East Broad Top Photos & Videos

[JRad (Jon Radder)]

I’ve been posting my EBT shots in the Hand Laid Track thread, the title of which is a bit misleading, so I decided to create a dedicated post for EBT Photos and videos.

I welcome others to post their EBT content as well. I will start of with a video taken yesterday just a few feet North of my back yard!

This scene plays out at least 3 times per day on operating days. On returning to Rockhill, 16 pauses for the track three switch to be thrown, then moves the train over to track three pausing again for the switch to be put back before proceeding toward Meadow Street and the wye.

East Broad Top 16 returns it's train to Rockhill Furnace

[Rooster]

[JRad (Jon Radder)]

Nice! Taken October 2023 L-R are: Ralph Berg, David Marconi, Dave Rooster Russel, myself at my post COVID weight. I’ve since dropped a lot of that

[PeterT]

I could post EBT photos forever, but I’ll try to restrain myself.

This was taken at the recent FEBT Reunion/16mm Assoc NA Annual get-together. #19, the new just-in-case-we-need-it diesel parked waiting to help.

M-1 was hauled out for trips as it was a special day. M-3 made an appearance too.

Back in 2010, we chartered M-1 for a fan trip to Colgate Grove and back. About 30 of us took part - Roger Cutter organized it; that’s him in the middle. (Geoff Ringle on the left, Ken Molchahow on the right.) It doesn’t have a lot of seats, so they put some in the baggage compartment.

From the same trip, here’s Courtney Brown driving next to the very noisy Winton gas engine.’

[JRad (Jon Radder)]

Courtney has aged a bit (haven’t we all). Here he is preparing to take the 11:15 M1 trip to Colgate Grove during the reunion…

Courtney Brown and Nevin Beyers were 16’s engine crew on all 10 runs to the grove this weekend.

They were running at least one speeder in Rockhill for the reunion. This is The Spider. It’s probably the most comfortable to ride, but looks unstable. The high sprung seats with grabs make it my favorite!

[JRad (Jon Radder)]

This is the second weekend of the EBT’s Pumpkin Patch trains. Today they are running all operational passenger equipment: The Cinder car (open, no roof) + 3 of the new coaches + the new combine + two “rider” cars (converted box cars) and a caboose for an 8 car train! The schedule of 4 passenger trips with a 90 minute layover requires 5 trains. Train 1 returns empty and an extra runs out empty to return the last group. That gives me 10 opportunities per day to get a shot! The trains have been nearly full!

These shots were taken from the street in front of my neighbor’s house. I noticed the bridge view a few mornings ago after some of the vegetation died off. Long zoom from Ore Street in Rockhill…

And this parting shot from my back yard…

I’m going to see if the RR will sell me a few tickets for the extra return train next Sunday.

[Cliff_Jennings]

Awesome, Jon!

So great they’re filling seats and selling tickets!!

To catch the return train, will you do a flag stop at your house?

You might do so wearing Rooster’s son’s US flag shorts, now that would be a flag stop!

[JRad (Jon Radder)]

These family oriented trains have been doing well. Christmas trains will probably sell out. The first ever Beer Train last night was a huge success. They are contemplating running diesel powered trains after Christmas and maybe a Winter Spectacular!

No flag stop. The return extra leaves Northbound from the station in Rockhill empty. I have seen a few folks riding, so I’m hopeful we can ride.

[PeterT]

This neat photo (and others) turned up on Facebook, from the Beer train evening.

[Dave_Meashey (David Meashey)]

@PeterT

Beer train evening.

Pete;

Once while I was helping at the W,K&S, a summer stock theater group rented the party car (a combine) for a day. They had so much booze with them that I could smell it over our locomotive’s coal fumes. I was honestly afraid our little steamer would set those fumes on fire!

Regards, David Meashey

[JRad (Jon Radder)]

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your point of view, there is no beer or alcohol served on the train. Cromwell Township / Rockhill Borough is dry. The picnic grove is located in Shirley Township which is not.

The Brew Train participants ride out to the grove where they are met by food and beer trucks, campfires and lawn games. Many of the participants posted raving reviews on social media.

If we hadn’t already left our dog alone for 5 hours while we went to a steam tractor show, we would have taken the trip. Next time for sure.

This weekend is the last of the Pumpkin Patch trains. 5 trips in both directions!! If the weather is good, I’d take more pictures, but I think my location has been over shot!

[JRad (Jon Radder)]

The first Pumpkin Patch train on Sunday steaming by the homestead on a chilly morning…

Later in the day I convinced the railroad to sell me tickets for the 4PM dead-head train that runs empty to Colgate Grove to pick up the last group of pumpkin patch kids. I managed to snag a caboose seat for the Northbound trip…

On the southbound trip, the reverse angle from my back yard pics…

[JRad (Jon Radder)]

FEBT Volunteers have pretty much unlimited access to the yard and shops. I usually wander around during the second half of lunch hour. During the FEBT Reunion, the shops open house did not include the car shop since it’s a pretty dangerous place. The doors were open so I stepped in for a few pictures.

Caboose 28 will be restored over the winter. Caboose 27 will go in for work once 28 is available. So far, they have removed the roof covering of tin and tar…

A large supply of T&G can be seen on the cart at left…

I’m not certain which coach this is that the EBTF is restoring…

Today we did more tie replacement and relocation on Track 3. The railroad wants track 3 to be available for a run-around by the steam engine…

Tomorrow I’m back on the combine crew.

[PeterT]

@JRad

I’m not certain which coach this is that the EBTF is restoring…

I suspect that is #8. It was equipped with ball-bearings to act as supplement for M-1, and those sure look like ball-bearings.

Before you moved to Orbisonia, EBTF decided to tighten the truss rods to get rid of the sag. This sag:

I heard that the truss rod(s) broke.

EBTF posted this on their FB page:
"In 2020, this cherished piece of the EBT’s historic coach fleet was placed in the Locomotive Shop to allow crews to assess what repairs would be necessary for it to return to operation. As expected, the coach is very worn from its service in the railroad’s common-carrier era and its use on excursion trains during the tourist era. As the list of repairs continues to grow, it has become clear that it needs a comprehensive restoration before it is placed back in service. "

[JRad (Jon Radder)]

Thanks Pete. I remember when they had it in the locomotive shop. Linn Moedinger was involved in trying to get it operational. I recall him saying that they were not able to get the sag out and that they had moved on. That was probably some of the motivation to get the replica coaches and combine.

Today at an FEBT work session, one of the RR crew said that a rider in one of the replicas commented on what a great job the RR did restoring the passenger cars

Yesterday, Brad Esposito showed off the work the RR is doing to restore the trucks from Combine 14. They are going to great lengths to correctly fix trucks that were severely worn and out of tram. They are a priority to get back under the car so it can be moved out of the paint shop to make room for a caboose.

[JRad (Jon Radder)]

This is a great example of the fantastic replication work being done by the Foundation employees and contractors. This screen door rotted away over the years. Now it keeps bugs out of the crew lounge in the stone house…

Bonus points if you know why the area around the handle is painted black

[RRRR4 (Lou Luczu)]

So you can find it and to know which way the door opens?

[Rick_Marty]

Dirty/greasy hands, the smudges won’t show as much.

[smcgill (Sean McGillicuddy)]

security so it cant be pried open

[JRad (Jon Radder)]

Rick gets the prize! All you need to do is fly out here to collect