1990, the locomotive has been out of service. During select operating years in the 21st century, the CVSR hosted steam excursion trains pulled by visiting steam locomotives, including Canadian Pacific 1293, Viscose Company 6, and Nickel Plate Road 765.[21]

Explorer

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For a small fee, 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 Explorer program (previously known as Bike Aboard) is only offered from May through October.[22]

Train to Canton

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In summer 2003, CVSR began service between Akron and Canton. CVSR provided service between Akron Northside Station and Canton Lincoln Highway Station until 2013.[23]

Stations

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Stations
 Address
[24][25] 		Elevation[A] Nearby[B] Points of Interest Image
Rockside 7900 Old Rockside Road, Independence, Ohio 44131 598 feet (182 m) GCRTA Routes 54 (Rockside Rd) and 77 (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 [26] 739 feet (225 m) Hunt Farm Visitor Center, Beaver Marsh, Pancake Lock 26, Johnny Cake Lock 27
Howe Meadow stop[27] 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

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Locomotives

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Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad - Locomotives[28]
Manufacturer
 Model
 Description
 Road Numbers
 Notes
ALCO American Locomotive Company Alco C420 Road/Switcher 365 In Service
Budd Company RDC-1 Rail Diesel Car M-3, 9801, 9802 All Out of Service
RDC-9 Rail Diesel Car 6003 Out of Service.
MLW Montreal Locomotive Works MLW FPA-4 Passenger 6771, 6773, 6777, 6780 (B&O Livery; formerly numbered 800) 6773 and 6777 In service, 6771 and 6780 Out of Service and 6773 is A former Grand Canyon Railway unit.
MLW Montreal Locomotive Works MLW FPB-4 Passenger 6871 A Former Grand Canyon Railway unit and Out of Service

Former Locomotives

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Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad - Retired Locomotives[28]
Manufacturer
 Model
 Description
 Road Numbers
 Notes
MLW Montreal Locomotive Works MLW FPA-4 Passenger 6767 Used as parts, cab roof cut off in February 2021 for use in restoration of ATSF 59L
Budd Company RDC-1 Passenger 6146 Scrapped for Parts. Ex Boston and Maine
ALCO American Locomotive Company RS-3 Road/Switcher 4099, 4088 and 4056 4099 sold to Age of Steam Roundhouse in 2011, 4056 and 4088 cannibalized for parts
ALCO American Locomotive Company RSD-5 Passenger 1689 Sold to Illinois Railway Museum
MLW Montreal Locomotive Works MLW RS-18 Road/Switcher 182 and 1822 182 was A RS-18 and 1822 was A RS-18U, Both sold to LTEX in 2024
MLW Montreal Locomotive Works MLW C-424 Road/Switcher 4241 Sold to LTEX in 2024.

Cars

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Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad - Cars[28]
Number
 Name
 Type
 Heritage
 Notes
1 St. Lucie Sound Observation/bar/sleeping/lounge car ex-Florida East Coast Railway Acquired 1995 and out of service.
89 "Lone Star" Concession/Diner car ex-Baltimore and Ohio Acquired 1993 and sold in 2019.
105 Coach/ADA car ex-Boston and Maine Railroad/Virginia Railway Express Demotorized Budd Rail Diesel Car (Boise Budd). Acquired 2008, In service and used for handicapped accessibility.
110–115 Lightweight coaches ex-Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway, New Jersey Transit Rail Operations, Penn Central Transportation Company, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Built 1939 Budd Company. Acquired 1994, 110 "Mary S. & David C. Corbin" temporary out of service, 111 & 112 "General John Stark" out of service, 113 & 115 sold in 2005 to Oklahoma Railway Museum and 114 "Barrlet Salon" sold in 2006 to a defunct restaurant in Fennville Michigan.
161 Steven W. Wait Dining car ex-MARC Train, Pennsylvania Railroad Converted to dining car in early 2019 and in service.[29]
8283 Sharon Inn Edu-trainment car ex-MARC Train, Pennsylvania Railroad Converted to educational car for kids in 2019-2020 and in service.[30] Re-lettered and re-numbered in 2020.[28]
8244 Beaver Falls Inn Coach ex-MARC Train, Pennsylvania Railroad In Service and re-lettered and re-numbered in 2022
164 R.T. Green Family Coach ex-MARC Train, Pennsylvania Railroad Out of Service
165 George Washington Cooper Coach ex-MARC Train, Pennsylvania Railroad Renamed in 2018 and in service.[31]
8260 Greensburg Inn Coach ex-MARC Train, Pennsylvania Railroad Preserved in honor of Ruth Renner Percy, re-lettered and re-numbered in 2020 and in service.[32]
167 Simon Perkins Coach ex-MARC Train, Pennsylvania Railroad In Service
8243 Astabula Inn Coach ex-MARC Train, Pennsylvania Railroad Preserved by the Clarence Reinberger Foundation, re-lettered and re-numbered in 2020 and in service.[33]
169 "Culver Inn" Coach ex-MARC Train, Pennsylvania Railroad In Service
357 Head end power car ex-US Army Acquired 2018 and in service.
377/CZ-10 Silver Solarium Dome/Observation car ex-Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Built 1948. Acquired 2018 and in service.[34]
450 Silver Peak Baggage car ex-Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Built 1940 by Budd and Out of Service.
688 Head end power car ex-Amtrak, US Army Rebuilt by Amtrak in the 1970s from a 1951 troop sleeper and Out of Service.
727 Fort Mitchell Combine car/ADA car ex-Central of Georgia Railway Acquired 1995 and sold in 2021 to The Southern Appalachia Railway Museum.
1105 Silver Bronco Dome car ex-Rio Grande Zephyr, Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Acquired 2011 and in service.
1129 Baggage car Northern Pacific Built 1947. Acquired 2009. Upgraded for Bike Aboard program and in service.[35]
2914 A.A. Augustus Coach ex-New York Central Railroad Built 1948 by Budd Company. Converted to dining car in 2018 and Out of Service.[29]
3126 Cuyahoga Inn Dining car ex-Amtrak, Pennsylvania Railroad Built by Budd in 1949. Acquired 2006 and Out of Service.
3450 Knight Foundation Baggage car ex-Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Built 1940s Budd Company. Out of Service.
4718 Silver Lariat Dome car ex-Burlington Northern Railway Built 1948 by Budd. Acquired 2018 and in service since 2021.
6217 "Nancy S. Labuda" Coach ex-Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Built 1947 by Budd Company. Acquired 1996. Renovated as a premium coach in 2019 and In Service.
8449 Silver Rapids 10-6 Sleeper car ex-Pennsylvania Railroad Built 1948 by Budd. Acquired 2018 and Out of Service because of mold.
2989 Cafe car ex-Amtrak, Southern Pacific Transportation Company Built 1950. Used on the Auto Train. Acquired 2002, re-numbered in 2021 and in service.
8704 Furnace Run Cafe car ex-Amtrak, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Acquired 2007 and in service.
79896 Caboose ex-Adirondack Scenic Railroad, Canadian National Built 1977. Acquired 2016 and sometimes in service and sometimes out of service.
8266 Latrobe Inn Coach ex-MARC Train, Pennsylvania Railroad Built 1949 by Budd. Acquired 2013 and in service.
801 Silver Salon Lounge/ADA Car ex-Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Built 1947 by Budd. Acquired 2021 and in refurbishment.

Management

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As of 2021, the railroad's management consists of:[36]

  • Joe Mazur, President/CEO
  • Bobby Dinkins, Chief Operating Officer
  • Greg Domzalski, Director of Finance
  • Carl Bennett III, Director of Operations
  • Kelly Koehler, Director of Events
  • Katelyn Gainer, Director of Marketing and Communications
  • Lisa Brown, Director of Development

See also

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Notes

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^ 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

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  1. ^ "2019 - 2021 Strategic Plan" (PDF). Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Roster of Equipment". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Archived from the original on 2008-05-09.[non-primary source needed]
  3. ^ "Experience a Trip Back in Time Aboard Steam Engine No. 765". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. July 11, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  4. ^ "CVSR". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Johnson (1980), p. 49
  6. ^ a b c Perri (2001), p. 27
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Johnson (1980), p. 50
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Perri (2001), p. 28
  9. ^ a b "Recreation - CVSR". Cuyahoga Valley National Park, National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. Archived from the original on 2008-06-21.
  10. ^ a b Perri (2001), p. 30
  11. ^ a b c d Johnson (1980), p. 52
  12. ^ a b "Arrivals & Departures - Tourist Capers". Trains. Vol. 48, no. 3. Kalmbach Publishing. January 1988. p. 11. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d "Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad adds two Alco diesels". Trains. June 20, 2024. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d Becka, Megan (June 19, 2024). "Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad adds 2 historic locomotives to fleet". Cleveland.com. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  15. ^ Steven Litt (27 January 2023). "NOACA serious about connecting downtown Cleveland with Cuyahoga Valley National Park via Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad". Cleveland.com. Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 15 December 2023. At a meeting Thursday afternoon, representatives of NOACA and partnering agencies reached an informal agreement on their roles and responsibilities in pushing the project forward this year, NOACA Executive Director Grace Gallucci told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.
  16. ^ "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.
  17. ^ "Railroad Safety Statistics 2005 Annual Report" (PDF). Federal Railroad Administration, United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-07-28. [dead link]
  18. ^ CR Rae (June 19, 2009). "Train accident in Springfield Township". The Suburbanite. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  19. ^ "Pedestrian killed by Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad train". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  20. ^ "All Aboard the National Park Scenic Excursion". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.[non-primary source needed]
  21. ^ Ewinger, James (September 11, 2010). "Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad picks up some steam with antique locomotive". Cleveland.com.
  22. ^ "Bring Your Bike Aboard the Train". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.[non-primary source needed]
  23. ^ Rink, Matthew (8 July 2013). "Scenic railway scales back trips to Canton". The Repository.
  24. ^ "Stations". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
  25. ^ "Cuyahoga Valley National Park Maps". National Park Service. National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  26. ^ "Domestic Names - Search". United States Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  27. ^ "Directions". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Archived from the original on 2008-05-14.
  28. ^ a b c d "Our Fleet". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.[non-primary source needed]
  29. ^ a b "Powering Ahead". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
  30. ^ Segall, Grant (24 October 2019). "Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad opens innovative Edu-Trainment Car". Cleveland.com.
  31. ^ Webb, Craig (September 28, 2018). "Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad to rename car for Civil War vet". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.[non-primary source needed]
  32. ^ Nickel, Taylor (May 10, 2020). "CVSR Hosts Ceremony for the Renner-Percy Family Car". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.[non-primary source needed]
  33. ^ "Today Car #168 received new lettering and a new number". Facebook. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. August 20, 2020.[non-primary source needed]
  34. ^ Hlavaty, Kaylyn (2018-09-13). "Historic railcars arrive from California as newest addition to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad". newsnet5. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  35. ^ "Transit In Parks Program" (PDF). National Park Service.
  36. ^ "Board & Staff". Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Retrieved 7 May 2021.[non-primary source needed]

General references

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Bibliography

[edit]
  • Johnson, Ronald (July 1980). "The Cuyahoga Valley Line". Railfan & Railroad. Carstens Publications. pp. 49–52.
  • Perri, Mark (June 2001). "An update from along the Crooked River". Railpace. Vol. 20, no. 6. Railpace Company, Inc. pp. 27–30.
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