This photo is a sample from an aerial set that Lance Meyers is selling. I’ve been to the EBT many times but until I saw this view I never noticed how sharp the curve on the trolley museum’s station lead was when compared to the EBT Wye (middle right).
JR
Jon,
Quite so, since trolly’s had to turn street corners just like a regular bus.
Prolly the sharpest turns of any railed vehicle, 'cept mine carts, etc.
Nice overhead shot.
jb
Jon,
Is that CD for sale? I think I saw it was mentioned, but don’t believe I saw that it was available yet. Great shot, I think he is scheduled to go up a couple of more times.
Thats kinda why trolley / streetcar / interurbans work so well in model railroading , sharp curves , one car train , etc etc . A natural for the room that a lot of people actually have for a layout . Where R1 and R2 curves work ok with the equiptment .
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You’ll have to pardon me for being a little blind, but I don’t see any trolley tracks. The wye is obvious enough. I don’t have a clue where the Trolley Museum is.
Just to the right of the 2 long red buildings in the center of the picture. You can just mke out the tracks in that view. It’s actually inside the “wye”.
I’ve seen the trolly come around that curve myself and never realized it was that tight.
Warren,
Not that you didn’t get complete directions to the tight curve from Ken, but because I just want to talk about such a fantastic place for railroadin. See the “slag pile” at the bottom of the picture , that is now a “slag flat” with three crawler tractors sitting in it? Well the two red building of the “RTY Trolley Barns” are right above those tractors and right next to those buildings is the tight curved track and there looks to be a white van and a black van or pickup sitting next to the curved trolley track. On to the right is the leg of the wye heading toward “Shade Gap”. North to Mount Union and the connection to the PRR is off the picture to the right of everything. South or “picture left” heads to the mines at the company town of Robertsdale. Shade Gap and the Tuscararo Valley that Kevin Strong models is beyond the bottom of the picture and the “Boss’s House” is the big white building right in the middle of the picture on a hill over looking the whole Rock Hill/Orbisonia area and was heated by the steam plant in the railroad yard.
This is the best place I have ever seen to show what narrow gauge railroading was like in the first half of the 1900’s. The town was the railroad and the railroad was the town. And in many ways, it still is. The “Pizza Star” restaurant has great home cooked Italian food. We got off the Pennsylvania Turnpike heading back from the ECLSTS as a class 1 vehicle. Ate at the “Pizza Star” and ended up a class 2 vehicle at a higher rate when we got back on. I think it was the dough balls that put us over the limit.
One of the more fascinating aspects of the RR when I was there was the shop tour. The shops are the those buildings to the immediate left of the long red buildings. It was hard to imagine those fellows building steel hopper cars under such primitive conditions. And the place looked as if everyone had just laid down their tools and gone home for the day. I’m not trying to upstage Jon’s picture, but I thought this one would show what steam RR’ing is all about on a frosty Oct. morning…
Is that 17 Ken? Hard to make out the number plate. I only saw 17 under steam once, the last time she ran in 2001. Never saw 12 under steam, and 15 may have gone down after the second time I saw her.
Ric - Yes. Lance is selling a CD of aerial photography. Profits go to the EBT Speeder Restoration Fund (part of the for-profit EBT, not the FEBT). I think they are $10 + $2 shipping. Contact Lance Meyers for more information. You can find him via the Webmaster link at www.ebtrr.com
For those unfamiliar with the East Broad Top - Coal fired steam engine #15 currently operates passenger excursions on weekends from the first weekend in June through the end of October over about 5 miles of original narrow gauge right-of-way. Next Door is the Rockhill Trolley museum. The East Broad Top is located near Orbisonia, Pennsylvania, north of the PA Turnpike on PA Route 522.
[End of multiple blatant plugs]
JR
Yea, Jon. 17 was the only one running when I was there and that was in 2001.
The others at the time were still in the RoundHouse.
I was there for the very last whistle salute of all four together (plus air on #18?) in 2000 … that night 12 lost a flue, and the loss had started… by the following year, 17 was the only one running on special exceptions. (Sigh.)
Anyway, yes… trolley curves are often much tighter. The museum has one at Warehouse Point, just leaving the station, where you’d swear the front of the longer cars (like PCC #451) is going to hit the fencepost with the signal control on it … it’s got a guardrail that has to be greased every couple of days! http://www.ct-trolley.org/c6.htm
Matthew (OV)
The trolley curve in the photo also has a greased guard rail.
OK, so I’m a bit confused on the EBT locos in service since 2000. I thought I had it all figured out, but now your saying that only 17 was running in 2001 has me confused.
This is the time line as best as I can put it together from memory…
My first trip to EBT was in 2001 for the Fall Spectacular. 14, 15 and 17 were in steam and pulling trains. 18 was on static display. There was a whistle salute, but without 12. I believe it was sometime on Sunday of that weekend that 17 went down for the last time.
2002 Fall Spectacular I believe had 14 and 15 in steam and was 15’s last steam appearance before her rebuild.
2003-2004 saw only engine 14 in steam while 15 underwent a FRA boiler inspection & flue change & stay bolt replacement.
2005 14 had driver problems early in the season, but came back on-line quickly. 15 came back on-line just before the Fall Spectacular and worked with 14 on double headed coal trains for the photo special.
2006 14’s waiver expired and she is stored serviceable. 15 operates for the season and is the only engine in steam for both the regular season and the Fall Spectacular.
2007 15 is scheduled to open the tourist season in June. 14 still stored serviceable, but has no FRA waiver.
So… In 2001, were 14 and 15 held out of the regular tourist season rotation until the Fall Spectacular? This might be an EBT list question.
Any corrections to my time line would be appreciated.
JR