The convention buses departed Canton, Ohio, proceeded east on US 30, the Lincoln Highway, to Minerva and upon arrival at the Minerva Scenic Railroad, we all disembarked.
Minerva Steam Raiilroad MuseumThe Steam Railroad of Minerva organized a tourist train operation in 2004 that operated between Minerva and Bayard on a former Pennsylvania Railroad branch owned by Ohi-Rail but was formed in 1985 with a goal of preserving this nation's railroad history. In the last 12 years, this museum has acquired several pieces of railroad equipment with its members actively engaged in the various stages of their restoration.
The Carrollton, Oneida & Minerva Railroad operated passenger trains from Carrollton to Minerva and return on a 22 mile trip. Known as the Elderberry Line, it used a portion of Ohi-Rail to enter Minerva and a Wheeling and Lake Erie branch line between Carrrollton and Minerva Junction.
Almost everyone went inside the museum, but I stayed outside to photograph their equipment.
The passenger cars and caboose for our excursion train.
Pennsylvania Railroad caboose 478033 built by the railroad in 1951.
Over across a field was another set of equipment.
Maryland Area Regional Commuter E9AM 61, ex. New Jersey Transit 4253, exx. Penn Central 4253, nee Pennsylvania Railroad E8A 5793A, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1952. It was acquired by a private party and stored here.
Maryland Area Regional Commuter E8A 62, ex. New Jersey Transit 4305, exx. Amtrak 4305, exxx. Penn Central 4304, nee Pennsylvania Railroad 5905 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1952. It was sold to a private party and also stored here.
AAEX coach 10, formerly Ontario Northland, history unknown.
AAEX coach 09, formerly Ontario Northland, history unknown.
Down the tracks I found the Ohi-Rail diamond crossing.
Wheeling & Lake Erie 0-6-0 3960 built by the railway's Brewster shops in 1935. It was very unusual for a small, 481-mile long railroad to construct any steam locomotives, but W&LE Brewster Shop built 50 of them!
All fifty Brewster-built switchers became property of the Nickel Plate Road with the December 1, 1949, leasing of W&LE by NKP. The homemade 0-6-0s were renumbered 351 to 380, with former W&LE No.3960 becoming NKP 360. During its last year of active duty, No. 360 was assigned in Zanesville and made its last run under steam on October 31, 1957, when it chugged past a corn field that, 53 years later, would become the site of the Age of Steam Roundhouse. In 1957, ex-W&LE 2-8-2 No. 6008 was chosen for display in Canton's Mother Goose Land Park, but was later deemed too heavy and expensive to make the short, four-block trip by truck from the nearest rail siding. So, the smaller No.360 was pulled from the dead line, cosmetically restored in Brewster Shop and placed into the park on June 19, 1958.
By 1971 weather had taken its toll on the engine, so a local W&LE fan cut off the boiler jacket with a hammer and chisel, and removed the water-logged asbestos insulation surrounding the rusting boiler and cylinders. Repainted in a thick coat of black enamel, NKP No. 360 was relettered to its original identity as W&LE No. 3960. The engine continued to sit outside and slowly deteriorate in Canton, eventually being acquired by the Silver Throttle Engine Association and Museum (STEAM), a group which had formed to restore it. In 1991, the engine was removed from the park, and after stops in south Canton and Louisville ended up in Minerva.
Ohi-Rail S-2 1789 built by American Locomotive Company, history unknown.
Inside the shop was Ohi-Rail Corporation S4 18, ex. Cargill 105, nee Fairport, Painesville & Eastern Railroad Compamy 105 built by American Locomotive Company in 1951. Neither of the switchers are capable of being operated at this time.
I heard a horn and went outside where Ohio Central GP10 7547 came around a curve bringing two more cabooses for our excursion this late afternoon.
Ohio Central 7547 dropped off the cabooses then reversed to our trainset.
The two cabooses, Ohio Central 0222 and Chessie System 90221, waited to be picked up.
Ohio Central 7547 then pulled forward before reversing, coupling onto the cabooses.
Ohio Central 7547 has spotted the trainset.
The Excursion
The passengers then boarded our special train and I went into the first coach that had open steps and chose a seat in the "Village of Minerva". This train's consist was Ohio Central GP10 7547 ex. New York Central 5922, Minerva Scenic baggage car 1373, coach 1182 "Village of Minerva" and cabooses Pennsylvania Railroad 788033, Minerva 0222 and Chesapeake and Ohio 90221.
Once the train started, the air partially cooled us off in our non-air conditioned coach.
Passengers enjoying the open door baggage car.
Our three-mile trip, started by us passing the Minerva Graveyard.
The former Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad station built in 1917 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Norfolk and Western had a travelling agent using the depot until around 1980, at which time it closed. It sat unused and vandalized until around 1991 when new W&LE took over 550 miles in Ohio and Pennsylvania. During the summer of 1991, Ohi-Rail, the village and Kohman Ford got together with new W&LE, which resulted in W&LE selling the depot to Village of Minerva, W&LE sold team track area to Kohman and W&LE and Ohi-Rail removed diamond (track leading to depot) and cut in new switch, thus re-connecting old PRR (Ohi-Rail) with old W&LE (new W&LE). The village procured a grant, fixed up the depot and it now houses Chamber of Commerce and Salvation Army.
Displayed at the right of the station is New York Central caboose 20480 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1952.
We crossed Sandy Creek.
The bridge across Sandy Creek.
Passing a row of trees blocking the residential view of the tracks.
Running through the outskirts of Minerva.
Another view-blocking row of trees.
The edge of Minerva and finally out into the countryside.
The first field we passed was full of corn.
We then stopped for the photo runbys.
Photo runby one was across a field on the shady side of the train.
Reversing for photo runby two.
Photo runby two was on the sunny side, but was tight.
After we crossed the highway, we passed a farm house across the valley.
We reached our turnaround point and stopped for a moment before reversing the whole way back.
I relaxed in my coach seat.
Lincoln Highway (US 30) in Minerva.
Back in Minerva, a closer view of New York Central Caboose 20480.
We arrived at the museum and everyone detrained and made their way to the buses. Once full, we proceeded west on Ohio Highway 42/183 to beyond Magnolia, where we turned left on Ohio Highway 800 to Dover. From there, local roads took us back to the Holiday Inn. I left Chris Parker on the bus as he was on his way to the convention's Amish dinner in Sugar Creek. I went back to the Knights Inn to relax before going to Hog Heaven for another excellent steak dinner. Later, Chris returned and we called it a night after a great day for us at both the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and the Minerva Steam Railroad Museum.
Tomorrow, our next convention excursion was a steam trip to Newark on the Ohio Central mainline west from Dennison.
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