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Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad celebrates its 50th anniversary

Ideastream Public Media | By Ben Weaver

Published April 25, 2022 at 9:04 PM EDT

Updated April 28, 2022 at 10:53 AM EDT

Engine #765 rests at a station in Akron on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad during Steam in the Valley in September of 2011. The engine will return in 2022 as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the railroad.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is celebrating its 50^th birthday this year.

The railroad was founded in 1972 by Siegfried Buerling, the original director of Hale Farm and Village in Bath.

He wanted to use the railroad to expand the farm as living history museum and awareness of it in Cleveland.

Katelyn Gainer

The origins of the CVSR

"The idea came about for the railroad was to connect people from Cleveland to Hale Farm and Village in the first run that they did was actually called the Choo-Choo Caper," according to Katelyn Gainer, a spokesperson for the railroad.

The CVSR plans a number of events this year to mark the 50th anniversary including its annual steam in the valley celebration featuring a working steam locomotive, a special exhibition at Hale Farm on the founding of the railroad and a gala in the fall.

Corrected: April 26, 2022 at 8:40 AM EDT

The caption on the photo originally indicated the photo was taken in November of 2018.