Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad rolls out its Edu-trainment car for kids
Akron Beacon Journal | Craig Webb, October 16, 2019
The old Sharon Inn rail car has made a lot of runs since the 1940s.
It rumbled down the tracks as a sleeper car for the Pennsylvania Railroad and later as a passenger car for Akron.
In recent years, it sat in a rail yard and was cannibalized for parts to keep the rest of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s fleet of passenger cars running.
The Sharon Inn was reborn Wednesday as it made its public debut as the tourist train’s new Edu-trainment car for runs through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
And judging by the laughter and scurrying about by pint-size passengers and their parents, the kid-friendly car full of activities and kid amenities is a hit.
Bobby Dinkins, CVSR vice president of development and marketing, said the car underwent a complete renovation and was stripped down to its bare shell only to be rebuilt.
“There’s nothing like this anywhere,” he said. “This really is a traveling kids museum on a train.”
Kids love seeing the train pull into the station, Dinkins said, and hear the whistle blow and the feeling of once it lurches out of the station.
“For some kids, it can be a challenge to keep them entertained on a three-hour run,” he said.
The car offers a place for families to retreat to during excursions.
Read the full article at beaconjournal.com
