Actually, the EBT was, in it's day, an interline carrier and was considered connected to the National Network. They transferred standard gauge cars to modified narrow gauge trucks and could ship them as far as Saltillo. I doubt we'll see that again, but just pointing out there is precedence.

The most important thing to understand is that Mr. Salone and his collection of businesses is not affiliated with, is not leasing, is not operating, anything with the tourist end of the East Broad Top. Again, the Kovalchick Corporation remains the owner and caretaker of the Rockhill complex.

If Mr. Salone is not connected to the tourist end of the EBT, why is the boiler of the 'engine to never be mentioned here' sitting down in the shop at Rockhill?

I'm only looking at this from 30,000 feet, but wasn't Mr. Salone involved in the operation of the tourist end of the EBT the last few years it operated? At least, wasn't the operation through Mr. Salone's management of the Altoona museum?

Well take a look at 49 CFR 209 Appendix A in relevant parts, FRA is pretty clear on this stuff.

- When you stop handling revenue freight for others, you exit the general system of transportation.

- You don't re-enter the general system until you again actually handle revenue freight for others. High aspirations don't count.

- You can't be a little bit pregnant. If part of your operation is in the general system, all of your operation is in the general system. Nothing about my read of Appendix A suggested that your narrow gauge operation is an exception. Now, you may be able to fix that with the correct corporate shells. Parent Museum M leases the west end to freight subsidiary F, and the east end to heritage operation subsidiary H.

- turning a rail over or creating a physical air-gap does absolutely nothing. If part is in the general system, so is the other part. On the upside, UPRR absolutely may enter any of your non-general-system railroad to deliver cars to you, just as they do for any industrial customer.

Simply put, the moron thinks he can do whatever he wants with anything he's involved in. He needed a place to put the boiler until his precious roundhouse was completed in Altoona. So, why not stick it at the EBT where nobody would notice.

This post has been deleted by the moderators as being outside the guidelines of the board. It was a unsubstantiated personal attack, posted anonymously.

Randy Hees, Moderator, RYPN

I would most strongly caution that neither "name-calling" like "moron" nor allegations of financial improprieties, absent publicly-leveled criminal charges or convictions, should be permitted in this discussion, especially under an anonymous pseudonym.

No matter how little one may think of this individual and his actions regarding certain operations, such posts degrade the level of discussion significantly here.

If you're going to post such allegations, you must at the very least attach your name to them. Otherwise you're no better than a certain "discoverer of a PRR loco in a flooded quarry" with spell-check.

Better yet, include a substantial amount of supporting documented information to demonstrate that your allegations have merit.

dave

This is a serious post, not an April 1 joke.

I am not extra16south, but I will add that the "East Broad Top Preservation Association's (EBTPA)" IRS Forms 990 for 2010, 2011 and 2012 are available for free (after registering) download at Guidestar.org.

A few points about these IRS Form 990s filed by the EBTPA. First, the form 990s state that that the "Number of voting members of the governing body" is 1. To me, that is a good indication that the EBTPA is not an organized group of people (the definition of "Association"). Instead, the EBTPA appears to be one individual (Mr. Lawrence Salone) with a personal non-profit entity.

Second, page 17 of the PDF of the IRS Form 990 for 2012 says:
The EBTPA/Mr. Salone did not run a single train excursion in 2013, nor does the EBTPA have a museum.

Third, the EBTPA's Form 990s also say that the organization had 75 volunteers in 2011 and 2012, and it employed 27 individuals in 2011 and 11 individuals in 2012. To me, the EBTA/Mr. Salone's references to the "museum" and its/his claim of having 75 volunteers makes it sounds like it/he is claiming credit for Friends of the East Broad Top (FEBT)) activities, specifically the Robertsdale museum complex (owned by the FEBT), FEBT work sessions and FEBT member-led shop tours.

Fourth, per its/his 990s, the amount of money raised by the EBTPA in 2011 and 2012 is really tiny.... and, fifth, some of details listed in the Form 990s seem to contradict the details listed in the filing made to the STB.