The Northern Ohio Railway Museum (NORM) began back in 1964 when Walt Stoner, Lee Smith and "Red" Bennett went in search of a caboose to buy and restore. After looking at several candidates, Red suggested that they acquire and restore a Northern Ohio interurban instead. The men were all members of an O-gauge trolley club and knew where all the trolley and interurban bodies were hidden. Several 1500-series bodies survived, and eventually the men ended up with #1510 and #1525. 1525 was cut up for parts.

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Soon after the museum was formed, #1510 was joined by Shaker Heights Rapid Transit #1203 (the first car to enter Cleveland's Union Terminal) and Toronto Transit Commission Peter Witt #2778. All three cars were stored at Trolleyville in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, while the now not-for-profit group set out to find some land. Within a few years, a two mile stretch of former right-of-way of the Cleveland & Southwestern in southern Medina County was purchased, and the museum's collection, which now included Northern Ohio coach body # 1519, Cincinnati & Lake Erie bodies # 101 and #105, and Pittsburgh Railway snowsweeper M31 (McGuire, 1898 -- wide guage), was moved to the property. A short stretch of track was laid, and the bodies and cars were arranged in two rows ( One row of bodies on tie piles; one row up on wheels on track). A pair of trucks were located, and #1519 was placed on these. Several more pieces of work equipment from the Cleveland Railway and the Shaker Rapids were acquired, and the collection grew to over nineteen pieces.
Land was needed on which to build the museum barns and a reversing loop, and eventually a thirty-acre plot was purchased directly across the street from where the cars were being stored. Track, ties, hardware and more railway equipment were aquired during the next decade, and property developement continued. Two grade crossings were installed with the help of the county engineers.
A major step forward was achieved when we erected our first carbarn in 1997. It is three tracks wide and can hold roughly nine full-size cars. Track is being laid towards the barn, and it soon will be attached to the main line, which is now over a mile long. Cars presently stored on the line occupy more than 1/3 mile of track.
Saturday work sessions continue year 'round, be it track work or the beginnings of car restoration. Thanks to special delivery by lowboy trucks, several cars are in the barn. If you are ever in the vicinity of Chippewa Lake & Medina, Ohio, stop by and look around!
Visit our website at trainweb.org/norm. You can review our roster pages, stroll thru our bookstore or just enjoy!