Perhaps it was just the weekend and time of year, but if you are interested in a nice scenic afternoon train ride, either go during the week or just ride for a few stops then return the next time the train goes past your stop in the opposite direction.
We have been on MANY tourist railroads all over the country and were so looking forward to visiting the CVSR, it's too bad our experience was so disappointing!
We paid $30 apiece for dome car seats and spent most of our journey waiting at the stops watching them take bikes on and off of the train. We ran an hour late, and the cars were dirty as was the engine pulling our train. In fact it was so filthy I didn't even want to get a picture!
We almost missed our dinner reservations as a result.
On fall weekends, this is NOT a "scenic railroad, just a local bicycle transport!