Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad 50th Anniversary

Everyone knows Cedar Point for being known as the Roller Coaster Capital of the World. No one can beat the number of world records that the Point holds. However, 2013 marks another milestone for the Sandusky, Ohio based amusement park.

The 50th anniversary of the Cedar Point & Lake Erie (C.P & L.E.) Railroad.

Started in 1963, the C.P & L.E. railroad currently offers five (5) steam powered locomotives. The one remarkable things our family has discovered by visiting countless amusement park trains around the country, is that the C.P & L.E. railroad uses real working coal-fired steam engines. Lots of the cheaper versions at other amusement parks are propane or gasoline driven. There is nothing like the thrill of a real steam engine.

In 2012, 1,842,696 guests rode the C.P & L.E. railroad, which our family was proud to be included in that number, several times. The most recorded rides in a single season was in 1970, where 4.5 million people rode the train. Although, at the time there were only two means of getting back to the Frontiertown region of the park.

The two-mile and approximately 15-minute ride is broken up into two sections, the first being from the Midway Station to the Frontier Station. The second half is from Frontier to Midway and includes some classic Boneville animatronics of various western style themes.

During our visit to Cedar Point a couple weeks ago, we had the pleasure of riding the Myron H. – No. 22 engine. Built in 1922 by the Vulcan Iron Works company out of Wilkes-Barre, PA, the train was originally owned and operated at a coal mine. Cedar Point acquired the Myron H. in 1963, where it had to be rebuilt.

Below are some videos taken while riding the Myron H.

Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad – Albert No. 3 Engine

Resting at the Cedar Junction at the entrance to the Frontier Trail is engine No. 3, Albert. Built in 1910 and originally used a sugarcane transport in Louisiana, Cedar Point acquired Albert in 1963.

Albert was taken out of service in 1991, and remains on display.

Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad – Judy K. No. 44 Engine

We were also fortunate this summer to again get to ride in the Judy K. Built in 1923 by the Vulcan Iron Works company out of Pennsylvania, the original use of the engine is unknown. Cedar Point acquired the Judy K. in 1968 and in 1974, was named the Jack Foster after the first superintendent of the C.P. & L.E. Railroad. It was not until 1992 and a major rehaul of the engine that is was renamed the Judy K. after Cedar Fair Entertainment Company’s CEO Richard Kinzel’s wife.

To this day, we have yet to see Cedar Point’s other engines, the G.A. Boeckling No. 1 and the George R. No. 4 engines. The G.A. Boeckling No. 1 engine was originally owned by Disney and was known as the Ward Kimble.

In 2013, the Cedar Point trains were the second highest rode attraction in the park, behind the GateKeeper.

Save Money, Travel More!

Source: InACents