In its early years, The Cuyahoga Valley Line ran its trips to Akron with ex-Grand Trunk Western 4070 and often a set of matching heavyweight passenger cars making for an almost “timeless” train. Here is CVL 4070 southbound in Peninsula on Oct. 29, 1977.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
The wayback machine has taken us back to Oct. 17, 1981, on the Cuyahoga Valley Line in Brecksville. On this glorious autumn day we witness former Grand Trunk Western 2-8-2 No. 4020 pulling a southbound train beneath the Ohio Route 82 bridge along the Cuyahoga River.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
The Cuyahoga Valley Line never replenished 2-8-2 steam locomotive No. 4070 with coal from the former Baltimore & Ohio coaling tower in Akron. The facility had been out of service for well over a decade by the time the CVL began operations in summer 1975. In the photograph above, the 4070 is passing the coaling tower in September 1978. The light Mikado was turned here in preparation of its return trip to Cleveland. Of course at one time B&O steam locomotives pulling trains on the Valley Line between Cleveland and Akron did sit in this location to get a new load of coal.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Former Grand Trunk Western No. 4070 and a Baltimore & Ohio geep are in Akron with a Cuyahoga Valley Line excursion train on Oct. 5, 1980. They will pull the train to Akron Junction where they will turn on a wye and then head back north later in the day to pick up passengers for the return trip to Cleveland.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Cuyahoga Valley Line 4070 is in Akron on Oct. 27, 1979. The locomotive and its train will pull up to me and then back around the wye at Akron Junction on the Baltimore & Ohio. This will position the train for its trip back to Cleveland.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Earlier this summer I visited the recently opened Cuyahoga Valley Visitor Center in Boston Mill with Marty Surdyk and more recently with my wife, Ursula.
The history of the area is fascinating and to this day still changing.
The photos in this post are all on the site of the former Cleveland-Akron Bag Company factory.
Workers made flour sacks and roofing paper from 1905-1923. The factory closed and was torn down.
The Visitor Center is housed in what once was the company general store.
Long after those events this location is still changing. Between 1975 and 1990 when I was riding and volunteering on the Cuyahoga Valley Line I’ve been able to see changes still.
These photos are from that time period, all at the location of that factory.
As you know this was the location of the Boston Mill station stop for the CVSR for many years until recently.
Aside from former Grand Trunk Western 4070 made in 1984, 1989 and 1990, we also see the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circus train when it was here for shows at the former Richfield Coliseum in November 1985.
Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas
Former Grand Trunk Western 2082 No. 4070 is a few miles south of Peninsula in June 1980 as it pulls a Cuyahoga Valley Line excursion train. Today these rails are the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
We’ve set the wayback machine to the era when former Grand Trunk Western 2-8-2 No. 4070 was the primary motive power pulling Cuyahoga Valley Line excursion trains through the then-named Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area.
In the photo above,l the 4070 and a Baltimore & Ohio torpedo tube Geep are southbound in Independence on Oct. 18, 1980. It was common in that era for a Chessie System diesel to accompany the CVL trains.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
Here are two photos of Midwest Railway Historical Foundation steam locomotive 4070 (ex-Grand Trunk Western 4070) operating on what was the Cuyahoga Valley Line and is now the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
These were taken in September 1982. In the upper image the train is southbound nearing Akron. In the bottom image it is in Akron.
Photographs by Robert Farkas
Cuyahoga Valley Line steam locomotive 4070 leads a southbound train that is approaching the unloading area in Akron on Oct. 29, 1977. Passengers boarded and disembarked on the site of the former Baltimore & Ohio Valley Line passenger station. The Akron Northside station of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is located on this site today.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
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