Work got underway this weekend clearing the largest portion of the East Broad Top mainline since 1961. We began clearing trees and brush southbound from Rockhill to the Rt 475 crossing.

Saturday morning and afternoon were spent clearing .1 mile so far. The evening was spent reopening the Odd Fellows Cemetary crossing.

Sunday morning a broken joint was repaired in the crossing and two new switch timbers were installed in the switch at this location. The switch machine and throw rod were grown in with trees and should be reinstalled next weekend.

This .4 mile of track will be utilized by speeders only. Eventually we hope to be able to tie this portion good enough for the train.

Some photos of this work would be interesting. Though the EBT is in worse shape, I've often wondered if the right of way could be slowly reclaimed for motorcar use, as is being done on the former Ulster & Delaware line right now.

What kind of shape is this section of track in? I have walked sections of the track north of the end of current service, and while the rails are still there, the ballast and ties appear to have completely washed away or decomposed. So, I don't think the rails would support any kind of load. Are you going to put new ties and ballast in this section of track as well?

Chris.

Looking toward Rockhill from Oddfellow Cemetary road, just beyond the previous end of cleared track (at the switch frog.) The switch machine had just been reinstalled a few hours before this photo.



Looking toward Rockhill from the current end of cleared track.



I am not part of the crew performing this work, but my understanding is that the current work will involve gauge bars but few ties. It is intended for speeder and MOW type vehicles. There are a few ties under the organic debris and the track will support an M series Fairmont once brought into good gauge. cr6358 can proabably give better info.

I know this is a little off topic, but the recent clearing happening on the EBT got me thinking about the northern end of the line. So, does anyone know if the Mount Union Connecting Railroad is operating right now, and if so, how far apart are the southern end of the MCRR and the northern end of the operable EBT trackage. Im sure that due to the EBT's current finances, no expansion will occur for a long while, but it seems to me the best bet for trackage extension on the EBT is on the northern end, past Colgate Grove. From what i've heard, Colgate Grove isn't too far from the end of the MCRR trackage. I know the MCRR has done a good job at rehabilitating the trackage south from Mount Union, but how bad is the track between the end of the MCRR and Colgate Grove?

According to my computer's atlas programs and my memory of just how far south the MUCR had "rebuilt" the dual-gauge track, I'm coming up with approximately 5.4 miles between the wye at Colgate Grove and the end of serviceable track at the north end. Judge for yourself whether that means "Colgate Grove isn't that far". Might I also point out that this stretch includes the concrete arch bridge over Aughwick Creek, one of the most deteriorated concrete arch bridges I have ever laid my eyes upon.

For that matter, I don't believe that any rail traffic has actually come out of the MUCR project, and that the track has been very minimally rebuilt pending any actual revenue. My general impression of the MUCR is that it was a legitimate attempt to offer rail service to an industrial park project that hasn't needed it yet, combined with an excuse for the EBT to legitimately re-assert that the right-of-way is still, from a legal sense, an "active railroad".

I had heard rumors/reports of a project back in the 1980s where, either in a similar attempt to assert railroad ownership and/or an attempt to fend off legal maneuvers aimed at reverting former EBT right-of-way back to adjacent landowners, either EBT/Kolvachick employees or the then-membership of the FEBT attempted similar brush-clearing on o ther stretches when the brush was a bit thinner. I've even been told (by a party whose information I've since come to distrust) that some of these actions were carried out by "volunteers" without the blessings of the EBT, and that this in part contributed to past antagonisms between the FEBT and the EBT owners/management. Is there anybody wiling to put the kibosh on these rumors?

The MTC lease extends to Augwick, just north of the arch bridge, although thre is no incentive for them to to rebuild track to that point. The southernmost customer would be Sylco which is about 1/2 mile north of Aughwick and south of the business park. From the end of lease it is about 3 miles to the Colgate Grove wye. In addition to the Arch bridge there is also a steel brige at Shirleysburg, two large washouts and several small washouts. Currently the MTC has pretty fully rebuilt track from US 522 to PA 103 and replaced about 1 in 2 ties from 522 to the junction with the old Pennsy spur. That's better than Class 1 as far as good ties. The passing siding and enginehouse spur are not in as good of condition.

Admittedly the idea is tantalizing to all involved with the EBT. There are no serious plans to "join up" and it can't really be seriosly considered util the MTC gets further with its track work.

The MTC has not pulled any frieght as their locomotive has been suffering one problem after another in the attempt to get it running. There was a rumor this weekend that it moved a bit under its own power, but that is just a rumor. Officialy it is still not in operation.

The most promising customer was in fact not in the industrical park. By my understanding, the businesses in the park have a wait and see attitude toward the MTC.

As far as the MTC legitimizing the ROW, the EBT owns most of its land fee simple rather than under a ROW agreement. In such cases reversion does not occur. That does not neccarily keep adjoining landowners from trying. At the time the MTC was started, there was every attempt to NOT link it with the EBT so as to maintain the EBT's (arguable) insular status. Subsequent events have rendered that point moot.

I have never heard of brush clearing being a source of friction between FEBT and EBT. The current project has the blessing of the EBT and is an EBT (not FEBT) project. The previous clearing up to the switch frog was an FEBT project.

WARNING: The following is only hearsay.
Jimmy McHugh told me that there were chain saw and speeder excursions about 1970 North from Colgate Grove. Eventually the General Manager, Mr. Wilburn complained to Mr. McHugh's pal, the owner, that the local deer would break their legs on the stumps of the cut off trees, and the excursions were stopped. Mr. McHugh was very concerned about any of the fans talking to Mr. Wilburn in the 1980s, for fear that something bad would result. My father was one of those talkers that scared Mr. McHugh. Our ancestors (deWeese) had developed the EBT back in the 1870s, and Mr. Wilburn remembered oldtimers talking about them when he was a youngster and new employee in the 1920s. He treated my father almost as an owner, not as a fan.
Another Mr. Wilburn story was that he was hired during a strike in the 1920s, and some people treated him as a strikebreaker, which soured his relations with railroaders of any kind, including fans.

I've walked parts of the track north of Colgate Grove, and while the rails are mostly still there, the ties and ballast seem to have completely eroded or decomposed over the years. So, to put this track back into service, basically every piece of ballast and every tie would have to be replaced. There is also a bridge over a stream north of the Pump House location that is completely gone - just rails suspended over the water. The spots I saw I doubt would even support a speeder right now without spreading the rails.

Interesting idea, but I don't think the dollars will ever be there to do so.

Chris.

Sorry to say, ISTEA/TEA-21/SAFETEA-LU/"another can of Lipton's alphabet soup, please" monies have been spent willy-nilly on far less deserving projects. (Please don't mention a certain observation car around the treasurer of one of my NRHS chapters, please.....)

Your comment about the EBT owning its property fee simple is interesting. That also appears to be the basis for their claim of insularity.

I asked Stanley Hall how they could be insular, with a public highway crossing between the depot and the shops and he said that the crossing was EBT property, fee simple. In essence, it was a private crossing, with the EBT allowing passage, as opposed to being a public crossing over a ROW. I don't know if they have been successful with this line of reasoning with the FRA, but it did explain why the EBT has maintained that it is insular.

I hope we see more clearing in the future. The EBT is a gem that nees to be saved.

Michael Allen

The ballast is still there under 40 years of organic debris. Ties are pretty much gone, though. With well placed gauge bars the rail will support speeders. This has been tested and proven up to an enclosed M series Fairmont.

The suspended rails was the site of a bridge built in 1872, but was long ago converted to a culvert. The fill was washed away by hurricane Agnes in 1972. It is one of several washouts on that part of the line, but nothing there is insurmountable should the desire to clear the line materialize.