CVSR Releases Winter 2020 Schedule

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad has released its winter schedule that will be in effect through April.

The National Park Scenic will operate on Saturdays and Sundays, departing Rockside Road Station in Independence at 9 a.m. and 12:15 a.m., and arriving in Akron at 10:15 a.m. and 1:25 p.m.

Northbound trains will depart Akron at 10:35 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. and arrive at Rockside Road at 11:55 a.m. and 2:55 p.m.

All trains will make station stops in Peninsula but bypass other CVSR stations.

Tickets are not yet on sale for the National Park Scenic on the CVSR website for 2020, but the site indicated the train will resume running in mid January.

November 30 will be the final day of operation of the Scenic in 2019. Only Polar Express trips will operate in December.

The CVSR’s specialty trains are also taking a break for the holidays.

Ales on Rails will return on Feb. 21, Grape Express returns on Feb. 7, and dinner aboard the train returns on a date to be announced in January.

The next murder mystery train will operate on Jan. 31. Other theme trains slated for the new year include Truffle Making on the Train, Trivia on the Train, and Canvass and Win on the Train. All of those will next operate on Jan. 24;

No date has been set for the return of Breakfast Along the Cuyahoga.

Tickets for the specialty trains will go on sale to certain CVSR members on Nov. 14 and to the public on Nov. 21.

CVSR Hosting Slate of October Theme Trains

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is offering a variety of theme trains in October, including the return of the Fall Flyer.

The Fall Flyer is a two-hour excursion that will operate on a non-stop schedule to enable passengers to view the fall foliage colors of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The trains will operate every Saturday and Sunday during October and offer upper dome car and luxury seating options.

Tickets range from $25 to $35 per person depending on the class of service selected.

Departures from Rockside Road station in Independence are at 2 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. Departures from Akron Northside station on Sundays will be at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Other theme train experiences being offered during October include a series of two-hour Family Fun Loops excursions that have various themes designed to appeal to children.

Tasty Treats will depart Rockside Road station on Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. and from Northside station at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 6.

Passengers will be able to decorate and of course eat cupcakes. Tickets are $25 for those who want to decorate and eat cupcakes and $15 for those who don’t want a cupcake.

Another set of Family Fun Loop trips will feature pumpkin decorating with arts and craft supplies.

Those trains depart Rockside Road on Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. and from Northside station at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 20. Passengers are encouraged to come wearing Halloween costumes.

Tickets are $30 per person for decorators and $20 per person for helpers, who will not receive a pumpkin.

Super Royal Halloween trains will leave on Oct. 13 at 3:30 p.m. from Northside station and Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. from Rockside station.

The trips will feature story telling, singing and a treat with a princess. Onboard will be Warrior Woman, Patriotic Hero, La Princesa, and Amulet Princess.

Tickets are $35 per person and the event is recommended for all ages.

The Family Fun Loops trips will wrap up with A Very Beary Costume Party.

The rides will feature instruction on how to decorate a stuffed animal. All participants will receive a bear and dress it in a costume.

Trains depart on Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. from Rockside Road station and on Oct. 27 at 3:30 p.m. from Northside station.

Tickets are $30 for builders, which includes a stuffed animal, and $20 for helpers.

Also slated for October are night excursions that will depart Rockside Road station at 7:30 p.m. on every Friday of the month.

Recommended for ages 3 and older, these excursions feature a two-hour train ride.

Trivia games will be held onboard led by a host with prizes awarded to the top three teams.

On Wednesdays in October the CVSR will host Read Aboard outings leaving at 9:45 a.m. and 11:40 a.m. from the Peninsula depot.

Recommended for ages 3 and up, children under the age of 2 do not need a ticket but must sit on a parent’s or guardian’s lap.

Tickets range from $8 to $10. Aboard the train during the two-hour ride there will be a story time and craft and activities.

On all of the October theme excursions beverages, snacks and merchandise will be for sale in the concession car.

CVSR To Begin Read Aboard Train Program

A new program oriented toward children will begin on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad on June 9.

The Read Aboard program will operate on Thursdays through Aug. 11 and is designed for children ages 3 to 7.

“Read Aboard is designed to help children learn about the train, their national park and to encourage summer reading,” the CVSR said in a news release.

Children and their parents will hear from trainmen, meet a librarian or bookshop owner to learn about how to search for their favorite books, listen to a short story, participate in a hands-on arts and crafts project, and search for wildlife in a scavenger hunt.

The program is available aboard the National Park Scenic train that departs at 9 a.m. from Rockside Station in Independent or at 10:50 a.m. from Akron Northside Station.

During the three-hour roundtrip, snacks and juice will be served.

Tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for children (Ages 3-12). Tickets are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

CVSR Sets Schedule for Grape Express, Ales on Rails, Valentine’s Day Meal Trains, and Maple Sugar Express Trips to Hale Farm & Village

There may be snow on the ground in Akron, but on board the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad there are hot meals and wines to keep you warm this winter.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad has announced its slate of wine tasting, beer tasting and other theme trains for the winter, spring and early summer.

The first of the wine tasting trains, which are dubbed the Grape Express, will roll on Jan. 23 from Akron Northside Station at 6:30 p.m. The two-hour trip will feature five wines along with hors d’ouerves.

Tickets start at $60 and passengers must be at least 21 years of age to ride. Passengers receive a commemorative glass as part of their fare.

Other Grape Express trips are set for Feb. 6, March 5, April 16, May 7 and June 11. All trips except the April trip depart at 7 p.m. from Rockside Road Station in Independence. The April 16 trip will depart from Akron at 6:30 p.m.

Each Grape Express features five wines tied to a given theme, often related to the season in which the train operates.

The themes for the first half of 2016 are: Jan. 23, South for the Winter; Feb. 6, That’s Amore (Italian wines); March 5, Celebrity Wines; April 16, Ohio Wineries; May 7, A Taste of Spanish Vino (Spanish wines); and June 11, Summer Wines.

The beer tasting trains, dubbed Ales on Rails, will operate on Jan. 16, Feb. 13, March 12, April 9, May 14 and June 4.

The January and May trips depart from Akron Northside Station at 6:30 p.m. while all other trips depart from Rockside Road Station at 7 p.m.

Tickets begin at $50 and passengers must be at least age 21 to ride. A commemorative glass is included with the fare. Appetizers are served with each of the five beer samples provided.

The themes for the beer tasting trains are as follows: Jan. 16, Warm up for Winter—Strong Ales; Feb. 13, Happy Hop Train; March 12, Irish Ales; April 9, Great Lakes Brewing Company; May 14, Thirsty Day Brewing Company; June 4, Summer Brews.

Other special theme trains slated for the winter include a Valentine’s Day dinner train on Feb. 12, a Valentine’s Day brunch on Feb. 13, and the Hale Farm & Village Maple Sugar Express in March.

The Valentine’s Day dinner train features a four-course dinner prepared by Fahrenheit Restaurant of Cleveland. Tickets are $110 per person, which includes the cost of wine with each course.

The menu for the dinner can be found at http://www.cvsr.com/special-events

Ticket for the Valentine’s Day brunch are $37 for adults and $27 for children. The brunch will be catered by Creekside Restaurant in Brecksville and includes a complimentary glass of champagne for those over age 21.

The Maple Sugar Express trains will operate on March 12 and 13 and on March 19 and 20, departing from Rockside Station at 9 a.m. and Akron Northside Station at 10:45 a.m.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for children and includes a pancake breakfast provided by Bob Evans Restaurants.

Participants will be given the opportunity to help the staff collect sap from the maple trees during the farm’s maple sugar festival.