The owners of the EBT have signed a 3-year contract with a non-profit group to operate the railroad for the next three years.
http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=5023
This is good news.
Later,
K
Here I was thinking you were talking about your railroad.
DAAAAAAAAAAA
Sorry
Sean
HaHa …so did I
Me too. 
Good to hear, though. At last report things were looking a little grim for the EBT.
In the current economy it may be tough times for a lot of historic RRs.
Thanks for posting that Kevin
I wonder how the relationship will work with the FEBT then. From afar, it always looked like it was a very tumultuous relationship with the Kovalchicks, though had been improving in recent years. The best thing about this is that a proper preservation plan may be put in place, and just as good, No. 14 might get another run. She was always my favourite (only because she had the best whistle!).
Cheers
Tony
This sounds like excellant news. I’m sure the FEBT can come to terms with this new group and work can be continued on all levels.
I haven’t heard anything official from the FEBT relative to our activities, so I assume that since these new operators are essentially contractors working for the railroad ownership, that the FEBT’s working relationship would remain unchanged. Besides, we’re free labor, and less building maintenance for the operators to have to worry about.
Later,
K
Free labor is always good.
I’m glad that things are going well for the EBT.
Wow. This caught me by surprise. Sounds good so far. I like the idea of being associated with the Altoona museum as they have a pretty good draw. I was first introduced to the EBT via the Altoona RR’s Museum during their Railfest in either 1999 or 2000.
With what they said about opening track to Mt. Union I can almost see Levin’s PRR F’s shuttling folks back and forth Altoona to Mt. Union during special occasions. - Now THAT would be way cool.
Yes, that would be “way cool”!!
Doesn’t opening the railroad to Mt. Union involve rebuilding a huge (missing) bridge?
Matthew (OV)
It invloves restoring the bridge, but all the bridges (or at least their rails in the case of one small bridge over a mill race) are still quite extant.
On the restoration front, the new operator has been an FEBT member for some time, and is very in tune with keeping the FEBT involved with the railroad. He came to the work session the Saturday before all this broke to speak to the crews doing the work. The discussion (as it was relayed to me) was very positive; along the lines of “the work the group is doing is very important to the railroad, so let’s make sure it keeps getting done.”
Later,
K
Opening day is on my must do list.
Geoff
Kevin Strong said:
It invloves restoring the bridge, but all the bridges (or at least their rails in the case of one small bridge over a mill race) are still quite extant.On the restoration front, the new operator has been an FEBT member for some time, and is very in tune with keeping the FEBT involved with the railroad. He came to the work session the Saturday before all this broke to speak to the crews doing the work. The discussion (as it was relayed to me) was very positive; along the lines of “the work the group is doing is very important to the railroad, so let’s make sure it keeps getting done.”
Later,
K
Nice! That is a very positive report. Thanks, Kevin.
Here are links to the two newspaper articles covering the EBT’s new operators… Sorry they’re so large. Attempts to just put them up as links proved unsuccessful. (Bob, if you can tweak them, please do.)
(http://www.railfanusa.com/pics/ebay/a1.jpg)
(http://www.railfanusa.com/pics/ebay/a2.jpg)
(http://www.railfanusa.com/pics/ebay/b1.jpg)
(http://www.railfanusa.com/pics/ebay/b2.jpg)
Later, K
Thanks for posting that Kevin.
This is really exciting. I wish the new company good luck in securing funding for restoration and expansion of the operation line. Perhaps I will be able to see EBT steam trains in Mount Union again!