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
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
On Friday, July 13, 1984, Dan Pluta was on the fire up crew at the West Third Street Baltimore & Ohio roundhouse in Cleveland with ex-Grand Trunk Western No. 4070.
It was being readied for its weekend trips on the Cuyahoga Valley Line. I along with Marty Surdyk and his two brothers ventured down to the roundhouse that night for a night photo shoot that extended way after midnight.
The next day we drove to Logansport, Indiana to capture ex Buffalo Creek & Gauley No. 13 dressed as a Pennsylvania Railroad engine. It was running for that city’s annual Iron Horse Days. This was a regular July event in Logansport in the 1980s and early 1990s.
The locomotive owned locally was dressed as Logansport & Eel River No. 1.
We captured the locomotive simmering prior to the Sunday excursions. This obviously was before the locomotive was purchased by Jerry Jacobson.
This was a typical weekend of rail enthusiasts enjoying nightlife. Then it was back to work on Monday morning.
The first three images were made at the B&O roundhouse in Cleveland while the next three were made in Logansport.
Photographs by Edward Ribinskas
I found a photo I took on Sept. 22, 1984, of former Grand Trunk Western No. 4070 on the Cuyahoga Valley Line at the intersection of Portage Path & Merriman Roads in Akron.
I wanted to duplicate that shot with Nickel Plate Road’s 765 during its visit this month to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
On the Sunday morning ferry move to Akron I did that.
In the morning the sun favors the fireman’s side of a southbound train. However, at this location the railroad shifts facing west to east, thus the sun favors the engineer’s side.
The lighting was perfect for the 9:35 a.m. arrival.
Photographs by Edward Ribinskas
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
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
It is the classic Brecksville photograph. A train coming south on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, the Ohio Route 82 and the Cuyahoga River reflecting it all.
In this image, we’ve gone back to Oct. 2, 1982, when the CVSR was known as the Cuyahoga Valley Line and former Grand Trunk Western 2-8-2 No. 4070 was the main attraction.
The river and Route 82 bridge are still there but the 4070 lies disassembled in Cleveland undergoing what could best be termed a slow and long-term restoration to operating condition.
Photograph by Robert Farkas
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