Chris Parker and I awoke the next morning and went to have another continental breakfast at the motel. At 6:15 AM, we walked across the street to the Holiday Inn and boarded the second bus to take us to our first train trip of the day. Before we left, our bus host told us that a washout south of Independence meant our trip would start at Brecksville which was 5.9 miles south of the Rockside Station. I would have to come back to ride that mileage sometime in the future. Anyway, it will still be a great trip today as I have always wanted to ride this railroad. We left at 6:30 AM and headed north up Interstate 77 through Canton and Akron to the exit in Brecksville. Our bus then headed east into the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to the Brecksville Depot. I got off the bus and about a minute later the train pulled in from the north.
Our train pulled into Brecksville.
Train and the Brecksville Station.
Train with the high bridge behind. The train then pulled down south about ten car lengths.
I walked down for more pictures. Here is Cuyahoga Valley Scenic {CVSR} FPA-4 6771.
CVSR FPA-4 6777.
I walked through the weeds to get a picture of our train in Brecksville. The train then backed into the station. While everyone else boarded, I walked the train to get the consist. Our train consisted of FPA4s 6777 and 6771, Power Car 688, ex. US Army Kitchen Car 89670, Coaches 727 "Invacare" ex. Central of Georgia, 165 "Key Bank" built as Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) sleeper "Salem Inn", 167 "Simon Perkins" ex. PRR "Princeton Inn", 168 "Clarence Reinberger" ex. PRR "Ashtabula Inn", 8700 Cafe Car, ex Southern Pacific Bar Lounge, First Class Cars 163 "Anne Farnham" ex. PRR "Beaver Falls Inn", 169 "Spirit of Summit" ex. PRR "Culver Inn" and 1 "St. Lucie Sound" round-end observation car ex. Florida East Coast.
The Cuyahoga River.
The High Bridge at Brecksville.
The Trip 7/19/2006Our train departed Brecksville at 9:00 AM bound for Canton, running south along the Cuyahoga River.
The Cuyahoga River.
We passed through the prairie in this part of the National Park.
The train ran by a very beautiful lake on the start of another hot and humid Ohio day.
Our train then passed the Boston Mills/Brandywine Ski Area.
The train takes a slight curve to the left.
The train ran under the Interstate 80 Bridges.
Along the way, the locomotives smoked it up like good Montreal Locomotive Works-built units do.
Another prairie scene along our route.
The train crossed the Cuyahoga River as we neared the Peninsula Depot.
Smoking it up as we go south.
Peninsula Depot.
At MP 51, the train dropped us off for the first Photo Runby of the trip.
The photo line was at the edge of the road, unless like me, you were at the south end and could get out on the road which was being protected by a Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad truck. This would be a double Photo Runby.
Photo Runby 1.
The backup move to put the train into position for Photo Runby 2.
Photo Runby 2.
The train then picked us up at the grade crossing after the second runby before we continued south through the park.
A nice rural scene along the route.
We continued south through the park.
The train ran by a small light industrial area.
Our train was nearing Botzum, Ohio.
The Botzum Station.
At Milepost 43, we stopped for Photo Runby 3. The Photo Line was along the Big Ben Trail and locals walking or bicycling through the area must have wondered what all these people were doing here.
Photo Runby 3.
The CVSR FPA-4 6777 on the way back to the train.
The train passing my Photo Runby location. We reboarded the train and continued south. This route was once the route of Baltimore and Ohio's "Cleveland Night Express" between Cleveland and Washington/Baltimore.
The train passed the remains of a lock on the former Ohio and Erie Canal before we crossed it.
Our train crossed the Ohio & Erie Canal.
We pulled into the Akron North Side station which was the lunch stop. A caterer brought the lunches here and since I listened well, I was first in line to get lunch.
Once you got your lunch, you returned to the coolness of the train to eat it. We departed at 12:30 PM.
The train ran under the Interstate 79 Bridges.
The train ran by the Good Year Plant Sign in Akron.
Our train went by the Blimp Hangar in Akron.
As the train approached Canton, I could see the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the distance.
Before the train arrived at Canton, we stopped at McKinley Park for the last Photo Runby of this trip.
Here in the shade of the park's trees, we did Photo Runby 4.
The stream flowing through McKinley Park.
We all reboarded the train for the short trip to the Canton Lincoln Highway Station where this fantastic trip on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad came to an end. I detrained for a final pair of pictures. Passengers boarded the buses for the next destination with most buses going back to the Holiday Inn in New Philadelphia. One bus went west to the Orrville Depot Museum. The last two buses headed east to the Minerva Steam Railroad Museum, with Chris Parker and I being on one of those.
