On September 16th, Chardon celebrated the completion of the Trail, with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Trail Head at 320 Park Ave in Chardon, Ohio.

The Maple Highland Trail is the recreational bike trail in Geauga County that runs from Colburn Road, in the north, to Swine Creek Reservation, in the south. It follows much of the roadbed of the former Lake Branch of the B & O Railroad (Chessie System) which ran from Fairport Harbor to Warren, Ohio. (Download Trail Map). There are connections in the north to the Greenway Corridor in Lake County, which runs to Jackson Street in Painesville.

Dan Rager, in his book, All Aboard The Maple Leaf Route, Vol. 2 reveals much about this area.

As you stand at the Park Ave.Trail Head, you are just south of the beginning of what was once a large 14-track rail yard. The Cleveland and Eastern Railway had connections with the yard which enabled the transportation of coal, equipment, supplies, and early passengers, during the construction phase of the Interurban. It also provided a valuable freight interchange in the ensuing years.

Looking north, you will see an odd brick building which Dan revealed was the "brine house" used in the purification of the water for the steam engines. This is the only structure left from that rail yard. The City of Chardon is currently investigating whether it will be practical to preserve that historic building.

At a location a few yards beyond that building on the opposite side of the trail, was the location of a double-spouted 50,000-gallon water tank used by the railroad to fill locomotives.



If you walk south on the Trail, the former B & O right of way will be on your right. Approximately 2/3rds of the way between Park Avenue and South Street (State Route 44) the Interurban crossed the railroad on an elevated trestle bridge and continued east to South Street where it then turned north as it continued to Chardon Square.

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New book about the Lake Branch of the B & O Railroad is published

Dan Rager, a member of the Cleveland & Eastern Interurban Historic Society, has published a new book about the railroad that once ran through Chardon and Middlefield.

The book, Building the Lake Branch, Complete History, 1835-2021, Vol.4, is a comprehensive history of the line that eventually became the Lake Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (Chessie System), and ran from Fairport Harbor through Painesville to Youngstown, Ohio.

The publication explains the complex development of railroads in the region. It describes how the Lake Branch, which had a dozen different names over its 185-year history, evolved from a narrow-gauge passenger and freight railroad into a major standard-gauge mover of iron ore to the steel mills of Youngstown and Pittsburgh and hauler of coal to the port at Fairport Harbor on Lake Erie.

The Cleveland & Eastern had connections with the B & O in Chardon and Middlefield. This allowed the C & E to transfer materials and equipment during its construction. The Chardon connection also allowed the early C & E steam engines to access the B & O's water tank and was later used to transfer coal to its power plant in Gates Mills.

The book contains 300 color and black & white photos, maps, blueprints, and ‘then and now’ photos. It describes the lives of those who lived and worked on the road as well as the events that took place. It has separate chapters detailing the history of each village through which the line passed including current photos showing remnants of the line. In addition, it contains a unique listing of 546 Ohio railroads and 930 Lake Erie vessels.

You can purchase it via email from the Maple Leaf Publishing Company, P.O. Box 144, Chardon, OH 44024, or online from lulu.com. It is also available via email from Mountain Road Bikes, 109 South St, Chardon, OH 44024 or at the Painesville Railroad Museum, 475 Railroad Street, Painesville, OH 44077. The book is 310 pages and is priced at $65.00 plus $4.95 for shipping and handling.



Table of Contents.

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New interactive map of the C & E available

If you are interested in seeing a current map showing where the Cleveland and Eastern (C&E) once ran, you can now view it with NE Ohio Right-of-Way made with Google My Maps.

This map shows the former railroads and interurbans which once crossed Northeastern Ohio. You can zoom in and out; toggle between map and satellite views; and identify present-day roads, rivers, establishments, landmarks etc.

You can view the Cleveland & Eastern by clicking the NE Ohio Right-of-Way . Once you enter the page, you can zoom within that view or select other views listed under the "untitled layer" or use the search fuction at the top of the page. There are 7 preset views of the C & E; 2 views of the Cleveland and Chagrin Falls Electric (Eastern Ohio Traction Company); and over 475 other views of former railroad right-of-ways.

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The Cleveland & Eastern Interurban Museum was featured at last year's May Open House
at the Chesterland Historical Village

The Museum, which is in the basement of the Historic Town Hall, operates a miniature train display, shows videos about the line, and displays many photos, and artifacts from the C & E and other Northern Ohio interurbans. We also sell books, maps, and other items to support the Society.

Visitors also viewed the original Scotland station that served as one of interurban stops in Chester. A Railway Express baggage wagon, recovered and restored by Interurban Society members, was also on display. Other historic buildings were also open. Members Jim Rivers, Joe Laskowski, and Bill Jackson were available to answer questions.

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The People's Automobile - A Pictorial History Of Ohio's Early Rail, Volume 3 by Dan Rager,
published last July, adds to the historical record of Interurbans in Northern Ohio.

The book contains hundreds of rare photographs of the Cleveland & Eastern, Cleveland & Chagrin Falls, Lakeshore Electric, and Southwestern System railways. Captions provide a detailed analysis of each photo. The publication covers the interurban era in Northern Ohio, between the 1890 's and 1950's.The 12-chapter, 102-page (8-1/2 by 11") book includes a table of contents, glossary, and system maps.

The book available at the Maple Leaf Publishing Company, P.O. Box 144, Chardon, OH 44024, Email: mapleleafroute@gmail.com. The price is $36.95 USA, plus $4.50 for shipping and handling. The book will also be available at Lulu.com.

Dan Rager has also published two other books about the Cleveland and Eastern Interurban: The Maple Leaf Route Vols. 1 & 2.

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William Meyer and Alex Vayda Donate Rare
Company Ledger to the C & E Museum

      William Meyer and Alex Vayda of Hambden Township recently donated the financial ledger of The Cleveland Interurban Railroad to the C & E Museum. The ledger records cash receipts and disbursements of the company from January 1913 to January 1923.

     The Cleveland Interurban Railroad was a company created by the Van Swearingen Brothers who also developed Shaker Heights, built the Terminal Tower, and acquired vast railroad holdings across the United States until the Depression. The Cleveland Interurban Railroad initially connected the Cleveland street car system, via Coventry Road, to the original right of way along Shaker Boulevard. This company eventually became the Shaker Rapid Transit which is, now, RTA's Red and Green Lines.

     They also donated The Shaker Heights Rapid Transit by James Toman. This book is the history of Shaker Rapid from it's beginning to the present day. The C & E Interurban Historical Society certainly appreciates these two donations that advance it's mission to collect and preserve artifacts of electric rail systems in Northeast Ohio.

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American Railway Express Baggage Wagon
Continues To Interest Museum Visitors!

This type wagon was commonly used by Interurban Railroads to move freight to and from the trolley cars at stops along the line. The Museum's freight wagon was found in the Cleveland flats by member Dick Philpott, who saved it from the scrappers and put it in storage until it could be rebuilt.

      In 2013 Dick gave the wagon to the Museum to be restored and put on display. Dick and fellow Museum member Jim Rivers moved the wagon to Jim's work shop where, over the next two and one half years, the wagon was completely dismantled and rebuilt. All of the wood except one piece was replaced and all of the metal parts were refinished. Even the wheels were completely rebuilt.

On April 2, 2015, returned to its original condition, the wagon was moved to its new home in the Cleveland & Eastern Scotland Station at the Cleveland and Eastern Museum / The Chesterland Historical Foundation.