Now that is a question to be answered. Ha, wish I had thought of it. Funny, that shop cat brought a lot of positive comments. A socially correct version of "Green Pest Control". Regards, John.

.

Not sure if this is serious or not. When I went last year we could take as many pics as we wanted except they asked that we not take any pics of #16. We didn't really get all that close to it anyway but you could see the backhead through the open roundhouse stall.

Here are my pics if anyone is interested:

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAcBZQ

Seems to me that people here only care about the fact that a steam engine was restored and zero regard for the community the employees mistreat. Why should the locals be enthusiastic when they're called hicks and inbred? Why should the locals, which includes my family, be subject to that? As usual, no one cares because "ooh look, a steam engine!".

Like I wrote earlier in this thread, the one time I went there, all the locals I encountered were seriously unimpressed that the EBT was there. One essentially said the local communities get nothing out of the tourist dollars because people will show up, ride, then immediately leave. He was clear that nobody he knew cared if the line stayed or got yanked up.
Now, I hardly surveyed the masses, but I did talk to at least ten or so people in three places I stopped (a gas station, a small store and a hardware place that looked interesting to me).

That must make photo charters awkward….

Well I guess it's because we know that a steam engine was restored but we really don't know about any mistreatment that happened. Obviously if something like that is going on it's unacceptable.



It goes back to the lack of tourist infrastructure in the area mentioned earlier. If there were other attractions (meaning decent restaurants, some "cute" shops, etc) available then people would spend additional money there.

Exactly, the generation of citizens of the area that talked Nick Kovalchik into reopening the line in the early 1960's are probably long gone, and the current ones lack the will or means to take advantage of what's currently happening. Like what has been pointed out, what is needed is someone with the were with all to open a diner, or gift shop. Lodging is going to be a tough sell just due to the area, but I can see that campgrounds are probably doable. But it's probably going to take someone from out of the area to step in and do this.

I can definitely relate to your story, having grown up in a town of 1,500 in a rural part of Illinois and having occasional (and generally unpleasant) interactions with upper middle class professionals who came down from Chicago and Wisconsin to photograph the Santa Fe. I have told the story of a time in late winter 1986 when two of them with elaborate cameras and scanners were trespassing in the interlocking, and when I walked up to ask them if anything special was going on turned their backs on me, so I then made sure to be fouling the photos they were set up to take, only to find out when the Trainy-type magazine I subscribed to arrived a few months later that they were employed by said magazine. (They had to relocate to near our smelly sewage plant and took a poor photo with leafless trees as a background of new EMD demonstrators with rounded corners run by a supervisor pulling a Roadrailer train, an event that led to a short strike). There is a famous photo location around twenty miles west of there (I think it is called Helmstedter's curve) where the owners of the house and yard these sort of people were photographing from put up a big chain link fence that made photography difficult after having had similar interactions. You don't need to accept the behavior of rude outsiders who show up and act like they own the place.

Remember that this is a railway preservation forum. So naturally people are gonna really care about that. This is an exciting moment for a LOT of people here and in rail preservation so I think it’s kinda expected they care more about that than what you said.

It’s not that no one cares about people being potentially mistreated, but it’s the fact that it’s not something people here can verify has happened, and if it has, who said these words, what they said, the context in what was said, or even how many times it was said. Heck we also don’t know biases of people either.

You said someone was told to remove trash from their front yard, but people here don’t know who that was, or what that person had in their front yard, if they were previously requested to remove it, etc…

Your claims have meaning. I certainly am not saying I don’t believe you, it’s a believable set of statements and comments. But I think most people are, in my opinion, rightfully to wonder if this can be verified.

When Blue Ridge Scenic RR started, I know of at least 3 businesses that opened up in Blue Ridge, which isn't quite as far off the main drag as Rockhill, but still a bit remote, and had some active businesses in place so it wasn't a complete mercantile desert. Made use of vacant commercial property on the main street through town...... at the other end of the ride (long and slow) just at the Tennessee border, was an antique barn / store and a convenience store which needed to start to stock a lot more ready to eat and drink items...... point being, if local people want to provide for the needs of the visitors, they can do well for themselves in the process.

Silver Plume CO, OTOH just wanted tourists to throw money out of the window as they drove by on I70, but not actually go into town and bother them. Georgetown did the opposite and did a lot of business.

I'm sure all will become clear as the venture gets up and running.

Since the foundation took over the EBT, I have spent two weeks a year there volunteering with the FEBT on their work weeks. The FEBT buys food locally to feed the crews lunch daily, both the EBT and FEBT buy tools, supplies and construction materials, ballast etc. from local sources whenever possible. The volunteers eat dinner at local restaurants, visitors buy food from local vendors at the station. Out of town volunteers like me stay at local camp grounds, motels, and bed and breakfasts. The EBT has hired full time and part time employees and local contractors since the reopening. These things all add to the benefit of the community. I guess my point is the community is seeing a benefit in many areas by the EBT that will only grow in the coming years as expansion progresses and finally as we all know, there's many sides and perspectives to any story.

I think a good outcome for the town and railroad would be to eventually get to something like what the GSMR has now in southwest NC. The town itself is also pretty remote, but the whole area is much more touristy than the EBT area. They have shops, restaurants, etc. all of which clearly are targeting rail customers and are walking distance from the railroad. GSMR is a much larger operation in terms of the number of people it can carry and EBT isn't going to get there quick but it could be some kind of long term goal.

I can also verify this. Our guide just didn't want us to venture past #15 in the roundhouse.

I hesitate to use further band width on this relatively minor ( when compared to the end goals of the EBTF ), but I must share my on the ground experience there.

I visited the EBT several months ago and got there purposely hours ahead of my appointment. I ate lunch in one of the Orbisonia's diners ( quite good ), fueled up at an in town convenience store, stayed overnight at a B&B near the railroad ( very nice & convenient) and visited with locals at each stop.

My takeaway from those half dozen or so conversations was that the community is very much aware of the EBT coming back to life and about half of them spoke quite knowledgeably about its long term goals and potential. One gentleman said that he and his brother just bought an old house in the village and had begun renovating it to become a new B&B that will have a total of 5 bedrooms when done as he expects there to be ample demand once steam is up and running regularly. Another man told me he was seriously thinking about converting his elderly moms home in Rockhill into a B&B.

I did not encounter any negative comments whatsoever.

The man that owns the convenience store/gas station said he was pleased that the railroad was hiring local folks including his nephew who now works on the track gang and loves it.

As to folks needing to tidy up some. My impression from my 2 visits in recent times is that the leadership of the twin towns ( Orbisonia & Rockhill ) are strongly on board and fully realize the huge benefits their communities stand to receive when the EBT is fully up and running, drawing substantial visitorship from all corners of the land. I'm confident that they will take care of any housekeeping needed so as to present a positive image. In my ride around both communities the " derelict" looking properties were few and far between and the vast majority looked quite well kept.

All in all, it's a very positive story that will only grow in stature as time goes on.

I would ask any of my fellow steam lovers who are able to join the Friends of the East Broad Top ( FEBT.org) and join in supporting this nationally significant railroad preservation enterprise. You'll be glad you did.

Ross Rowland