Usually, on our trip out to York, one of the pleasures that Ric introduced me to, was touring the old track/roadbeds of the East Broad Top (EBT) railroad… on our trip last year, we located a tunnel entrance on one side of the Mountain… This year, we located the other end of this tunnel entrance… Altho, it seems to have seen better years… Below, I am adding a few pictures, of the tunnel entrance, with the cavein, and some of the trackage still in place after the tunnel…
I love exploring old ROW’s.
Looks like the blocked the tunnel entrance from vehicle traffic… How far down the tunnel could you see?
And how far into the tunnel did you venture ?
Ralph
Thanks Andy;
Trees sure do have a way of taking back a right-of-way. I have even seen photos of trees growing through the rusted-out panels of abandoned freight cars.
Best,
David Meashey
Cool.
Too bad they didn’t keep the entire line open when that guy bought it for scrap.
It would rival the C&T and D&S for popularity with NG fans.
Ralph Berg said:Ralph, I didn't venture this time, wife did the venturing for me... was too steep a downgrade..... if one went in the tunnel a lil bit, you could see daylight at the other end... we did the other end of the tunnel, last year.... the other end had doors that they would close, when trains weren't running thru the tunnel, but it has all deteriorated and collappsed now.... Tunnel was blocked by a cave-in.... and some dirt that had eroded away had covered the tracks leading into the tunnel....
:cool: I love exploring old ROW's. Looks like the blocked the tunnel entrance from vehicle traffic.. How far down the tunnel could you see? And how far into the tunnel did you venture ? Ralph
Ralph Berg said:Just to where it caved in. There was a lake on the other side of the cave in. We could see the other end of the tunnel from where I was standing on the right side of the tunnel.
:cool: I love exploring old ROW's. Looks like the blocked the tunnel entrance from vehicle traffic.. How far down the tunnel could you see? And how far into the tunnel did you venture ? Ralph
Since it was such a nice day we were on the lookout for snakes.
The siding that was on the other side of the road looked to be about a 1/2 mile long. Jane and I ventured on down the the other end of it. There was a flat area that could have been for a station or freight shed, but there was no evidence of anything ever being there.
I have basically the same pix that Andy just posted.
Wasn’t much in the way of ties. There was a lot of gauge bars that were holding the track in place.
Nice continuation on last years jaunt. Maybe i’ll be free next year
If I remember correctly from one of my Spring Exploration trips several years ago, there is a spring switch on one end of that siding. I’ve seen this end, but don’t think I’ve ever seen the other end. Unfortunately I didn’t take notes along with my pictures while on the guided tour.
Nice…I gotta get up there!
David Russell said:Me too :) I'm thinking a late Summer/early Fall trip with stops at the EBT, Steamtown, Ken's & Shawn's. My way of making something positive out of missing ECLSTS ;) Ralph
Nice.......I gotta get up there!
Columbus day weekend in October is when the run everything that does. IF they operate at all this year. The operator’s contract is up and I don’t think the owner is interested in operation it again, especially since he lost his #1 guy who recently passed.
If you look, the small light square in the middle of the picture is the other end of the tunnel…
Basically, the track worked its way south from Mt. Union and Orbisonia/Rock Hill Furnace toward the Broad Top Mountain coal mines. It climbed the mountain as far as it could in the northern valley and then finally had to bust through the mountain on a curved tunnel and then continue on south up the southern face of the same mountain and continue its trek to Robertsdale. We’ve now pretty well walked most of the ROW north of the tunnel and next year we will continue to the next tunnel and onto the routes to the mine. 60 year old trees, erosion and shifts in ground can certainly change what it looks like, plus many of the roads we travel now, didn’t even exist in 1956. Last year, one of our best local source of directions told us we “had to turn and go past the NEW SCHOOL”. A pretty straight forward instruction until you realize the “NEW SCHOOL” was built in 1953. Its all perspective.
Here is a link to the area of the Sideling Hill Tunnel
http://www.spikesys.com/EBT/Tour/shtunnel.html
and a link to the FEBT and the complete virtual tour of the railroad.
