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 Posted - October 11 2021 : 11:59:45 PM
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A thread about a wonderful Pennsylvania treasure.
Start with its history before turning to a tourist attraction.
Over 100 years of history in central Pennsylvania for this railroad.
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Posted - October 12 2021 : 12:18:50 AM
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I was there once back in 1995.
One of my friends from Queens was spending the weekend at the railroad.
He drove me from Altoona to Orbisonia and back. Only a few photos.
Most photos I took at Altoona and the Horseshoe Curve. Before digital cameras.
I do not drive so I took Amtrak to Altoona round trip from New York City.
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 Posted - October 12 2021 : 12:32:27 PM
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Some internet videos from this weekend.
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Posted - October 12 2021 : 1:32:29 PM
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A very interesting slate of videos, none of which I'd seen.
So many narrow gauge lines were built on the premise that
being half sized, it would be 50% cheaper to operate with
100% of the revenue. The economic reality was that these
custom made one offs cost 150% to make, and transloading
freight from narrow to standard for through freight was
hugely labor intensive and also caused a lot of damage claims.
Additionally, the light rail, frequently laid next to near level
water courses, were plagued by floods and ice flow damage.
Additionally, labor costs were not 50% of standard gauge, and
upkeep was just, if not more, expensive. Lastly, the Class Ones
at the time typically threw every roadblock they could at the
narrow gauge competitors, tying them up in court for years and
years over right of way issues, especially diamond level crossings,
forcing the narrow gauges to transload at great expense and
inconvenience to the shippers. How the EBT turned a nickel, I'd
love to find out.
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Posted - February 20 2023 : 10:37:31 PM
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Steam engine is running again on the East Broad Top.
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Posted - February 20 2023 : 11:00:12 PM
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Another cool internet video.
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Posted - February 21 2023 : 07:30:31 AM
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Do not let the return of steam power blind you to the real news. The new owners are well along in their quest to restore the line to service, and in addition to the traditional tourist run north of Orbisonia, restoration efforts are well underway on the track to the south that hasn't been used since 1956. The plan is to restore service incrementally, to Three Springs, Saltillo and beyond. Restoration is also underway on a second steam locomotive. They have 6 and hope to eventually have them all under steam. 4 new passenger cars have been built that fit right in with the existing ones, one of which is wheelchair accessible (important to me because I have a handicapped wife who loves steam locomotives.)
They have also commissioned a study on what condition the two tunnels are in, and what it would take to restore them to service. It will be nice to ride the long out of service track when it opens.
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Posted - February 21 2023 : 10:39:55 AM
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Great thread. Thanks for the update Jeff.
Randy
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Posted - February 21 2023 : 7:41:58 PM
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I read about the restoration of track south of Orbisonia.
They had run speeder cars for years on a portion of the track.
With more money available they have ambitious plans for expansion of service beyond the 5 miles of operating trackage.
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Posted - February 21 2023 : 7:51:08 PM
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An old internet video from 2009 along a portion of the southern route.
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Posted - February 21 2023 : 8:18:34 PM
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They were offering speeder rides when I visited in 2006, but I didn't take one. In the video you can see the brush was cleared and the track made passable for a speeder car but nothing else. You can see a couple of spots where the ballast had washed away from under the track. These are the places with fresh limestone ballast instead of the cinders used elsewhere. You can also see places where the track had sunk into a mudhole. These soft spots would probably not hold the weight of a train.
Photos I have seen show the right of way stripped of all underbrush, track and ballast. The roadbed will be stabilized and compacted before new ties and rail will be laid in the roadbed and ballasted with fresh limestone. It is a ground up rebuild, and if the line north to Colgate Grove is any indication they will do a good job that will last for many years.
I'll try to find some photos online. Better yet, I plan to take the wifey out to see the railroad in action this year. Last time we visited, before she had her stroke but after it had shut down, we wandered the shop area looking at the locomotives in the roundhouse. Everything was locked up, and nobody was around.
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Posted - February 21 2023 : 8:26:04 PM
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https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/east-broad-top-gets-1-1-million-from-state-for-restoring-track-other-projects/
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Posted - February 23 2023 : 12:15:35 PM
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More internet videos.
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Posted - February 23 2023 : 3:15:12 PM
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They did a great job on the track. This is no longer the meandering 10mph railroad it was under the Kovalchicks. Those trains are MOVING! Wonder if the rest of the line will be rebuilt to 25mph standards?
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Posted - August 14 2023 : 8:50:47 PM
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Looks promising.
From April of this year.
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Posted - August 14 2023 : 8:57:43 PM
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Repairs to the track south of Orbisonia continues.
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Posted - August 14 2023 : 9:03:14 PM
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Posted - August 15 2023 : 10:38:24 PM
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"East Broad Top begins restoring main line south of Orbisonia.
About 8 miles of track closed since 1956 is being renewed.
By Dan Cupper on June 3 2022.
The long awaited restoration of the narrow gauge East Broad Top Railroad’s main line south.
Long dormant for nearly seven decades is under way.
A three-pronged approach involves EBT Foundation.
Also full-time staff and a volunteer track gang led by Gene Tucker of the Friends of the East Broad Top.
Also a crew working for G&H Anderson Excavating a local contractor.
Together they are hacking away at brush, clearing dumped garbage.
Many falling trees repairing or replacing culverts and draining standing pools of water.
Water that has soaked the roadbed since the last regular train left here in 1956.
All of this will lead up to installing fresh ties.
Re spiking much of the existing 85 pound rail.
A large percentage is in good condition.
Ditching the right of way and ballasting and surfacing the track structure.
The first goal is to reopen the eight mile stretch between EBT’s headquarters at Rockhill Furnace and Saltillo.
A former junction with EBT’s Narco Branch that once boasted a station water tank and wye.
Long-range EBT plans to reopen another twelve miles to the end of the line at Robertsdale and Woodvale.
Two company towns in the mountainous mining area that once supplied the semi bituminous loads for coal trains.
This is rugged territory with the line climbing 2.75% grades and traversing a horseshoe curve and two tunnels in need of significant work.
EBTF and the Friends are turning their attention to the more scenic southernmost part of the line.
The line penetrates the former deep mine region.
Looks very promising."
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Posted - August 16 2023 : 06:19:34 AM
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I am going on vacarion next week. I hope to visit the EBT and see how the track restoration is proceeding. I;m sure wifey will enjoy the ride. SHe always loves our trips to the mountains. I've heard they now have a wheelchair accessable coach.
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Posted - August 16 2023 : 06:55:00 AM
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Have fun visiting there. Some track is in use for light equipment.
At Three Springs.
At Robertsdale.
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