East Broad Top sale

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Fri Feb 14, 2020 3:45 pm

xboxtravis7992 wrote:

But for those of us traveling there from out west or internationally, if you told us that we could make it from the EBT to the Western Maryland in about a two hour drive with Altoona in the middle; we'd definitely take it! Last time I was in Pennsylvania was a multistate family trip from Manhattan, New Jersey, Scranton, up into Buffalo, then down into eastern Ohio just outside of Cleveland, back into PA over Altoona then into Pennsylvania, before heading back up to Newark for our flights back home. In that kind of road trip, taking the detour down to see both the EBT and 1309 in a single trip would be possible.

Just as a point of contention, Altoona is definitely NOT in the middle between EBT and WMSR...

Crescent-Zephyr · **Joined:** Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:15 pm **Posts:** 1500

I've ridden Delaware River Railroad, Black River and Western, and Strasburg all in the same day. There's so much steam in that area, it's just fantastic.

This is such good news. What an amazing team, I hope everyone can work together well to make this operation, and all of the operations in the area, a success for decades to come. I can’t wait to visit again!

"The impossible just takes a little longer"

p51 · **Posted:** Fri Feb 14, 2020 8:04 pm

It seems like every RR related form out there each has multiple threads about this same topic.
At least here, can they all be combined? There's no reason why people have to start yet another...

Dave Lewandoski · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:58 pm **Posts:** 1061

great news indeed, and some great backers involved

Bessemer867 · **Joined:** Mon Dec 16, 2019 1:40 pm **Posts:** 13

We finally have an end to the speculation regarding the East Broad Top.

Today the dreams of hundreds, if not thousands of railfans were fulfilled with a major announcement out of Orbisonia, PA, the longtime home of the East Broad Top Railroad.

The East Broad Top has been purchased by a group comprised of railroad industry leaders and members of the railroad preservation community. The longtime owners of the railroad were the Kovalchik family, who owned and operated the railroad from 1956 until the present day. It spent most of those decades as a tourist railroad until 2011.

Three major backers of this effort are Mr. Bennet Levin, Wick Moorman, and Henry Posner, all of whom have had major accomplishments in railroading and preservation. Mr. Brad Esposito is the leader of this foundation and has had a twenty year career with the Buffalo and Pittsburgh.

Here is the link to the Trains magazine article which details this major development;

https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2 ... ns-by-2021.

This is a very uniqe peice of history as it is the only remaining narrow gauge railroad east of the Rocky Mountains and is incredibly intact. It is and will remain a step back in time for generations to come. The East Broad Top foundation is aiming to have the railroad reopen in 2021. A very exciting development for south central Pennsylvania.

Rick Rowlands · **Posted:** Fri Feb 14, 2020 9:19 pm

We do not need a dozen individual EBT threads. Lets keep the conversation going here. Thanks!

Becky Morgan · **Joined:** Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:22 pm **Posts:** 467

You’re right, of course, but a lot of us are kinda over the moon right now. Of all the news that could have been, this was the very best.

Bessemer867 · **Joined:** Mon Dec 16, 2019 1:40 pm **Posts:** 13

Rick Rowlands wrote:

We do not need a dozen individual EBT threads. Lets keep the conversation going here. Thanks!

Perfectly fine with me.

Crescent-Zephyr · **Joined:** Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:15 pm **Posts:** 1500

When I questioned the amount of big boy threads I was told by multiple members that I didn’t understand the significance of the big boy being restored and it was worth multiple threads. In the preservation world, this is wayy bigger news than the big boy!

Robby Peartree · **Joined:** Wed Aug 25, 2004 11:16 am **Posts:** 767

Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:

I hope he doesn't jinx the deal, jumping the gun.......

Word on the "street" was that the Durango & Silverton made the Kovalchicks an "offer he couldn't refuse" so they could acquire a fleet of 2-8-2's to convert to oil burning, so as to protect the historical integrity of their D&RGW Mikados.........

Why the attack on the D&S. Neither the D&S nor the EBT deserve this.

Robby Peartree

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sat Feb 15, 2020 12:26 am

Robby Peartree wrote:

Why the attack on the D&S. Neither the D&S nor the EBT deserve this.

For an explanation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JtnEUPvpus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CxX8nvLalE

Steamguy73 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 24, 2014 3:15 pm **Posts:** 595

Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:

Robby Peartree wrote:

Why the attack on the D&S. Neither the D&S nor the EBT deserve this.

For an explanation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JtnEUPvpus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CxX8nvLalE

Heh. I believe I saw a comment similar to that on the original post saying there’d be something today.

It’s pretty funny but just be careful with those things. It’s hard to tell sarcasm on the internet.

Robby Peartree · **Joined:** Wed Aug 25, 2004 11:16 am **Posts:** 767

There is nothing funny about the 416 fire and the results from it. To say the D&S would destroy EBT history for oil burning locomotives as a joke is sad.

Robby Peartree

70000 · **Posted:** Sat Feb 15, 2020 4:03 am

robertjohndavis wrote:

The comparison to Wales is apt.

With the Everett already running a first class heritage line and the EBT coming back, you have half the pieces for a tourism destination. If the Railroaders Museum can get the Altoona facility back in top shape, steam the K4 and make a few improvements to Horseshoe Curve it will be the kind of area tour bus operators will put on intineraries.

And that’s not to mention Allegheny Portage NHS and the potential of a reopened Seldom Seen Mine tour.

It goes without saying that the scenery is beautiful, as well.

I would love to see the greater Altoona area reach it’s heritage tourism potential.

Rob

And don't forget the trolley museum next door to the EBT at Orbisonia as well....

Both times that I visited the EBT (1998 & 2010), the trolley museum was an added bonus and encouraged me to stay longer in the area that day than I would have done for just the EBT. The two attractions complement themselves very well. On the 2010 visit, I spent more time at the trolley museum than on the EBT!

Dave · **Posted:** Sat Feb 15, 2020 8:26 am

The D&S is well capable of converting their own power to oil and back to coal again should they chose to do so. Back in the '90s GLRR 40 was at D&S for heavy running gear work and test run there - firing her up in the roundhouse started a fire in the pit and other similar events such that the GLRR staff was asked if oil was always like that..... so probably little interest unless outside pressures warrant a change.

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