Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

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n3rdg1rl

Train Attendant
AU Supporting Member
Joined
May 5, 2022
Messages
78
Location
Cleveland
I've lived in Cleveland nearly 15 years and this month on the 22nd will be my first time on this train. Please forgive me...

I'm trying to figure out what the actual construct will be. I know they have a full Zephyr set but they have six locos and seven other coach cars that I can find. I will take as many pictures as I can, but if anyone has anything they would like for me to get, please let me know.

https://www.cvsr.org/
 
Unfortunately, I did not get the pictures I hoped to as I seemed to be the only rail fan there and the rest of the passengers (including the 3 that came with me) were there for the murder mystery event with no interest in the history of what we were on! People were just constantly everywhere inside and out and I didn't want to keep snapping pictures of strangers. So I got a few but I plan on going back VERY soon to give this railroad the attention it deserves!

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Car 6217 (Premium Coach Car): 1947 Budd Company 52-seat chair coach originally with SAL and SCL. Now a very poorly laid out dining car with your knees touching under a too narrow table.

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Car 8266 (Latrobe Inn): 1949 Budd Company 21 roomette sleeping car originally with Pennsylvania Railroad and MARC. Now a beautiful dining car more reminiscent of an actual restaurant than a train's dining car.

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Car 2989 (Café Car): 1950 Budd Company French Quarter Lounge originally with SP on the Sunset Limited. It's the only SP car they have. If Amtrak could use the layout that CVSR used for this car for their café cars, I would be the happiest girl! It was done SO well.

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Car 1105 (Silver Bronco): 1948 Budd Company. I'm going to copy/paste the description from CVSR's site:
Built by the Budd Company in 1948 and named the Silver Bronco, Coach #1105 began service on the California Zephyr and Rio Grande Zephyr, operating over the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad from Chicago to Denver, the Western Pacific Railroad from Salt Lake City to Oakland, and later on the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad between Denver and Salt Lake City. Philadelphia architectural firm Harbeson, Hough, Livingston and Larson designed the interior, and the painting on the wall of the back cabin is called Central City by Mary Louise Lawser. The car was originally fitted with a forward section reserved for women and children only. Service was discontinued in 1983 and the Silver Bronco became the property of Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad’s parent company Ansco. In 2006, the Silver Bronco was sold by Ansco into private ownership and sent to San Antonio, becoming the last car built for the California Zephyr to pass into private ownership after spending all of its 58 years with the Rio Grande. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad purchased the car from a private owner in 2011. The car was restored with sponsorship by Emerson Electric, and was renamed the Emerson Dome Car. When the sponsorship ended in 2012, the Silver Bronco took back its original name.

I promise the next round I will do better! Once a year they send out invites to get a back stage look at their fleet and I will do my best to get EVERYTHING I can to show everyone! I would LOVE to get a really close look at their full Zephyr trainset and their 6 locos!
 
Unfortunately, I did not get the pictures I hoped to as I seemed to be the only rail fan there and the rest of the passengers (including the 3 that came with me) were there for the murder mystery event with no interest in the history of what we were on!

I'd be tempted to murder them. Though yeah, I'd spare your friends.
 
I'd be tempted to murder them. Though yeah, I'd spare your friends.
You would have loved when they told everyone they could get up to find clues! People were literally shoving each other and no one turned sideways to let anyone by. I was so disappointed. My sister, brother-on-law, and husband (all of whom have not been on a moving train before) were like, "Is this how Amtrak is?" Sure there are some people that seem oblivious at first but they usually catch on watching others. This was just chaotic.
 
I went once years ago to ride the 765. They were so hostile to railfans I’ve never wanted to return. Maybe things are better now.
Oh no! That's terrible! I haven't seen any of that myself. If I did, I think I wouldn't volunteer, there anymore. >_< I haven't gotten to start training as a trainman yet, but I should have time coming up. I honestly hope that I don't see that.
 
Oh no! That's terrible! I haven't seen any of that myself. If I did, I think I wouldn't volunteer, there anymore. >_< I haven't gotten to start training as a trainman yet, but I should have time coming up. I honestly hope that I don't see that.
It was several years ago so it could have changed dramatically but I’ve heard similar stories from fellow railfans.

I’d like to ride the northern part of the route sometime so maybe the next time steam visits I’ll give it another try.
 
What kind of hostility did you encounter?

Well to start things off I asked the ticket agent if they allowed people to ride in the vestibules, this was behind steam so that makes a difference in hearing the engine. She said yes. That’s why I booked coach instead of the dome.

The day of the trip, the conductor decided he didn’t want railfans in the vestibule and closed them off to us. Again, this wasn’t railroad policy, it was 1 employees attitude towards railfans.

The runby was policed as though everyone was a 2-year old. Again general attitude was “we are annoyed that you railfans are here”

And then they had park police at every crossing on the following trip that I chased scolding people for stopping to take photos.

The 765 crew was great as usual of course…. It was specific to the Cuyahoga Valley staff.
 
Well to start things off I asked the ticket agent if they allowed people to ride in the vestibules, this was behind steam so that makes a difference in hearing the engine. She said yes. That’s why I booked coach instead of the dome.

The day of the trip, the conductor decided he didn’t want railfans in the vestibule and closed them off to us. Again, this wasn’t railroad policy, it was 1 employees attitude towards railfans.

The runby was policed as though everyone was a 2-year old. Again general attitude was “we are annoyed that you railfans are here”

And then they had park police at every crossing on the following trip that I chased scolding people for stopping to take photos.

The 765 crew was great as usual of course…. It was specific to the Cuyahoga Valley staff.

This was so opposite to my experience on the Cumbres & Toltec, which was staffed by real railfans and who encouraged questions and photography, one of my life's magical experiences. (Ditto for my hosts who had to be badgered into booking the trip and couldn't stop raving about it afterward. Even though we all blew black Kleenex for days. Thread at America's most beautiful train journeys.)
 
This was so opposite to my experience on the Cumbres & Toltec, which was staffed by real railfans and who encouraged questions and photography, one of my life's magical experiences. (Ditto for my hosts who had to be badgered into booking the trip and couldn't stop raving about it afterward. Even though we all blew black Kleenex for days. Thread at America's most beautiful train journeys.)
Oh yeah! Cumbres and Toltec are crazy nice to railfans - especially at Antonito! (The "safety officer" at Chama can be a little uptight). Ride on the platforms... chase the train, peek into the shops. The crew at C&T are REAL steam railroaders through and through. It's like going back in time.
 
Oh yeah! Cumbres and Toltec are crazy nice to railfans - especially at Antonito! (The "safety officer" at Chama can be a little uptight). Ride on the platforms... chase the train, peek into the shops. The crew at C&T are REAL steam railroaders through and through. It's like going back in time.
I also had the same experience on the Durango and Silverton, being able to ride in the coach platforms. I did not have the opportunity to look around the shops though.
 
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