As nice as it'd be to have something right nearby (and I highly recommend the AirBnbs in the area), the hotel options in Huntingdon aren't that far.

I don't have a link but here's Ron's phone number: 330-630-9817
I'm kind of surprised you couldn't find his video business website in a search. Don't wait too long, he's got to decide if the trip is going to run in the next 10 days or so.

Aaaannnddddd DOWN it goes again..................

https://www.facebook.com/ebtrr/posts/pf ... XsG2o6mqUl

I was at the East Broad Top today to take the Master Mechanic tour. This problem is not related to the other reason that put #16 out of service. I have all the faith in the world that the Master Mechanic and his crew will have #16 repaired and back in no time.

Poor girl! She was ready to run again!

Breezewood has four hotels, including two chains (Holiday Inn Express and Days Inn.) It is only 18 miles from Robertsdale and 30 miles from Orbisonia.

Huntingdon is 23 miles from Orbisonia.

Breezewood, 30 miles from Orbisonia is a 50-minute drive.
Huntingdon is a 30-minute drive.

Huntingdon is a lot better, but one thing to remember, for those who have never been there, is that there's no "major" highways that go near Orbisonia, like your typical tourist trap. You've got to take State Routes or local roads to get there. I know that if I'm going there for an event that requires an early morning arrival and/or a late-evening departure, I'd rather stay a lot closer than a 30-minute drive, if possible. Hence I'm hitting up the AirBnB options to stay in town, so I'm only a three or four minute drive away.

I've been to East Broad Top... I think some are acting like it's on another planet. The Illinois Railway Museum in Union is like 10-12 miles away from the nearest "chain" hotel. When I visit Cumbres & Toltec I don't stay in Antonito - I stay in Alamosa where there is actually civilization haha.

It is nice to have hotels within walking distance like in Strasburg and Durango, but there are many options and the majority of visitors to East Broad Top are just there for a few hours.

Unlike some folks here, I grew up not that far away (I could drive to Orby in under two hours, including train-spotting on the Middle Division), and ended up knowing all the roads in that territory very well--but there were reasons we never went "over the mountain" much, even though my mother once owned/operated the Bedford, Pa. newspaper and Bedford and Somerset Counties had lots of covered bridges for me to check out. (I still haven't been to some of them.)

Breezewood was long famous as the "Town of Motels," and just about only motels, even before it became the notorious NON-junction of Interstate 70 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Traffic between the two Interstates is forced onto a half-mile or so of densely-packed commercial strip jammed to the max with gas station convenience stores, fast food joints, two big truck stops, and motels--however, it's way down from its former max, only four motels left from an earlier high of ten (and two of them just off that actual strip).

And it's not an easy, convenient, or intuitive drive to and from there, unlike 22 and 522 from Huntington. If the EBT starts up large numbers of tourist visits in the future, I'm not sure I'd want to direct "civilian" visitors down there unless trains start originating at Robertsdale, though plenty of folks stay there during EBT Reunion Weekend.

The roughly comparable Chama, New Mexico at the C&TS terminal now has three sizeable motels (none of them detracting from the town's charm), TWO RV parks, numerous "lodges" of various sizes, several B&B's, and if you're that determined a couple campgrounds at nearby Heron Lake State Park. This is the kind of organic development I suggest will eventually spring up around Orbisonia.

The long-term plotting for the EBT involves giving the attractive option of WANTING to stay around.

When my wife and I went to C&TS, we plotted arriving in time to chase the train south into Chama the afternoon before, wander the yards and shops area, eat in town, stay overnight at a nice AirB&B down in Tierra Amarilla, get into town early enough for both more wandering and breakfast, board the train to Antonito, ride up, bus back, spend the night again, and then chase the next day's doubleheader north to Los Pinos, then keep heading north to Antonito, Alamosa (checking out the remains of the SL&RG/La Veta Pass project and horde), then east all the way to Grand Island, NE for the night........ now, if only Chama had had a brewpub........

Orbisonia is in one of the more rural areas of PA. The mines closed in 1956. Over the ridge, the H&BTM (RR Gauge on the other side of the ridge) quit around the same time. The highway IS a US Highway: US 522.

The EBT and RTY are important to the region.

Phil Mulligan

The rural, somewhat isolated nature is part of the charm of the place. It may be inconvenient but I’d rather it stay that way. The true time capsule that is the EBT fits right in with its community.

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is and probably always will be many times more popular (by number of visitors) than East Broad Top and the town of Bryson City has remained quite charming. I don't think there is any reason for concern.

https://www.facebook.com/ebtrr/posts/pf ... 7wRTikFzpl
"East Broad Top Railroad
6h
Happy Labor Day from our railroad family to yours! In the spirit of the holiday, we want to highlight the extraordinary work of our Mechanical Department this year in returning No. 16 to service.
At the EBT, our motto is to underpromise and overdeliver, which is why we wait to share details about the complex work our crews are doing until it's completed, allowing them to fully focus on the task at hand. Whether through social media, FEBT Timber Transfer articles, guided tours, lectures/programs, we love celebrating their successes afterward by sharing what it takes to keep these complex machines operating.
Following a busy 2023 season, our crews began scheduled winter maintenance on Locomotive No. 16, including the federally mandated annual boiler inspection. Inspecting other critical components, such as the running gear and wheels, is also standard practice during this downtime. While the engine passed its boiler inspection, two cracks were discovered on adjacent spokes of the L-2 drive wheel center, just behind the crankpin. As a result, we announced that the locomotive would be temporarily removed from our operating schedule for repairs, aiming internally for it to return by September. Our Master Mechanic developed a repair plan to meet modern safety standards and Federal Railroad Administration requirements.
Crews immediately began the repair process by removing the driver from under the engine and removing the tire. They drilled through the wheel into the hub and installed two precision-machined steel pins. A steel gusset was welded between the two cracked spokes to further strengthen the repair. Once completed, the original tire was refitted to the drive wheel. While the drive wheel was out, crews also took the opportunity to renew the driving boxes and pour babbitt for new hub-liners. With all components finished, the drive wheel was lifted back under the locomotive, and the rods were rehung. Alongside this successful repair, other scheduled projects were completed, including renewing the engine's lead truck.
Last week, a fire was lit in the locomotive to begin testing various appliances like the dynamo, air-compressor, and setting the safety valves. Shakedown runs were completed, and the engine returned to excursion service. However, during these runs, the L-4 bearing ran warmer than desired, leading to another pause for adjustments. While we never estimate durations or dates for the completion of repairs, we do expect the locomotive to return to service in the near future. Crews are working diligently, while also maintaining their high standard of quality.
We are the custodians of the East Broad Top's storied history, and we take that job seriously. Our Mechanical, Maintenance of Way, and Operating Department staff have made sharing the legacy of this heritage site their mission, and preservation is their passion. It is with great pride that we share our work with you, and with great humility, we continue asking for your support to keep this work moving forward. We hope to see you on a tour or riding a train this season.
Matthew Malkiewicz"

Thank you Matthew for that informative posting. It is important that we all keep in mind that the EBT restoration to service master plan involves giving a rebirth to machinery and structures that in many cases withstood the penalties of time with zero tlc.

It's truly a miracle that the whole enterprise survived intact into the 21st. century.

Once completed this operation will undoubtedly draw folks from around the nation ( and globe ) as it will afford the visitor the opportunity to step back into what the world was like in 1910.

I hope I live long enough to see all 6 steam locomotives back in service and be able to ride up the mountain, through 2 tunnels to Robertsdale just like it was 1910 again.

We also need to take every opportunity to say thank you to industry leaders Wick Moormam, Bennett Levin, and Henry Posner for stepping up and founding the EBT Foundation in 2020 which is leading the restoration efforts.

Thank you gentlemen. Ross Rowland