Report on the East Broad Top Facebook page that a big announcement about the future of the railroad will be made at 11am Eastern tomorrow (Valentine's Day).
https://www.facebook.com/ebtrr/ for you Facepalmers out there.
Interestingly no comment yet from the Friends of the East Broad Top page. Might bear watching after the 'event', though...
https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfTheEBT/
I don't want to spread any rumors or 'queer' any arrangements that might still be at a delicate stage, but I think it does bear 'watching this space'.
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2020/02/14-east-broad-top-sold-plans-full-operations-by-2021
This is fabulous news!!!
Glorious! Glorious! I can't think of a better word!
The EBT's needed an "angel," to use a show business term, for a long time, and it looks like they didn't get just one, but several. And look at those heavy-hitters in the starting lineup! Incredible!
Christmas came early this year!
And a hearty "Thank you!" to all those fine gentlemen involved!
Wonderful news! And don't forget the debt we owe to the Kovalchick family for preserving the EBT all these years.
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Yes. Thank heaven for the Kovalchicks!
Exceptionally great news. What a relief. I seriously thought its end was inevitable. It was so close to being scrapped and wiped off the face of the planet. This is not going to be easy going forward and on many levels, but the challenge will be met now, honestly and with reason.
For us narrow gage fans, this was our number one concern. Big sigh of relief.
On a different forum, I saw comments about how EBT would need to acquire the Mount Union Connecting RR (which apparently used to be an end part of EBT; but now stands between EBT and a connection with NS) in order for EBT to perhaps at some point haul freight again.
This brings to mind two questions.
1) How would EBT, a narrow-gauge railroad, interchange with NS anyway? A transloading facility?
2) If such interchange is possible, why not just interchange with the Mount Union RR? (My understanding is that the Mount Union is standard gauge. I assume they re-gauged, or laid completely new track.)
I didn't understand that post on RyPN. In any event, I doubt EBT's new owners are in the market for another railroad at the m
I didn't understand that post on RyPN. In any event, I doubt EBT's new owners are in the market for another railroad at the moment!
From what I understand, the Mount Union Connecting RR is long gone. The part of the EBT from Aughwick (sp?) bridge to Mount Union is owned/leased/whatever by the East Broad Top Preservation Assoc (not to be confused with the new EBT foundation), and is operated by the East Broad Top Connecting RR. Clear as mud? Or at least that's how I understand it. I may not be 100% correct on all that.
The connection from the PRR (now NS) into the EBT's Mount Union yard is dual gauge track. The dual gauge track extends past Rt. 522, and a little after it ends and becomes narrow gauge, there's a couple small industries along the track/Rt. 522. I believe the original goal of the then-mount union connecting RR was to extend standard guage track to those businesses in order to drum up some work. Never happened, though.
I know some people wish for the EBT rides to be extended to Mt. Union. While Mt. Union is neat in and of itself, the last few miles of track basically run alongside the shoulder of the road, and isn't the most scenic, IMO.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
Thanks, zugmann.
That explains why I could find info on progress toward start-up of the MURR, but nothing that indicated it was a functioning operation. Some body's pipe dream?
I would doubt that the EBT will ever get refurbished as far as that anyway. Right? I thought I read they were looking at fixing up five miles of track; I would assume that would have to be on the Rockhill end.
From what I remember, and it ain't much:
The Mount Union was one of Salone's things, wasn't it? I suspect anything involving the 'standard gauge' interchange might still involve him, or some successor-in-interest.
There was considerable discussion of this back in the day on RyPN (and I believe their thread search still works...)
OvermodThe Mount Union was one of Salone's things, wasn't it? I suspect anything involving the 'standard gauge' interchange might still involve him, or some successor-in-interest.
It was. I believe he was given the chance to operate the EBT for a season or 2. Although I heard the EBT ownership wasn't thrilled with his way of doing things - he did modernize (credit cards are a thing? Who knew!) and try some new things (narration, polar express excursions, Thomas, etc).
I have no clue if he has any involvement with the EBT connecting, which seems to have at least stored some old CR hopper cars on their tracks in Mount Union. So that's a few bucks.
Mr. Salone is in charge of the Mount Union operation which I don't think amounted to much more than storing embargoed freight cars.
EBTNUTZ Mr. Salone is in charge of the Mount Union operation which I don't think amounted to much more than storing embargoed freight cars.
Could you explain what an embargoed freight car is?
Cars that need repaired or are considered to be too old to be usable.
Thanks.
What is the greatest length of mainline trackage ever used by the EBT as a tourist road?
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