Picked this up on the Narrow Gauge Discussion site and reposted it here concerning activity on the EBT in Mt.Union.

I have no other news other than what was reported in the article.

http://www.hcbi.com/article/ebt-rail-sp ... ent-begins

yay :)

Same story posted below yesterday.

Not the first time, either. This refurbishment is simply an update of a track refurbishment that was done perhaps a decade ago, partially (as publicly stated) to restore rail service to an "industrial park" on the east side of Mt. Union, and also (rumored) to assert "rail service" to force PennDOT to install crossings when the new Rt. 522 Bridge bypassing downtown Mt. Union was built instead of paving over the track.....

it sounds very impressive, EBT may be re-goaling their line with the preservation society and breath new life into the line from all angles, much of the line is intact with track only a part is used for the excusions.

The last round of track work was done in 2001-2005-ish, and extended from the northwest end of the EBT yard, southeast through the yard, across the 522 crossing and most of the way to the PA 103 crossing. As my last visit, the latest round of work was mostly from the connection of the old Conrail/PRR spur to the NS main, southeast through town toward the EBT yard.

Beyond those two areas, it is about another 3/4 mile to the industrial park, plus another mile to the Sylco tank farm. Add another mile or so to reach the concrete bridge at Aughwick

Ok, so regardless, it would be the only dual-gauge line seeing use, once the line into Mt. Union is reactivated. That would be the only dual gauge operation seeing regular service in the United States. How many railroads can lay claim to that?

I'm speculating here. Suppose they trucked one of the steam locomotives and some passenger cars to Mt Union and operated an excursion there. Would they see more revenue at that location? I'd guess it'd depend on how many tourists travel Rt 22, and the amount of advertising. Is there scenery to make the ride interesting for tourists? How long would it take to earn back the investment? Are there remaining facilities to maintain the locomotive in Mt. Union? (Obviously with some rehabilitation.) Parking? If you ran the EBT and had the capital to try this, would you do it?

-Mark

The facilities for maintenance in Mount Union were limited in the day and more so now. Just an engine house with no tools. In the day parts were sent to Rockhill to be worked on. There is no safe storage for the cars in MU and all passenger facilities (parking, station, ticket office, toilets, etc) would have to be built from scratch.

MU departures would be only sensible, but as an add-on to Rockhill departures not in place of. The drive from Mt Union to Rockhill is much less a deterrent to ridership than the inadequate marketing that has plagued the EBT. Step one it to get the trains running in Rockhill again.

I don't like to throw cold water on the dreamy aspirations of hopeful EBT fans. But rein in your hopes. Quite a bit.

This rehab is a "quick and dirty" rehab job, just enough to bring the track up to minimally-acceptable standards with new ties and maybe a new rail or two. I don't even recall the third (three-foot) rail being reinstalled in "downtown" Mount Union the first time around, and the photo shows none.

The only ostensible purpose of this rehab originally was to be able to market industrial sites with "rail service" to potential industrial occupants. This was/is NOT a "reactivation" of the East Broad Top for excursion use. And the viability of this rehab is speculative at best, and laughable at the most cynical. There is a "glut" of such rail-served industrial zoning throughout central Pennsylvania--note that the "White Deer Bridge" project highlighted in another thread here is part of a similar marketing plan with no customers yet, and there are similar potential locations all along the Reading & Northern and Nittany & Bald Eagle. The Juniata Valley RR, mentioned in the "turntable for sale" thread, serves lots of underutilized track of this sort and another industrial park in nearby Mifflin County. Meanwhile Norfolk Southern, CSX, and CP have, in the past decade, shifted more of its carload traffic to "transload" facilities along its main lines, the better to offer carload freight without the customer needing a siding or a branchline local.

If this level of "if you build it, they might come" investment were made by a government agency that you hold in disdain or contempt (the military, the Park Service, the Department of Agriculture, Coast Guard, whatever--I'm not trying to be political here), you would probably suggest it to a "pork barrel" investigative reporter for their next "fleecing of the taxpayers" report. As the article states:

Now, there are perfectly valid reasons why earlier proposals to "save" the EBT and expand operations (National Park Service, Commonwealth of Pa., and reported private speculators) never got anywhere. As much as I want to see government investment in "saving" the EBT, for the sake of both the EBT and the rail preservation movement I REALLY don't want to see this done in such a way that someone can, with perfectly good rationale, call it "a waste of taxpayer dollars." We've already had this with Steamtown.

Here we go again, grease a politician, get a state grant for a supposedly useful Industrial Development (or historical restoration) project, then divert the funds to another use for personal gain. Deja vu all over again with you-know-who!

quick and dirthy rehab is better than a no-hab. One step at a time. We've seen pics here of a really bad and lumpy track and a diesel train crawling over it with a full load any second the whole kaboodle could turn over.

Get some action going and improve the track better later.

What action? There are no customers on the line that could generate enough traffic to cover costs let alone pay for anything else. And good luck getting new business to locate to that neck of the woods. Huntingdon county has lots of industrial space sitting empty and constant threats of other big business shutting down and pulling up stakes for(outside this country) greener pastures.

I'm pretty certain that this is the worst possible thing to happen to the EBT. While seeing track rehabbed is to some a positive sign, Salone & Co have just split the EBT into pieces. I seriously doubt that he'll make it beyond Augwick bridge (the concrete one a couple miles South of Mt Union) in his purchases and even if he does, he's now got an insulated section of narrow gauge railroad with no equipment and henceforth, no income. The standard gauge section isn't gonna make him any money either as there's very little industry in that business park. I think (and I really hope I'm proven wrong) that this is the death knell for EBT. The EBT's value and appeal was in its completeness. Now, if Joe Kovalchick wants to sell it, the buyer only gets 7/8 of it. It's a crying shame. Meanwhile, a good operation, Rockhill Trolley Museum, has to be suffering with ridership loss with no trains running. Again, I hope I'm wrong in that, but time will tell.

Let's point out that, SUPPOSEDLY, the ultimate objective of the East Broad Top Preservation Association is to acquire the ENTIRE railroad.

Let me REALLY stoke up a giant-hornets' nest worth of controversy with an out-of-nowhere proposition:

Suppose, just suppose, that "someone" finally finds a way to acquire and preserve the entire EBT. Lock, (rolling) stock, and (rain) barrel. All it involves is reclassifying the project as "Appalachian industrial and economic redevelopment" and rebuilding the entire line with standard gauge, and a three-foot rail can be added to any place an excursion franchise can find marketable--Orbisonia to the picnic grove, to Mt. Union, or all the way to Alvan for all we care. The tunnels will be enlarged and the bridges replaced. New enginehouse up at Mt. Union on the west side of town. The historic buildings are left alone, and maybe leased to an excursion operator. Freight traffic: whatever. (Maybe urban household refuse to a new landfill?)

What??? WHA-A-A-AT?!?!?!? Come on, I just saved your precious time capsule! What are you doing screaming and waving nooses, tar, and feathers at me for?!?!?

I don't think the EBT is dissappearing anytime soon whatever happens and how track ownership exists, for economic development you have to get information out to prospectives and attract interest. Thats basic business.

lets see how they do, their working on it.