The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway
The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR) is one of the oldest and longest scenic tourist excursion railways in the country. The train runs through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park from Independence to Akron.
The Cuyahoga Valley Railway began operations in 1880, transporting iron, coal and passengers from the Tuscarawas River Valley to Cleveland, Akron, and Canton. In 1989, a mutually beneficial partnership began for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Locomotive #6777 and #6771 approaches the train station at Indigo Lake. The train was built in Canada in 1959 by Montreal Locomotive Works. The CVSR purchased #6777 in 1994 and #6771 in April, 1993. The locomotives have a 12 cylinder 251, 1,800 horsepower diesel engine.
Part of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway's fleet is a California Zephyr trainset consisting of 5 stainless steel passenger rail cars, which were built in 1948 by the Budd Company in Philadelphia, PA.
Silver Solarium was built in 1948 by the Budd Company for the Chicago, Quincy & Burlington Railroad as CB&Q #377. It was one of the six dome/sleeper/observation cars specifically built for the California Zephyr. the Silver Solarium has been fully renovated and has been operating as a private car, delighting passengers with stunning views from its Vista Dome and observation lounge. The observation lounge seats 11 in classic railroad lounge chairs, and the Vista Dome car seats 24 in booth seating at tables. CVSR acquired the car in September, 2018.
The California Zephyr, also known as the Silver Lady, was a pioneer in luxury passenger train travel. Dubbed “the most talked about train in America,” the California Zephyr made its inaugural eastbound run on March 20, 1949 with service between San Francisco and Chicago that covered 2,525 miles and took an average of 2.5 days to complete.
The California Zephyr offered sophisticated dining experiences with linens and china; sleeping compartments that ranged from the elegant staterooms complete with bathrooms, showers, drawing rooms, and bedrooms, to the cozier “roomettes”; and Vista Dome cars with windows on every side—including the ceiling—to provide breathtaking panoramic views of the passing mountains, rivers, and countryside.
The California Zephyr operated as a passenger train for 20 years, and its 77 cars were later sold to different companies and private owners. Over the years, the majority of these stainless steel cars have all but disappeared from America’s railways, having been sold off, scrapped, or simply left in storage and fallen into complete disrepair. CVSR’s acquisition of the trainset will enable us to preserve a vital piece of our nation’s railway history that was at serious and imminent risk of being forgotten.
The Cuyahoga Valley Railway began operations in 1880, transporting iron, coal and passengers from the Tuscarawas River Valley to Cleveland, Akron, and Canton. In 1989, a mutually beneficial partnership began for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Locomotive #6777 and #6771 approaches the train station at Indigo Lake. The train was built in Canada in 1959 by Montreal Locomotive Works. The CVSR purchased #6777 in 1994 and #6771 in April, 1993. The locomotives have a 12 cylinder 251, 1,800 horsepower diesel engine.
Part of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway's fleet is a California Zephyr trainset consisting of 5 stainless steel passenger rail cars, which were built in 1948 by the Budd Company in Philadelphia, PA.
Silver Solarium was built in 1948 by the Budd Company for the Chicago, Quincy & Burlington Railroad as CB&Q #377. It was one of the six dome/sleeper/observation cars specifically built for the California Zephyr. the Silver Solarium has been fully renovated and has been operating as a private car, delighting passengers with stunning views from its Vista Dome and observation lounge. The observation lounge seats 11 in classic railroad lounge chairs, and the Vista Dome car seats 24 in booth seating at tables. CVSR acquired the car in September, 2018.
The California Zephyr, also known as the Silver Lady, was a pioneer in luxury passenger train travel. Dubbed “the most talked about train in America,” the California Zephyr made its inaugural eastbound run on March 20, 1949 with service between San Francisco and Chicago that covered 2,525 miles and took an average of 2.5 days to complete.
The California Zephyr offered sophisticated dining experiences with linens and china; sleeping compartments that ranged from the elegant staterooms complete with bathrooms, showers, drawing rooms, and bedrooms, to the cozier “roomettes”; and Vista Dome cars with windows on every side—including the ceiling—to provide breathtaking panoramic views of the passing mountains, rivers, and countryside.
The California Zephyr operated as a passenger train for 20 years, and its 77 cars were later sold to different companies and private owners. Over the years, the majority of these stainless steel cars have all but disappeared from America’s railways, having been sold off, scrapped, or simply left in storage and fallen into complete disrepair. CVSR’s acquisition of the trainset will enable us to preserve a vital piece of our nation’s railway history that was at serious and imminent risk of being forgotten.
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