The East Broad Top Railroad, in conjunction with the support group Friends of the East Broad Top and a generous bequest from a late supporter who asked anonymity, announced plans to “modernize” the East Broad Top’s excursion operation with “new” narrow-gauge steamers to be acquired from China via Multipower International.

According to a representative at Multipower, arrangements are being made to procure, overhaul, and convert to three-foot gauge a trio of Chinese class C2 0-8-0’s, recently retired from service on the 600-mm-gauge Huanan Railway. The plans also include adding lead and trailing axles to convert the locos into 2-8-2’s, maintaining the Mikado tradition on the EBT. Once reliability of availability is established, it is expected that the original EBT Mikados will be relegated to special events or charters only, continuing the current policy of one vintage engine serviceable at a time.

Tentative plans are to erect a temporary prefabricated enginehouse adjacent to the EBT's Rockhill Furnace roundhouse to store and service the "new" power, which will allow the building to be disassembled and stored during the annual Fall Spectacular and EBT Reunion, so as not to interfere with photography.

Further details will be announced later today, or as they become available, at www.febt.org .