Cuyahoga Falls model train club looking for new place to house its display
The lower level of the nondescript gray building near the Northampton Town Hall in Cuyahoga Falls serves as a sort of time portal.
Inside is a historical model of the railroad running from the Cleveland rail yard to Akron's Hazel Street yard, and the sights in between, as they looked in the 1950s.
The miniature model setup includes about 300 feet of tracks, trains with lights and whistles that can travel on the tracks, bridges, landmark structures, and even a wheelhouse. Copies of photos and notes about several area highlights are spread throughout the space.
This has been a labor of love for the Cuyahoga Valley Terminal Model Railroad Club, said Matthew Albright, a Cuyahoga Falls resident and a member of the club.
But the club is now searching for a new place to set up its tribute to Northeast Ohio rail history. In the spring, the city of Cuyahoga Falls plans to tear down the building the model railroad club meets in to make way for a new fire station and training area.
The building is currently a service garage and police department building. It is behind the Northampton Town Hall and Cuyahoga Falls Fire Station 4, on Northampton Road and West Bath Road.
The history of the club
The Cuyahoga Valley Terminal Model Railroad Club started in 1976 and found its first permanent home in the basement of the Whistle Stop Hobby Shop in Cuyahoga Falls in 1980. The club stayed and continued working on its model there until 2015, when the Whistle Stop closed permanently.
The railroad club moved to its current location in 2016.
The club is dedicated to recreating the Valley Railway, which connected Cleveland, Akron, and Canton beginning in the late 19th century. The country's first common carrier railroad, Baltimore and Ohio, purchased the line in 1909, but by 1984, a third of the railway was abandoned.
The National Park Service purchased that portion of the line and now uses it for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
The club's display features highlights of areas from more than 60 years ago, some which no longer exist.
It also features some familiar sights, like models of the state Route 82 bridge, the Jaite Station in Brecksville and the Ohio Turnpike, depicted when it was first under construction from 1952 to 1955.
Another highlight includes a train stop that used to be between Arlington Street and downtown Akron, near where the Freedom Trail is now.
"I can remember when there were a lot of fresh food markets in Akron," said Carl Lantz of Stow, the president of the club. "They are all gone now."
Even while looking for a new residence for their extensive model railway setup, the club's members still have plans to expand, said Matthew Albright, a member of the club. Eventually, they would like to flesh out the Akron section with more models and expand the tracks to incorporate Canton.
"Layouts are always a work in progress," Albright said. "It's never done."
Open houses in November and December
The Cuyahoga Valley Terminal Model Railroad Club will have two open houses on Nov. 4 and Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission for those 16 and older is $5. Admission is free for teens and children 15 and younger.
Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeconjournal.com
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: The Cuyahoga Valley Terminal Model Railroad Club needs a new depot
