East Broad Top Railroad

Infobox rail
logo_filename=
railroad_name=East Broad Top Railroad
logo_size=
old_gauge=
marks=
locale=Pennsylvania
start_year=1873
end_year=present
gauge=3 ft (914 mm)
hq_city=Rockhill Furnace, PennsylvaniaInfobox_nrhp | name =East Broad Top Railroad
nrhp_type =nhl

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caption =East Broad Top Railroad narrow gauge coach #24 parked in Robertsdale, Pennsylvania on July 14, 1953.
nearest_city= Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania
area =
architect=
designated= January 28 1964cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=493&ResourceType=District |title=East Broad Top Railroad |accessdate=2008-07-02|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service]
added = October 15 1966
governing_body = Private
refnum=66000666cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|accessdate=2006-03-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

The East Broad Top Railroad (EBT) is a heritage railroad headquartered in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania, convert|19|mi|km north of Interstate 76 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike) and convert|11|mi|km south of U.S. Route 22, the William Penn Highway. The railroad operates excursion trains on a seasonal schedule.

History

The "East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company" was chartered in 1856.

Due to financial constraints and the American Civil War, the railroad was not built by its original charterers, but a new group of investors began to acquire right-of-way in 1867 and was able to construct the railroad as a narrow gauge line in 1872–1874. Service began from Mount Union, Pennsylvania to Orbisonia, Pennsylvania in August, 1873, and to Robertsdale in November, 1874. The line later was extended to Woodvale and Alvan, with several short branches. At its height it had over sixty miles of track and about thirty-three miles of main line.

The primary purpose of the railroad was to haul semi-bituminous coal from the mines on the east side of the remote Broad Top Mountain plateau to the "Pennsylvania Railroad" in Mount Union. The railroad also carried substantial amounts of pig iron, ganister rock, lumber and passengers with some agricultural goods, concrete, road tar and general freight. In its first three decades the railroad supplied much of its coal to the "Rockhill Iron Furnace", owned by the railroad's sister company, the "Rockhill Iron and Coal Company".

As the iron industry in the region died off, the railroad subsisted on coal sales for about 90% of its revenue. Large plants for the manufacture of silica brick were developed at Mount Union, Pennsylvania and these became major customers for coal and also for ganister rock, which was quarried at several points along the railroad.

The East Broad Top was generally profitable from the 1880s through the 1940s and was able to modernize its infrastructure far more than other narrow gauge railroads. A coal cleaning plant and a full maintenance shops complex were built, bridges were upgraded from iron and wood to steel and concrete, wood rolling stock was replaced by steel, and modern high-powered steam locomotives were bought.

In the 1950s coal demand plummeted as the brick plants converted to oil and gas and not enough coal could be sold to support the railroad. The railroad closed as a coal hauler April 14, 1956, and was sold for scrap to the "Kovalchick Salvage Corporation".

Nick Kovalchick elected not to scrap the railroad right away, instead letting it sit in place. In 1960 the twin boroughs of Orbisonia and Rockhill Furnace, operating hubs for the railroad, were celebrating their Bicentennial and asked Kovalchick to put a train out for display. Doing them one better, he rehabilitated four miles (6 km) of track and two locomotives and operated train rides for several months that summer. The new attraction was so successful that the ride, now extended to five miles (8 km), opened as a full-time tourist operation in 1961. The railroad has operated tourist trains every summer since then. The railroad was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The railroad was added in 1996 to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of America's Most Endangered Places. The railroad is still owned by "Kovalchick Salvage" and is tended by Nick's son, Joe, and Joe's son, Nathan.

Present day

Today the railroad operates as a heritage railway, with steam powered trains pulled by narrow gauge 2-8-2 steam locomotives. Excursions run on weekends June through October. The rides are convert|10|mi|km|sing=on round trips and take about an hour. The annual Fall Spectacular, when all operating equipment is in use, is the best weekend to attend. The Spectacular is held on the Saturday and Sunday of Columbus Day weekend in October. There are also special events at Community Appreciation Day in early August and the June Opening on the first full weekend of June. The historic shops are open for tours during special events, and for group tours by arrangement. The train stops at Colgate Grove, a picnic grove at the far end of the excursion.

The EBT is unique in that it is a complete, original railroad rather than a collection of pieces from various locations as most tourist railroads are. All six mainline steam locomotives that operated on the railroad as a coal hauler are still on site and some are used for the excursion trains. Other original equipment includes a standard-gauge switcher steam locomotive, operating track-gang cars, the M-3 motorcar (built from scratch by the EBT utilizing an engine and transmission from an automobile), and the M-1, a very rare motorcar (doodlebug) based on scaled-down J. G. Brill and Company plans but built by the EBT. The majority of rolling stock that operated on the railroad as a coal hauler still remains in varying conditions, including over a dozen flatcars, boxcars and over 150 hoppers. Tourist trains use original EBT passenger equipment as well as converted EBT freight cars. The original railroad maintenance shops still stand, complete with overhead line shaft system (steel shafts, wood pulleys and leather belts) and dozens of antique Machine tools, sheet-forming machines and woodworking machines. All convert|30|mi|km of the original main line are still in place, though only convert|5|mi|km are currently used.

In the 47 years following its opening as a tourist hauler many of the structures along the disused portion of the railroad fell into disrepair and were lost to neglect or arson. Maintenance on the original railroad shops at Rockhill Furnace and unused equipment was secondary to operating the train, causing them to deteriorate as well. Currently the Friends of the East Broad Top perform restoration work on the historic railroad one weekend per month. The Friends restore the railroad shops and other buildings, repair track and rolling stock, and help maintain the premises.

The Rockhill Trolley Museum, operated by "Railways to Yesterday", is next to the Railroad and offers convert|3|mi|km|sing=on round-trip trolley rides during the tourist season on the former Shade Gap Branch of the EBT that follows Blacklog Creek. RTM volunteers help the railroad by maintaining its vintage internal combustion equipment.

Friends of the East Broad Top Museum

The Friends of the East Broad Top operate a museum complex in Wood Township, Pennsylvania known as the Friends of the East Broad Top Museum. The official address is in Robertsdale, which is part of Wood Township. The museum is located in the East Broad Top Robertsdale Station, about 40 minutes from the operating portion of the railroad, and contains historic artifacts and documents. The goal of the Friends of the East Broad Top Museum is to present the history and culture of the East Broad Top Railroad & Coal Company and the industries it served in the surrounding area. [http://www.febt.org/museum.html Friends of East Broad Top Museum] The Friends are also restoring the adjacent post office station, which will eventually house the museum's exhibits.

See also

* List of heritage railroads in the United States

External links

* [http://www.ebtrr.com East Broad Top Railroad website]
* [http://www.febt.org Friends of the East Broad Top]
* [http://www.spikesys.com/EBT The East Broad Top Railroad Homepage]
* [http://www.prea.com/pennlines/May2005.pdf PDF of magazine article about railroad history published May 2005]
* [http://www.railserve.com/ebt/ East Broad Top Railroad Fall Spectacular Photos]
* [http://www.febt.org/museum.html Friends of the East Broad Top Museum]

References

* Lee Rainey and Frank Kyper. "East Broad Top." San Marino, California: Golden West Books, 1982. ISBN 0-87095-078-9.