The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad just bolstered its fleet in a big way.

The CVSR has signed an agreement to purchase four historic California Zephyr cars — two vista dome dining cars, one sleeper car and one baggage car — Joe Mazur, president and CEO of the nonprofit railroad, said in an interview on Tuesday, Aug. 14.

The CVSR will pay $1.5 million for the historic cars, which were all built in the 1940s and sold as a set by private owners, he said.

"We're really ecstatic to bring a fleet like this into the Cuyahoga Valley National Park," he said.

The cars, which Mazur said are in great condition and will immediately be put into service on the CVSR, will arrive in the valley on Sept. 20 after making the trek from Seattle, with a stop in Chicago. From the Windy City, the cars will be pulled by the historic Nickel Plate Road steam locomotive No. 765, which is arriving for the Steam in the Valley event.

Mazur will go along for the ride, which departs from Seattle on Sept. 10, as will other special guests, donors and possibly CVSR volunteers, for a fee. There might be room to entertain other riders as well, he said.

And while the CVSR is in the midst of a capital campaign, the railroad decided to make this purchase before the campaign was complete, taking out a $700,000 loan, Mazur said.

The deal for the set of cars was one the railroad felt it couldn't pass up, and timing was of the essence because of changes Amtrak is making to the way private cars can be picked up and dropped off, Mazur said.

Plus, the cars were on the open market and the CVSR didn't want to lose out to another buyer, he said.

"We're in the preservation business. We're preserving a fleet of cars that were in service in the 1940s and 1950s," he said.

The new cars give riders a peek into train travel of days gone by.

The CVSR currently has one vista dome dining car — the Silver Bronco — with no kitchen, but the purchase adds the Silver Lariat and the Silver Solarium, both vista domed dining cars with 360-degree views and full kitchens. The Lariat is equipped with a full bar and lounge area. The Solarium has five suites and a full bar, too. Each car allows for 24 diners in the elevated domed sections as well as passengers in their lower levels.

"These are a game-changer for us," Mazur said.

The dining cars will allow the CVSR to expand its events by inviting chefs aboard for custom dinners.

The Silver Rapids car was used as a transcontinental sleeper car and has six double rooms and eight single "roomlettes," Mazur said. And while the CVSR doesn't intend to run any overnight excursions, the car allows guests to see how train travel was in the past and can give some passengers private accommodations for the local excursions.

The Silver Peak baggage car has significant historical interest because it was used as a segregated car during the Jim Crow era.

Mazur said the cars will have an immediate impact as added attractions and offer additional amenities for riders.

They'll be put to use immediately on their arrival, with Silver Lariat and Silver Solarium joining the existing dome car on the Steam in the Valley event that kicks off Sept. 21.

The new cars also will be used for the Fall Flyer fall foliage events in October, and for the popular Polar Express outings in November and December, Mazur said.

"We created a return on investment that was really a no-brainer," he said of purchasing the cars.