Our Location:

The CV&WS Model Railroad Club is located in the Olmsted Falls depot on Garfield Avenue. The building was built in 1877 by the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad as both a freight and passenger station. The building was used by the various owners starting with the New York Central, the Penn Central and eventually Conrail. Passenger service ended in 1950, but the railroad continued to use depot as a storage and maintenance-of-way facility to about 1965. After then, the depot was rented to several entities, including a furniture repair and refinishing outfit. In 1972, the depot suffered a fire which was caught quickly by the fire department located across the street. The building sat vacant for several years. In late 1976, members of the CV&WS leased the building from Conrail and began restoration of the building and grounds. The building has not seen major changes since the club has occupied the building. Many hours have been spent to preserve the depot in its current state. In 1995, the CV&WS purchased the depot from Conrail. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000, ensuring that it will be preserved through history.

The Club:

The Cuyahoga Valley and West Shore Model Railroad Club was started in 1953 in Rocky River, Ohio in the basement of the Rocky River Hotel. The club operated a large HO scale layout at that location. The club continued to grow and stayed at that location until they were forced to relocate in 1975. Almost 2 years passed before the club was relocated to the depot in Olmsted Falls. In late 1976, the club was able to lease the Olmsted Falls depot from the newly formed Conrail railroad. The club continued to grow and thrive at this location for many years. Over the next 20 years, the club continued to restore and remodel the depot. An original Pennsylvania N5-C caboose was secured from the railroad and placed on the east end of the station.

In 1996, again the club had to worry about being displaced from a building. Prior to the breakup of Conrail, the railroad placed all unutilized assets on the auction block; the depot was on this list. The club approached the railroad, and was able to keep the building from auction. In 1996, the club was able to purchase the depot and adjacent property from the railroad ensuring the survival of the organization for the future. This purchase was made possible by many members and the "500" club that donated to the cause. Today, the CV&WS enjoys a great location next to the Norfolk Southern mainline in the historic district of Olmsted Falls.

Inside the depot, the club operates O-Gauge, G-Gauge, N-Scale, and HO-Scale layouts. The HO layout is the largest layout occupying approximately a 19x48ft space. The mainline of the HO Scale layout is approximately 980ft long on two decks. The layout is controlled by a Digitrax Super Chief system that includes a computerized dispatchers panel. The current layout is actually the second for the depot. The original layout was started in 1977 and was removed in 2000 to start fresh. The original layout was a more conventional design and was considerably smaller than the current layout.

Photo Gallery:

2009 Events:

• March XX, 2009 = Annual Club Spaghetti Dinner (contact the club for more details)
• May XX and XX, 2009 = Spring Open House
• August XX, 2009 = Olmsted Falls Heritage Days
• September XX, 2009 = Annual Club Clambake (contact the club for more details)
• December XX and XX, 2009 = Christmas Open House
• For more information on events, please contact the club at 440-235-6566

Contact Us:

For more information, please call 440-235-6566.

Meeting Nights are held every Thursday from 7:00pm-10:00pm. Business meetings are held on the first Thursday of every even month (February, April, June, August, October, December).

Our Address is:

25802 Garfield Ave.
Olmsted Falls, OH 44138