Cuyahoga Valley Scenic RR President To Retire

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Fri May 31, 2024 11:29 am

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... etirement/

Quote:

PENINSULA, Ohio — Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad President and CEO Joe Mazur will retire from the heritage railroad as of Sept. 30, the railroad announced Thursday.

Mazur joined the railroad in March 2017 following a career in arena management and as President/CEO of International Soap Box Derby, the Akron, Ohio, organization where he had worked since 2011. He led the Cuyahoga Valley through a period that included service interruptions because of the COVID-19 pandemic and three years of track erosion issues along the Cuyahuga River that led to significant suspensions of or modifications to operations. He also oversaw a $4 million capital campaign that brought California Zephyr dome cars and other passenger car upgrades to the railroad and introduced dinner-train and special-event operations.

More at the link.

Wonder if he'll be around as the Grand Canyon Railway's former MLW fleet arrives................

Crescent-Zephyr · **Joined:** Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:15 pm **Posts:** 1802

Not sure if it was his direct involvement or not - but they certainly ended up with some excellent new rolling stock during his time.

Preservation wise I'm very sad that the Zephyr cars are no longer running on the mainline in Private ownership but that was a major win for the railroad. Ditto for the Grand Canyon equipment.

Hopefully the next President will also bring a return of "Steam in the Valley" in the coming year(s).

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Sat Jun 01, 2024 10:01 am

Crescent-Zephyr wrote:

Hopefully the next President will also bring a return of "Steam in the Valley" in the coming year(s).

With the popularity of the Indiana Rail Experience program, they may have to turn elsewhere (AOS Roundhouse?) for a "Steam in the Valley" program...

NJDixon · **Joined:** Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:36 pm **Posts:** 373

bigjim4life wrote:

Crescent-Zephyr wrote:

Hopefully the next President will also bring a return of "Steam in the Valley" in the coming year(s).

With the popularity of the Indiana Rail Experience program, they may have to turn elsewhere (AOS Roundhouse?) for a "Steam in the Valley" program...

Did they ever solve the soil erosion issue? Because I know that was why they weren't hosting #765 for the past couple years.

wesp · **Posted:** Sat Jun 01, 2024 2:11 pm

Quote:

With the popularity of the Indiana Rail Experience program, they may have to turn elsewhere (AOS Roundhouse?) for a "Steam in the Valley" program...

Didn’t a CPR Pacific 1293 from AOS run in the Valley prior to NKP 765?

Wesley

PaulWWoodring · **Posted:** Sun Jun 02, 2024 9:32 am

Three times - 2007, '08, and '12 - but that was under the direct say of Jerry Jacobson, before there was a formal AOS museum and BoD.

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Sun Jun 02, 2024 9:38 am

PaulWWoodring wrote:

Three times - 2007, '08, and '12 - but that was under the direct say of Jerry Jacobson, before there was a formal AOS museum and BoD.

Besides, right now they only have M&NF 0-6-0 #12 operational, so they can't exactly send a suitable steamer out for a "Steam in the Valley" type event anyways.

nathansixchime · **Joined:** Tue Jan 25, 2005 4:03 pm **Posts:** 949

NJDixon wrote:

bigjim4life wrote:

Crescent-Zephyr wrote:

Hopefully the next President will also bring a return of "Steam in the Valley" in the coming year(s).

With the popularity of the Indiana Rail Experience program, they may have to turn elsewhere (AOS Roundhouse?) for a "Steam in the Valley" program...

Did they ever solve the soil erosion issue? Because I know that was why they weren't hosting #765 for the past couple years.

We've discussed the 765 coming back each year, concurrent with having our own operations back in Indiana. As in the past, we also operated at CVSR when we had other gigs -- NS, Metra, etc. They don't cancel each other out.

Steam in the Valley was moved to May to give the CVSR team breathing room between big events in the fall and winter, and it ultimately was very favorable for our own season back home with the new Indiana Rail Experience program, but the erosion issues and erosion mitigation persists.

There will likely be more drivers turning on that end of Ohio by the time the erosion issues are fixed, if engineering concerns are abated, but it will be venue to operate a choo in, regardless of the road name or number.