Akron, Bedford and Cleveland Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Akron, Bedford and Cleveland Railroad (also known as the Alphabet Railroad) began service between Akron
and Cleveland, Ohio
on November 9, 1895. At the time of its completion, it was the longest electrified rail line
in the world. For 50 cents riders could travel from Akron to Cleveland's Public Square in about 2½ hours. The line ran from Akron through the towns of Stow
, Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson
, Brandywine, Macedonia
, Northfield
, Bedford
, Warrensville Heights, and Shaker Heights before dropping passengers at Union station (known today as the Terminal Tower). Around 1900 the ABC Railroad merged with several other area railroads to form the Northeast Ohio Traction and Lighting Company (NOT&LCo) which operated the line until 1932.
. FirstEnergy still owns the building today. The tracks ran alongside the building almost exactly were the south bound lanes of route 8 are currently located today. While much of the former line is buried beneath Route 8, Northfield road, Hudson road, or has been lost forever, parts of the line survive to this day. If you follow Northfield road north, you will see exactly were the transition from the current road to rails begins. This is the remains of the ABC Railroad and is currently in use by the RTA of Cleveland
. There is another former station still in existence located along this section of track on Van Aken Blvd which is marked with a historic sign. It is also worth noting that part of the initial rail line ran through the town of Northfield Center. The track was located in the current location of Old Eight Rd. In 1912-13 they completed construction on the double track through Macedonia which follows the current path of Route 8. This diverted trains away from Northfield Center to service the newly built Macedonia Depot mentioned above. In 1916 the railroad stop usage of the old route 8 rail line completely. The tracks were removed and old route 8 became the road we all know today. The track diverted at Fell's Corner (some people may remember this location as the entrance to old Fell Lake) and Chittenden's corner. You can find evidence of this section of the rail line at the end of old eight road and 303. There you will find the remains of the bridge abutments that allowed the ABC RR to pass over the New York Central Line that ran through Sagamore Hills at the time. These abutments are located alongside the hike and bike trail(old New York Central) as it passes under Akron Cleveland rd.
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
and Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
on November 9, 1895. At the time of its completion, it was the longest electrified rail line
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
in the world. For 50 cents riders could travel from Akron to Cleveland's Public Square in about 2½ hours. The line ran from Akron through the towns of Stow
Stow, Ohio
Stow is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 32,139 at the 2000 census and 33,899 as of 2008. It is a suburban community that is part of the Akron metropolitan area. Stow is located adjacent to several other suburban communities in Summit and Portage Counties...
, Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson
Hudson, Ohio
Hudson is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 22,262 at the 2010 census. It is an affluent exurban community and is part of the Akron, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Brandywine, Macedonia
Macedonia, Ohio
Macedonia is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 11,188 at the 2010 census. Macedonia is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Northfield
Northfield, Ohio
Northfield is a village in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,827 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Northfield is located at ....
, Bedford
Bedford, Ohio
Bedford is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,074 at the 2010 census. It is an eastern suburb of Cleveland.-Geography:Bedford is located at ....
, Warrensville Heights, and Shaker Heights before dropping passengers at Union station (known today as the Terminal Tower). Around 1900 the ABC Railroad merged with several other area railroads to form the Northeast Ohio Traction and Lighting Company (NOT&LCo) which operated the line until 1932.
Remaining traces
While the railroad has been gone for almost 80 years and has be widely forgotten, there is still plenty of evidence of its former existence. At the intersection of Route 82 and Route 8 in Macedonia Ohio, a brick building stands at the corner. This was once the Macedonia depot that served the area. This station was constructed in 1905 by the Northeast Ohio Traction and Lighting Company which later became Ohio Edison and is known today as FirstEnergyFirstEnergy
FirstEnergy Corp. , is a diversified energy company headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Its subsidiaries and affiliates are involved in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, as well as energy management and other energy-related services...
. FirstEnergy still owns the building today. The tracks ran alongside the building almost exactly were the south bound lanes of route 8 are currently located today. While much of the former line is buried beneath Route 8, Northfield road, Hudson road, or has been lost forever, parts of the line survive to this day. If you follow Northfield road north, you will see exactly were the transition from the current road to rails begins. This is the remains of the ABC Railroad and is currently in use by the RTA of Cleveland
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is the public transit agency for Cleveland, Ohio, United States, and the surrounding suburbs of Cuyahoga County. RTA is the largest transit agency in Ohio, providing over 44 million trips to residents and visitors of the Cleveland area in 2010...
. There is another former station still in existence located along this section of track on Van Aken Blvd which is marked with a historic sign. It is also worth noting that part of the initial rail line ran through the town of Northfield Center. The track was located in the current location of Old Eight Rd. In 1912-13 they completed construction on the double track through Macedonia which follows the current path of Route 8. This diverted trains away from Northfield Center to service the newly built Macedonia Depot mentioned above. In 1916 the railroad stop usage of the old route 8 rail line completely. The tracks were removed and old route 8 became the road we all know today. The track diverted at Fell's Corner (some people may remember this location as the entrance to old Fell Lake) and Chittenden's corner. You can find evidence of this section of the rail line at the end of old eight road and 303. There you will find the remains of the bridge abutments that allowed the ABC RR to pass over the New York Central Line that ran through Sagamore Hills at the time. These abutments are located alongside the hike and bike trail(old New York Central) as it passes under Akron Cleveland rd.