page_title: Valley Railway
section_title: New Cleveland passenger and freight facilities
hierarchical_section_title: Valley Railway / Cleveland, Terminal and Valley Railway / New Cleveland passenger and freight facilities
caption_attribution_description: English: Columbus Road freight depot of the Cleveland, Terminal and Valley Railway (formerly the Valley Railway) in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. In February 1896, the CT&amp;V acquired 2,500 feet (760 m) of riverfront along Columbus Road south of Center Street. Finished in June 1896, the steel-frame station was 50 feet (15 m) deep and 500 feet (150 m) long, with walls and roofing of sheet metal. There were 25 loading bays on the street side, and traveling overhead cranes facilitated the movement of heavy loads onto pallets or into freight wagons. The depot also featured five McMyler rotary car dumpers to facilitate the unloading of hopper cars carrying coal. To connect the new freight station and docks with the main tracks, the city closed Lime Street. The total cost of the project was estimated at $500,000 ($14,700,000 in 2017 dollars).
context_page_description: The Valley Railway was a shortline railroad which operated between the city of Cleveland and small town of Zoarville in the state of Ohio in the United States. The railroad was founded in 1871, but the first segment of track did not open until 1880 and the line was not completed until 1884. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad obtained a controlling interest in the Valley Railway in 1890. The railroad went bankrupt in 1895, at which time it was reorganized as the Cleveland, Terminal and Valley Railway. The B&O took over operation of the CT&V in 1909, and the company was merged with the B&O in 1915.
  Traffic on the road declined significantly after the 1920s. CSX, the B&O's successor, abandoned a third of the line in 1984. This portion was acquired by the National Park Service in 1987, and the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad operates on it seasonally. CSX sold about 12 miles of track south of Canton to the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway in 1992, and 24 miles the track between Akron and Canton to Akron's METRO Regional Transit Authority in 2000. CSX continues some freight operations on the remaining track, which is referred to as the Cleveland, Terminal and Valley Subdivision.
context_section_description: In February 1896, the CT&V announced it would construct new, larger freight and passenger facilities in Cleveland to accommodate the increased business it was doing in the city. The existing passenger depot at the foot of Seneca Street (now W. 3rd Street) would be demolished and a 500-foot (150 m) long, 125-foot (38 m) deep, two-story station built on the same spot. A 700-foot (210 m) long train shed, parallel to the rear of the depot, would also be built. A trestle would bring the trains up to the level of the station and train shed. The CT&V also acquired 2,500 feet (760 m) of riverfront along Columbus Road, south of Center Street. The company said it would build a second freight station and extensive new docks there, complete with McMyler rotary car dumpers. To connect the new freight station and docks with the main tracks, the railway asked the city to close Lime Street. The total cost of the project was estimated at $500,000 ($15,400,000 in 2019 dollars). The freight station, which also featured derricks to assist with the loading of heavy cargo, was completed in June 1896 and the old freight depot retained as a storage facility. The steel-frame station was 50 feet (15 m) deep and 500 feet (150 m) long, with walls and roofing of sheet metal. There were 25 loading bays on the dock side alone, and traveling overhead cranes facilitated the movement of heavy loads onto pallets or into freight wagons.
  As part of the freight expansion, the CT&V built a second freight depot and docks on the Cuyahoga River between Main Avenue and Cathan Avenue (just west of the Superior Avenue Viaduct Bridge). The city of Cleveland, however, wished to widen the Cuyahoga River by 80 feet (24 m) at this point. The city and the railway came to an agreement whereby the city would close West River Street and give this 80 feet (24 m) of land to the railroad. The 80 feet (24 m) of land on which the CT&V docks sat would be removed to allow for the widened river channel. Since the river was a "highway" under state law, the railway agreed to pay an assessment of about $16,500 ($500,000 in 2019 dollars) for "highway improvements"; in return, the city agreed to rebuild the CT&V's docks.
  The new passenger depot began construction in September 1897. Designed by local structural engineer A. Lincoln Hyde and architect William Stillman Dutton in a modified Gothic Revival style, it was built by contractor C.N. Griffin. The structure was much different than originally projected, just 100-foot (30 m) long and 43-foot (13 m) deep but with three stories rather than two. The roof was of slate, mined in Virginia. The building's steel frame had a first floor facade of rock-faced blue sandstone, while the upper floors were of buff pressed brick trimmed with stone. Turrets at the corners helped to strengthen the building, and clock tower illuminated by floodlights rose from the steeply pitched roof. The clock mechanism was designed and built by the local firm of Scribner and Loehr. The baggage room on the lower level had an asphalt floor. At the main entrance on the first floor was a vestibule from which passengers could pass into the lobby. Men's and women's waiting rooms were located on either side of the lobby. First story flooring consisted of mosaic tile manufactured and installed by the Newcastle Block Pavement Co. of Pittsburgh. The walls were painted a reddish-orange and featured wood wainscoting painted dark green, with oak trim and moldings on the walls and ceiling. An elevator and stairs led from the vestibule to the upper floors. The second floor housed the CT&V's corporate headquarters, and featured mosaic tile flooring and walls painted ecru with oak trim. A large brick pillar, running through the building to the foundation, supported the heavy safes in the auditor's and engineer's offices. The third floor contained the railway's engineering and telegraphy offices, while the attic was used for records storage. The entire interior was electrically lit.  The train shed was just 300-foot (91 m) and 90-foot (27 m) wide. The cost of the new passenger station
caption: New 1896 freight depot
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