I've now received word from two different and fairly reliable sources that the East Broad Top will NOT reopen for excursion service in 2008. This news supposedly comes directly from EBT employees.

Is there anyone one this list ready/willing to confirm or deny this rumor?

And just in case, when is the last scheduled day of operation this season?

I'm not sure if I would bet on that rumor considering there are already at least a couple bus groups scheduled for 2008.

Might wanna double-check those bus groups. The one "source" was supposedly trying to set up a photo charter in early 2008, only to supposedly be told by the employees that the RR wouldn't be running in 2008.

I'm still taking this with a grain of salt--I can't believe the FEBT isn't rallying to save the RR one way or another.

Has anybody contated the management at EBT directly????

It would be fraudulant for them to set up charters for next year knowing they won't be opening. Without proof to the contrary, I can't accuse them of such things.

[redacted]

Their website says they are running untl the last weekend in October. Since I can't make the FEBT reunuion, I think I'll shoot for a visit prior to the end of the season. Not that I think this is the last year they'll be running, just that I haven't been there since 2005. And any year could be the last for many of the smaller lines.

And besides, I have some film due to expire this year...

Ok, I took your advice about one minute ago.

The gentleman who answered my call stated that the railroad is for sale and the current owners have not made any definite plans regarding 2008 operations. The person I spoke with said he would hope that if there are new owners in place by 2008 that they would continue operating the railroad. -- Ray

I'm not an employee.

This rumor floats around every year, because the EBT doesn't know if it's running the next year until the owner says so. He makes that decision on a year to year basis, usually not till the end of October at the earliest.

[redacted]

Best way to help is (as always) to BUY A TICKET, even if you can't make it out to ride.... I think I'll try to convince my friend to go out with me some time in October, but if I can't, I'll still buy a ticket or two anyway. They are only $12-15.... so it's not like that would break the bank.

I just noticed that their website says they can't take cards, so I guess I'll just have to mail a check...

So, at the moment, what it appears we have could be a classic misunderstanding/misinterpretation, when someone takes "we're not taking charters for 2008 yet because we don't have a definite reopening authorization" and changes it into "we're not taking your charter because we're not reopening." Sounds like what the one source might do, but not the other source....... [late update: now first source is claiming he heard it from employees earlier this year while riding in July and September, and then heard it from other railfans and FEBT members.....]

Nonetheless, it appears that there's nothing that commits the railroad to reopening in 2008, no firm decision to do so as of yet absent new owners, no sign of any new owners anywhere on the horizon, no sensible reason to reopen the "money pit" that I can see........ although, let's be honest, sense seems to have little to do with this avocation of ours at times.

Guess I'll go up one more time......... and pray, once again, that nothing happens that shuts down the entire non-Strasburg/D&S/Grand Canyon tourist RR industry.........

If the railroad is in fact up for sale, wouldn't the highest bidder possibly be the state of PA which might be a good thing (making it possibly a permanent fixture)? Perhaps that window is past, but it seemed only the state was willing to pay more then what the railroad was worth at "scrap value". On the otherhand, is possible that the state offer to assume operation of the railroad was considered inadequate due to the potential to develop the property and land?

Folks,
Their designation as a National Historic Landmark may prohibit the scrapping of the line.....

My best,

Eric

Eric -

I can tell you this, it WOULDN'T!

Les

I really doesn't matter if the current owners react with open hostility towards such an offer. As far as we "outsiders" are concerned, absent a considerable sea change in the actual ownership via inheritances or the like, there's no hope for either Commonwealth or Federal funds at the present time. And it's for that reason that, much as I want to support the EBT, I consider it an exercise in futility and unrequited love under present ownership. Show me a concerted effort that will substantially preserve the whole property rather than prolonging the decay, and I'll pay with money and sweat equity.

Inasmuch as the National Historic Landmark/National Register status,. I can guarantee you that it's all but worthless as absolute protection. At best, Register status only slows you down and makes you work harder to demolish/liquidate a listed place. I can think of at least one NHL covered bridge that was destroyed in a windstorm and never replaced. There might be differences between status with Register versus Landmark, but all the same, if push comes to shove, a National Archives binder documenting the heck out of it before dismemberment might be called adequate, sadly.