CP&LERR Fan

The Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad The Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad is a 3ft (914mm) narrow gauge railroad. The 15 minute ride over approximately 1.3 miles of track, encircles the top western portion of Cedar Point amusement park. Along the way, it passes skeleton animatronics depicting various western scenes, and crosses twice by trestle over what's left of the 1904 dredged lagoons. It is one of the few amusement park railroads in the entire country that still fires their locomotives by coal. The CP&LE R.R. is a historical gem that still mainly operates like a typical mid-to-late 19th century railroad. They use link and pin couplers, and the locomotives johnson bar instead of air brakes to bring the train to a stop. On average, the railroad hauls over one million riders per year. After Cedar Point's legendary owner George Arthur Boeckling died in 1931, there was very little expansion that happened in the park throughout the next two decades. Eventually by the 1950's, Cedar Point fell into financial hardship. In 1956, land developers George Roose and Emile Legros, acquired controlling interest of the parks operator, the G.A. Boeckling Company. Initially their plans were to convert the park into a housing development facility, until it was met with major backlash. Instead, they decided to update the park and make it into a "Disneyland" of the Midwest. George Roose was a big railbuff. While Roose and Legros were visiting Disneyland in 1959 to get ideas for their park, Roose saw the SF&DL R.R.'s 1894 Baldwin 2-4-4T the Fred Gurley. This engine sparked his ambitious plan to build Cedar Point it's own narrow gauge railroad. When they returned, Roose presented this idea to the CP Board of Directors many times, but each proposal was balked at. Meanwhile, Roose had scouted the country for narrow gauge steam locomotives. He eventually found a very similar engine like the Fred Gurley, in storage at a sugar cane plantation in Louisiana. Without hesitation, he purchased the Baldwin 1902 built 0-4-4T named the Maud L. in November 1961. By the summer of 1962, the Board now more receptive to Roose's idea, gave him the greenlight to build a two mile narrow gauge railroad at the park. The Maud L. was then sent to a nearby welding shop in Port Clinton, Ohio. She was rebuilt from the ground up, and was outfitted with two pilot wheels, a wooden pilot, box headlamp, and a new green and black paint job. Roose had also order six excursion style open air coaches from the welding co., similarly styled after Disneyland's, but on former Rio Grande stock car trucks (six additional ones were made in 1968). Construction of the two mile line began finally in February 1963. The winter weather delayed major progress until March and early April, when the 60 pound iron rails were laid. By May, Maud L. and the coaches were delivered to Cedar Point. Roose then realized he would need another locomotive to help assist the Maud L. He initially leased the 1910 2-6-0 Davenport named Albert for two years. Once its lease expired, it was outright purchased. The CP&LE R.R. opened on May 25, 1963. The original route started from the old Civil War styled Union Station, which was located near where Valravn is across from the Sky Ride's Main Midway station. There were two tracks at this station, one was a passing siding. The outbound mainline from the station looped around to where it met the inbound mainline, and passed between the Engine House and old Cedars Hotel. Both tracks separated after this, and the outbound continued along Sandusky Bay and Lake Erie. A view of the Union Station in its original location. Note that the Station's east canopy is still under construction. This was taken during the railroad's opening ceremony on May 25, 1963. Here's the original outbound and inbound tracks between the Engine House (left) and Cedars Hotel (right). Albert is on the outbound track, and the inbound track is in between #22 (Myron H.) and Albert. In 1967, both outbound and inbound tracks were rerouted to the other side of the Engine House because Perimeter Road was built. A new station was also built outside of the new Frontier Town. This station isn't the same as the current one there, the original one was destroyed during a tornado that hit this area of the park in 1977. The current one was built in 1978. In anticipation of Frontier Trail being built, the mainline had to be rerouted in 1970 as the trail would have crossed over the line. The Union Station was also moved during that year, to its current location today. When the new mainline around the trail was built, they instead decided to keep the old mainline in place that crossed the trail, creating Cedar Junction. While the track was still connected to the new mainline, no trains ran entirely through it. From time to time a locomotive would be parked next to the Cedar Jct. station for display. Where the track connected on the other side of the outbound track near where Millennium Force's station is now, the old enclosed coaches and one of their cabooses were stored on it. In 1999, this track, and the siding by the Union Station were removed because of Millennium Force being built. The last time part of the line was majorly altered, was in 2006 when it was pushed slightly back along White Water Landing because of Maverick being built. The red line is the current day configuration. The white line coming from the red line was the new siding track after the station and line was moved in 1970.The white box on the yellow line is the Main Midway station.The blue line was the configuration until 1967.The yellow line was the configuration until 1970.The yellow line coming from the red line, and blue line which touches the yellow and red lines was what became Cedar Junction.The green line was the outbound track until 1999, when the Millennium Force was built. The locomotive roster in 1966. Left to right Maud L., #22, Albert, and Victoria R.I. Victoria R.I., and Albert are sitting on the outbound and inbound track one year before it was rerouted. There's much more history about the CP&LE R.R., and I'm getting to the point where this post is probably too long. The original unofficial CP&LE R.R. history website went offline earlier this year. I created a new website with new information and photos, from the help of people who contributed to the old website. Please check it out, I highly recommend it! https://cplerr.weebly.com/ Below is a brief history of the current locomotives of the CP&LE R.R. All of these photos were taken by me. #1 G.A. Boeckling This is the newest locomotive on the CP&LE R.R., it was acquired in 1999 when the Maud L. was traded to Disney. It started out as a standard gauge 0-4-0 built by the Davenport in 1927. It was purchased in 1977 by a company who rebuilt it into a 2-4-4T, for Marriot's Great American amusement park. When it was delivered to the park, it was stored and never used. Bill Norred eventually purchased it and had it restored for a Victorian Village he was planning to build. Eventually, he decided to trade it to Disneyland for their five original enclosed coaches. The #1 was too large and heavy to run at Disneyland. It ended up being sent to Disneyworld, but this time the opposite, it was too small for them. While the locomotive was there, it was named the Ward Kimball. When Cedar Fair got the engine, it was initially sent to Knott's Berry Farm where it was restored. The plan was for them to run the Davenport on low crowd days instead of their Galloping Goose or one of the DRGW's locomotives. When CP&LE R.R.'s 2-4-0 Jennie K. showed up at Knott's in 2010 to be restored, they trucked back the Davenport to Cedar Point. CP converted the Davenport into a 2-4-0 (uses George R.'s tender when running), and in 2013 it was named the G.A. Boeckling. It is used as a back up engine when either Judy K., or Myron H. are down for maintenance or repairs. #3 Albert Albert was one of the mainstay locomotives until the late 1980's when it started being used as a backup engine during peak crowds. With the loss of Jennie K., Myron H., and Jack Foster, it was pressed back into regular service along with the Maud L. After Myron H.'s rebuild was completed in 1991, Albert was withdrawn from service with a cracked frame, and worn tires. In 2000 it was moved to the Cedar Junction display track along Frontier Trail. #4 George R. Built in 1942 by the H.K. Porter Company, it was originally a 38" narrow gauge (CP&LE is 36") engine. It was purchased in 1963 from the same owner who owned Albert, and was originally named the Victoria R.I. This is the youngest, and heaviest locomotive on the CP&LE R.R. Because of its weight they use it as a backup engine. Interesting fact, when they ran it frequently after they acquired it, Victoria would sometimes realign the track because of its immense weight. In 1981 Victoria was renamed as the George R. She largely spends most of her time in the back of the Engine House. #7 Plymouth While not used to pull passengers, this little gasoline powered Pylmouth is apart of the CP&LE's locomotive fleet. It was built sometime in the 1960's or 1970's designed to look like a steam locomotive by the Plymouth Locomotive Works. #7 is used for track work, moving around dead locomotives around the shop, and sometimes moves their passenger coaches. #22 Myron H. The Myron H. is my personal favorite locomotive the CP&LE has. She looks the most like a late 19th century locomotive (besides Albert). Built in 1922 by the Vulcan Iron Works, the #22 was purchased in 1963. It remained unnamed until 1981 when it was named after Mike "Myron" Hetrick, the CP&LE's second former Engine House Superintendent. #22 is one of the mainstay engines currently used today. #44 Judy K. Like the Myron H., Judy K. was built in 1923 by the Vulcan Iron Works. It was acquired by Cedar Point in 1968, and entered into service in the 1970's. She was numbered originally as #5, and remained unnamed until 1974 when it was named the Jack Foster, CP&LE's first former Engine House Superintendent. After the locomotive was rebuilt in 1992, she emerged with a new name (and number 44) Judy K., the wife of former Cedar Fair's CEO and President Dick Kinzel. Judy K., is the other mainstay locomotive used.

Been out of the loop for awhile now, but does anyone know what happened to this theme? I recalled seeing an option where you can choose it but now it isn't there anymore.

If anyone is interested in donating, they put together a GofundeMe to help preserve Jennie K and bring her to back to Northern Ohio again. https://www.gofundme.com/save-jennie-k

For me, My Father and I would ride the bluestreak as much as we could at night for two reasons. #1 the line was extremely short so you could get off and get into line and your on the station platform again. It feels like your going faster at night than in the daytime so its much more of a rush and excitement for us. Thats my personal experience with the bluestreak so it may vary for others.

Don't miss the train ride there, lol. But yes ride all the coaster you can, they are amazing.

I am satisfied with the annoucncement, But I really wish they would add some animatronics on the KI&MVRR.

Yup that is me! Lol, I had that logo Custom Made from a friend of mine.

Hey I know you from somewhere, Your TopthrillDan On YouTube! Nice to see a fellow Railfan Like me on here.

Looks Like Cedar Point has no plans for the Park, It would be nice to reopen it and have another park in the Cleveland Area.

So they aren't renaming the new ride "King James"?

Opps! Conductor made a mistake.

I am not sure if any one posted about Cedar Point will be Officially announcing this soon but I saw this on my Facebook New feed and well I ain't thrilled at all I hope Cedar Point changes the rides name in the next year. I won't be ridding the Coaster any time soon. http://www.wkyc.com/story/entertainment/2014/09/15/cedar-point-lebron/15692401/

The Mantis isn't being torn down.