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.
Photographs by Todd Dillon
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.
Photographs by Todd Dillon
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.
Photographs by Todd Dillon
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.
Article and Photographs by Todd Dillon
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.
Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas
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.
The East Broad Top has been my favorite narrow-gauge railroad since 1962 when my parents took me there after we visited Washington. Fast forward 20 years to May 1, 1982. Jim Bacon, Paul Woodring, and I visited the EBT, and it was then that I took this photo of EBT 12 heading back to Orbisonia, Pennsylvania. How blessed we are that soon steam is supposed to return to the recently reopened EBT.
Article and Photograph by Robert Farkas
Although no date has been set for East Broad Top 2-8-2 No. 16 to return to service, work continues to bring the Baldwin-built steam engine into operating condition.
Trains magazine reported on its website that No. 16 passed a hydrostatic boiler test last May and since then has been test-steamed under the observation of Federal Railroad Administration staff.
EBT master mechanic Dave Domitrovich told the magazine that FRA personnel were satisfied with the tests.
He said workers will be able to install everything back on the boiler but a considerable amount of finishing work remains to be done on the engine.
No. 16 last operated in 1956. The EBT has four other steam locomotives that operated between 1960 when the EBT became a tourist railroad and 2011 when steam operations shut down.
In recent weeks, workers have painted the dome covers of No. 16 and remounted two of them. Also overhauled or replaced have been major fittings and appliances such as the bell, whistle, sight glasses, tri-cocks (additional boiler-level checks), air pumps, air tanks, Hancock injectors, and boiler-pressure and brake-pressure gauges.
Painting has been completed on the smokebox, pilot and tender are painted.
Domitrovich said the next major tasks include reinstalling the main and side rods and timing the valves. Also yet to be completed is painting and remounting the locomotive cab.
Once work on No. 16 is completed, workers will turn their attention to restoring No. 15, which was the locomotive last used in revenue tourist train service.
The original plan was to restore No. 14, but an inspection determined it needs more work than that initially thought.
Whereas No. 15 simply need running gear work, No. 14 need major boiler work and running-gear work.
In other developments at the Pennsylvania-based EBT, a second new coach has arrived from a vendor located in Washington State.
The car, built by Hamilton Manufacturing, has been placed on its new trucks, and work is continuing to set it up with new couplers, truss rods, air hoses, and heating and lighting equipment. It will be numbered 22.
EBT has ordered four coaches from Hamilton with the first of them, No. 21, having already undergone a test run.
The railroad’s general manager, Brad Esposito, told Trains the EBT may be looking to acquire more carbody shells in the future that would come without coach seats, they can be reconfigured as first-class and parlor-car seating, or as dining cars.
The article can be read at https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/work-continues-to-return-first-ebt-steam-locomotive-to-service/
Pennsylvania narrow gauge tourist railroad East Broad Top fired up one of its steam locomotives this past week.
On Wednesday 2-8-2 No. 16 was placed on the roundhouse turntable and operated in steam for the first time since 1956.
However, much work remains to be done before the 16, which never pulled any trains during the first tourist train era on the EBT, is ready to move under its own power.
On the “to do” list is installation of the superheater, throttle, cab and a new boiler jacket.
Additional work remains to be done on the locomotive’s tender as well.
For more about the firing up of EBT No. 16 visit https://railfan.com/east-broad-top-2-8-2-fired-up-for-first-time-since-1956/
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