EBT Memories

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

New NS Conneaut Bridge Taking Shape

Sunday was Ursula’s birthday. The day was blue skies and sunshine. We celebrated with an Ashtabula County outing.

We visited a Metropark, eat at the Red Lobster in Ashtabula, and visited a winery in Harpersfield. We also made it to Conneaut.

While in Conneaut I checked out the progress of the new Norfolk Southern bridge over Conneaut Creek. Looks like it’s being built below the current bridge, whereas the new bridge in Painesville over the Grand River was built alongside the original trestle.

The eastbound stack train just happened to show up at the right time.

Article and Photographs by Ed Ribinskas

Remembering the B&LE Erie Branch

I’ve never seen a train on the Erie branch of the former Besemer & Lake Erie, but some of you have. Edward Ribinskas sent along these photographs that he made over the years.

These images are from his “favorites over the years” series.

The top image of Norfolk & Western No. 611 was made on Aug. 11, 1984, when it was running a Buffalo, New York, to Albion, Pennsylvania, excursion.

It is shown crossing U.S. Route 20 in Girard, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 11, 1984.

Also shown are images made at Girar and Platea, Pennsylvania, on April 17, 1997, and at Girard on April 30, 1997.

Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

What It Would Have Looked Like

Friday and Saturday were the type of days I will not venture out anymore except to the mailbox and to feed the birds.

Why I didn’t really need to go trackside is because I am more than satisfied with the results I got in Perry in March 2013 in similar conditions. However, things were worse on Friday than they were in March 2013 when there was heavy lake effect snow but not the extreme cold.

Of course I wouldn’t have been able to see Amtrak No. 48 anyway if I had gone out since it was cancelled. Stay warm everyone.

Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

Saturday Morning Surprise

I saw on HeritageUnits.com on Saturday morning that NS Train 265 (23K) was through North East, Pennsylvania, at 8:03a.m. with the NS Penn Central heritage unit leading. I looked at

the North East webcam to verify. About 9:20 a.m. I was set up at Riverside Drive in Painesville. About 9:30 I heard horns but they were coming from the west. I crossed the street and shot Train 316 with superb lighting.

I now had time to go to Perry and set up at Maple Street to get NS No. 1073. I got it at 10 a.m. Take note of the engineer’s side number board.

Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

A Weekend That Exceeded Expectations: 5

We started our walk to Brush tunnel from Helmstetter’s Curve at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, arriving at the tunnel at 11:14 a.m.

Again, we encountered hikers and bikers on our trek to the tunnel, inside and outside and on the other side.

Before the train arrived we were joined by a rail photographer from Buffalo, New York.

Just after 12:15 p.m.the train popped into the tunnel. Fifty-five seconds later it popped out with the steamer’s smoke pulled out with it as in the final photos. What a conclusion to a fantastic weekend.

Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

A Weekend That Exceeded Expectations: Part 4

After photographing Amtrak’s eastbound Capitol Limited and the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad’s Pumpkin Train at the downtown Cumberland stations on Sunday morning, we headed for the spot in the Narrows to await the Pumpkin Train.

With a 10 a.m. departure from the Cumberland station it appeared at the Narrows in just under four minutes.

We then caught the train at Helmstetter’s Curve at 10:20 a.m. The train passengers unloaded for kids to pick up their pumpkins. When finished everybody re-boarded for a 10:41 a.m. departure to return to Cumberland.

A few minutes later we started our mile walk on the bike path to Brush Tunnel. As we started, we encountered several pedaling track cars that had started their journey at Frostburg. The Tracks and Yaks program gives patrons the opportunity to pedal downhill from Frostburg to Cumberland.

I will conclude this series on Friday at Brush Tunnel.

Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

A Weekend That Exceeded Expectations: Part 3

I found that our weekend in Cumberland, Maryland, chasing Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad would prove to have a flurry of passenger train activity within walking distance of our hotel.

On the afternoon of Oct. 22, a Saturday, the passenger train with the 1309 returned to the Western Maryland passenger station just before 4:30 p.m.

The first five photos with this post, including the top image, were made at the Cumberland WM station.

As I was photographing the watering of the tender (seen below), a voice to my left asked if I was getting good photos.

The voice was again very familiar. It belonged to Akron Railroad Club member Dennis Sautters, of North Canton, who had just arrived in town. He told me he would be riding behind the 1309 on Sunday in dome car Stampede Pass.

Dennis also said he had just come from riding the Potomac Eagle. Before that he had been at Cass Scenic Railroad Park in West Virginia

On Sunday morning the Amtrak website showed that the eastbound Capitol Limited was running on time.

We were already checked out of the hotel and drove to the Amtrak station, located a short distance from the hotel, on the ex-Baltimore & Ohio mainline.

No. 30 arrived at 9:19 a.m. I had no idea that I would be happily surprised when I saw the “bloody nose” on the point.

It was my first time seeing P42DC Phase 1 heritage unit No. 161, which is the replacement for the 156 Phase I heritage unit.

While we were here we heard the horns of the Pumpkin Train arriving at the Western Maryland station across town.

We had plenty of time to see it before its departure at 9:30 a.m.

Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

A Weekend That Exceeded Expectations: Part 2

I continue with my chasing Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad adventure of Oct. 22.

After making photographs at Helmstetter’s Curve, we headed for Woodcock Hollow. This location is also on a horseshoe curve.

With the railroad on an uphill climb, the 1309’s stack talk was heard for several minutes before its arrival as seen in the top image.

The next three images show the train after its arrival in Frostburg, Maryland.

In the first photo below you can see Akron Railroad Club member Dave Shepherd on the right.

Photos three and four show my former brother-in-law and his son Own enjoying the steamer.

The plan was to have a nice leisurely lunch in LaVale. We did at the Ruby Tuesday restaurant. After lunch we drove back to Helmstetter’s Curve to see the departure of the 2 p.m. Pumpkin Train as shown in photo five.

The photo at Helmstetter’s Curve is the return departure of at 2:45 p.m.

We then walked the bike path the quarter-mile to West Helmstetter’s to await the return of the steam train.

During our relaxing wait we saw a continuous passing of bikers, joggers, hikers, mothers with children and strollers, and also railfan heading to Brush Tunnel.

Photos six through nine are the excursion shortly before 4 p.m. We then started back to the car at Helmstetter’s.

Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

A Weekend That Exceeded Expectations: Part 1

A few weeks ago my former brother-in-law Karl and his son, my nephew Owen, became available for a railfan adventure the weekend of Oct. 22-23.

Our destination would be Cumberland, Maryland, to see the Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.

We departed Geneva at 6:45 a.m. on Saturday.

Our destination was Helmstetter’s Curve, which we hoped to reach in time to photograph the arrival of the first Pumpkin Patch train of the day that would have departed Cumberland at 10 a.m. We arrived at Helmstetter’s at 10:15 a.m. and set up at the cemetery overlook.

A few minutes later one other car pulled up next to ours. From a distance as they got out of their car I noticed they looked very familiar.

To my surprise they were Akron Railroad Club members Don Woods and Dave Shepherd. After exchanging greetings, we heard horns. The photograph above is the arrival of the Pumpkin Patch train.

After getting our photos, I suggested to Karl that we head to Ridgeley, West Virginia. My thinking was that the 1309 would have to be there to wait for the return of the Pumpkin train.

I was correct and the next three images were made at Ridgeley.

We then drove to a spot in the Narrows. The steam train would be about a half hour behind its scheduled 11:30 a.m. departure from Ridgeley. It would depart the Cumberland station about noon.

The next photo is at the Narrows at about 12:08 p.m. followed by photos made at Helmstetter’s Curve at 12:25 p.m. Part 2 of the series will continue to Frostburg.

Article and Photographs by Edward Ribinskas