The East Broad Top Railroad is a narrow gauge historic and heritage railroad headquartered in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania.
Operating from 1871 to 1956, it is one of America's oldest and best-preserved narrow-gauge railroads, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. The railroad was preserved for use as a tourist attraction until operations ceased in 2011. In February 2020, after a nine-year closure, it was announced that the railroad had been purchased by a non-profit foundation and regular train services resumed in the summer of 2021.
History Importance as narrow-gauge railroad The EBT is unusual in that it is a complete, original railroad rather than a collection of pieces from various locations, as most tourist railroads are. All six of the narrow-gauge steam locomotives that operated on the railroad in its last years as a coal hauler are still on site, and some were used for the excursion trains. Other original equipment includes the M-1, a motorcar (doodlebug) based on scaled-down J. G. Brill and Company plans built by the EBT in 1927. The majority of rolling stock that operated on the railroad in its later coal-hauling years remains on the property in varying condition, including over a dozen flatcars, several boxcars and well over 150 hoppers. Tourist trains used original EBT passenger equipment, as well as converted EBT freight cars.
The original railroad maintenance shops have a pair of Babcock & Wilcox boilers, a 19th-century stationary steam engine, and an overhead line shaft system (steel shafts, wood and iron pulleys and leather and canvas belts) that powers antique machine tools, sheet-forming machines, foundry equipment, blacksmithing tools and woodworking machines. Almost of the railroad's original line is still in place, though only are usable. In recent years, disused trackage from Rockhill Furnace southward and Robertsdale southward have been cleared and gauged for use with speeders and handcars (track-gang cars).
The EBT was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The railroad was added in 1996 to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of America's Most Endangered Places.
Common carrier operations - 1872 to 1956 The East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company was chartered in 1856. Due to financial constraints and the American Civil War, the railroad was not built by its original charterers, but a new group of investors began to acquire right-of-way in 1867 and was able to construct the railroad as a narrow gauge line in 1872–1874. Services began from Mount Union, Pennsylvania to Orbisonia, Pennsylvania in August, 1873, and to Robertsdale in November, 1874. The line later was extended to Woodvale and Alvan, with several short branches. At its height, it had over of track and approximately of main line. + Name Stations Milepost In service Out of serviceClay spur19181927Shade Gap BranchBlacklog12.518841956Cedar Rock14.818841956Locke Valley15.618841956Shade Gap17.018841948Neelyton20.219031943Stanton spur21.619191940Shade Valley BranchStair18861904Goshorn18881904Nandy18901902Booher Branch15.018911912Narco Branch19421956Coles Valley BranchJoller19161948Rocky Ridge BranchCurfman27.619051936Jacobs29.019171936Evanston30.419171936No. 7 and 8 spurs1915c. 1941
The primary purpose of the railroad was to haul semi-bituminous coal from the mines on the east side of the remote Broad Top Mountain plateau. In its first few decades, the railroad hauled most of the coal to Rockhill to be coked and used in iron production in the furnaces of the Rockhill Iron and Coal Company, its sister company. It then hauled the pig iron from the furnace. Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, the railroad transitioned to haul most of the coal to Mount Union to be processed and transferred to the Pennsylvania Railroad. The railroad also carried substantial amounts of ganister (orthoquartzite rock, used for furnace lining), lumber and passengers with some agricultural goods, concrete, road tar and general freight.
As the iron industry in the region faded in the early 20th century, the railroad came to subsist on coal traffic for about 90% of its revenue. Around the turn of the 20th century, large plants for the manufacture of silica brick were developed at Mount Union, and they became major customers for coal and also for ganister rock, which was quarried at multiple points along the railroad. At Mount Union, the yard consisted of dual gauge trackage. EBT had an engine house for two standard gauge locomotives which handled switching between the standard and narrow gauge sides of the coal cleaning plant.
The EBT maintained an office in Philadelphia, PA. An 1893 timetable lists its executive offices at 320 Walnut St., then the main commercial area of the city. The city's business center migrated west and by 1939 the EBT's office was at 1421 Chestnut St.
In 1929, the EBT expanded its passenger service by forming the East Broad Top Transit Company and operated regional bus service. It acquired the Mount Union Bus Line in 1931. In 1941, that operation was sold to the Huntingdon Bus Company.
EBT was generally profitable from the 1880s through the 1940s, and was able to modernize its infrastructure far more than other narrow gauge railroads. The railroad's roundhouse was built in 1882, and is one of the oldest railroad roundhouses in the US still in operation. A coal cleaning plant and a full maintenance shops complex were also built, bridges were upgraded from iron and wood to steel and concrete, wooden rolling stock was replaced by steel, and modern high-powered steam locomotives were bought from the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia. In November 1953, the railroad's innovation earned them a cover story, "Is It a Sin to be Narrow Gauge?", in Trains magazine.
In the post-WWII years, most railroads converted to diesel motive power. Sources differ on why the EBT did not. One source cited the proven longevity of steam locomotives and, because EBT was a coal carrier, fuel was abundant and cheap. The other source is a 1955 General Electric Company report which argued that substantial savings in fuel, maintenance, and labor could be had by dieselization. However, by that time coal demand was already plummeting as homes and industries switched to cheap oil and gas. The last nail in the coffin came when the silica brick plants in Mount Union converted to oil and gas, meaning that not enough coal could be sold to support the mines and the railroad. On April 14, 1956, the railroad closed as a coal hauler and, along with the coal-mining company, was sold for scrap to the Kovalchick Salvage Corporation.
First heritage operation - 1960 to 2011
Nick Kovalchick, president of Kovalchick Salvage, elected not to scrap the railroad right away, instead letting it sit in place. In 1960, the twin boroughs of Orbisonia and Rockhill Furnace—the latter being the operating hub for the railroad—celebrated their Bicentennial and asked Kovalchick to put a train out for display. Doing them one better, he rehabilitated four miles of track and two locomotives and operated tourist train rides for several months that summer. The new attraction was so successful that the ride, extended to , opened as a regular tourist operation in 1961. The railroad operated tourist trains every summer through 2011. From 1960 to 2008 the trains were operated by the EBT under Kovalchick Salvage. From 1956 until 2020, the majority of the railroad was still owned by Kovalchick Salvage. It was overseen by Nick Kovalchick from 1956 to 1977 and by Nick's son, Joe, and his wife Judy, after 1977. That included assistance from long-time EBT employee Stanley Hall, who did almost any job, and eventually rose to General Manager before his retirement.
From May 2009 until December 2011, trains were operated under a lease to the East Broad Top Railroad Preservation Association, a non-profit founded with the intention of acquiring the railroad and reactivating all of the railroad's original main line (only operated for tourist operations). The EBTPA made a number of improvements on site as well as adding numerous special events like Day Out with Thomas and Polar Express. In 2011, EBTPA extended the season and operating days of the week. The original three-year lease expired in April 2012, and Kovalchick Salvage and EBTPA were unable to reach an agreement to continue operations. As such the lease was terminated.
About heritage operations From 1960 until 2011 the line operated as a heritage railway, with trains pulled by narrow gauge 2-8-2 steam locomotives. Vintage diesels operated as backup power. Excursions generally ran May through October. Special events and holidays trains ran in November and December.
The rides were round trips and took about an hour. The EBT annual Fall Spectacular, when all operating equipment was in use, was held on the Saturday and Sunday of Columbus Day weekend in October. There were also local events such as Community Appreciation Day. The train stopped at Colgate Grove, a picnic grove at the far end of the operable excursion trackage. The train was turned on a wye for the return trip. The historic railroad maintenance shops were usually open for tours when trains were running, and for group tours by arrangement. Speeder, handcar, and M-3 rides were often available on the restored trackage just south of Rockhill Furnace.
During this era of operations, four of the six Mikados were in service: #12, #14, #15 and #17. The heavier locomotives #16 and #18 never operated during this era, due to finances, differing opinions, and concerns about the effect their weight would have on the track; #17, of very similar size to #16 and #18, was used sparingly, typically only running during the annual fall spectaculars.
There were plans during this era to bring other portions of the East Broad Top back to service, most notably with the 1990 National Park Service proposal, but funding and inner politics prevented this, and operational trackage was never further extended.
As the years went on, the condition of the running locomotives deteriorated, and both rising costs and stricter operational standards after the 1995 Gettysburg Railroad boiler explosion led to the eventual retirement of many of the Mikados. #12 last operated in 2000, #17 in 2001, and #14 in 2005. Engine #15 was overhauled in the early 2000s and returned to service in 2005, allowing it to remain in service until the railroad ceased operations at the end of 2011.
Closure - 2012 to 2020 During the closure, the railroad facilities were maintained by a skeleton staff of paid employees and Friends of the East Broad Top (FEBT) volunteers. FRA inspections and paperwork were kept up on locomotive #15 in preparation for a possible reopening. Although no public excursions were held from 2012 to 2019, diesel-powered trains were operated for members of the FEBT on October 6, 2012 and October 12, 2013, as well as an M-1 excursion to McMullens Summit. Motorcar excursions were also operated for members of the FEBT attending its annual Fall Reunion on Columbus day weekends.