Pennsylvania tourist railroad East Broad Top said the next steam locomotive that is expected to be restored to operating condition will be 2-8-2 No. 15.
The locomotive last ran in 2011. It was built in 1914.
In February the EBT operated 2-8-2 No. 16 following the completion of its restoration.
No timeline for the restoration of No. 15 has been announced, but officials hope restoration work can begin this year.
EBT has six 2-8-2 steam locomotives and it hopes to eventually restore all of them to operating condition.
There may not have been any snow on the ground to indicate that it was still winter, but the Winter Specular at the East Broad Top Railroad in Pennsylvania was, in a word, spectacular. Scores of traveled to the historic narrow gauge railroad to witness and photograph the triumphant return of steam to EBT rails. Here are some of the many scenes from the event.
During my visit at East Broad Top Railroad I took a little time photographing the right of way details.
The top image is Pogue Trestle which will be restored hopefully later this year. The railroad is making great progress working south from Rockhill Furnace in this regard.
The second and third imagea are in the yard at Rockhill Furnace. EBT used Harp switches, which don’t have points like regular switches but instead the rails move to line up the route.
This an example of a 3-way Harp switch, which is very rare.
The third image is the old coal dump at Mt. Union. This is not owned by the EBT Foundation so I’m not sure what the future holds for this but it is in a deteriorated state.
While steam is the star of the show it can’t go on without the diesels. On the East Broad Top the M-1 and M-7 were a big part of this year’s Winter Spectacular.
The M-1 handled passenger trips in between runs of the No. 16. The M-7 helped in moving consists and switching.
On the Western Maryland Scenic, No. 558 a GE B40-8 led trains on the reverse move from Frostburg.
Sunday morning at the East Broad Top Railroad Winter Spectacular was an early start, arriving at Rockhill Furnace at 5:30 a.m. We were part of a limited group called the hostler tour.
This would give us access to the EBT crew doing early morning maintenance and getting ready for the day’s runs.
Of course this made for some excellent photo opportunities as well. Here’s a few.
Here are some more highlights from the Winter Spectacular on the East Broad Top Railroad starting at 8 a.m. with a photo freight and then at 10 a.m. with a passenger train evert two hours after until the last trip at 4 p.m. was pulled by East Broad Top No. 16. The alternating hours starting at 11 a.m. were run by the M-1 a Brill doodlebug. The photos shown here were made on Saturday.
The top image shows the train Rockhill Furnace just after 8 a.m. The next two images are returning at Runk Road. The last two photographs were made of the passenger at an overhead bridge.
This past weekend the East Broad Top had its Winter Spectacular. The star of the show was EBT No. 16, a Baldwin 2-8-2, which has not seen service since 1956.
Thousands of people flocked to Rockhill Furnace over the weekend and I got many good photos including a special access hostler’s tour on Sunday morning.
Here are a few pics from Sunday morning with more to come.
I’ve been trying to recall all my visits to the East Broad Top Railroad.
It all started with the first time my Dad took me in the 1960s. I don’t have any photographs, but I do remember the 2-8-2 running that day was No. 14.
My next visit was a 1980 long weekend that I took with my Mom and little sisters. I do have photos of that trip with 2-8-2 No. 15.
From 1987 to 2011, I attended seven Fall Spectaculars that during six of them had four 2-8-2s operating (Nos. 12, 14, 15 and 17).
The only year they had an engineer for an hour program, I did that with my brother-in-law Karl, running No. 15.
With the return of 2-8-2 No. 16, I again am hoping for a visit this year. The photos above are from Oct. 8, 1995.
The top photo shows No. 17 on the turntable with No. 16 slumbering inside the roundhouse. Maybe this year I could get the locomotives in switched positions.
The bottom photo shows No. 17 viewed through the barn standing near Runk Road. I thought the barn was gone since then, but have seen photos posted from this weekend with No. 16 and the barn.
East Broad Railroad operated 2-8-2 No. 16 on Thursday in preparation for an upcoming event.
Trains magazine reported on its website that the Mikado steam locomotive built in 1916 by Baldwin operated for the first time since 1956.
At the throttle was Master Mechanic Dave Domitrovich while Nevin Byers was the fireman.
No. 16 will pull most of the excursions that will operate during the Winter Spectacular on Feb. 18-19.
Tickets for the Feb. 18 trips behind No. 16 are reported to be sold out while tickets for the Feb. 19 trips are selling quickly. Some trips will be powered by a Brill gas-electric car.
East Broad Top Railroad said last week that it will operate 2-8-2 No. 16 during its Winter Spectacular later this month.
No. 16 is the first EBT steam locomotive to be restored to operating condition.
EBT posted on its Facebook page a video of the Baldwin-built steamer moving under its own power on Feb. 1.
A news release from EBT said No. 16 “will play a key role” in the Feb. 18-19 Winter Spectacular event, including providing steam power on all previously scheduled excursions.
Since the EBT Foundation acquired the former EBT in 2020 excursion trains have featured a gasoline-electric car.
No. 16 last operated in 1956 and was built in 1916. It is expected to handle most EBT excursions this year.
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