--- WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!!! ---
-- Next session September 25-26 --

August 14th was the day finally to roll out caboose 28 after her restoration. Late on August 13th, as the homecoming celebration went on and the carnival grounds across Meadow Street, a small crew worked well into the night to make sure that car was ready. Panting was being touched up, lettering finished, last of the hardware mounted, and the car cleaned to a shine. Past 11:00 the punch list was finished and the car was called "ready to roll".

The next morning the restoration crew worked to clean up the work area around the caboose as the EBT train crew readied the locomotive and train. One of the FEBT banners was attached to the rear platform for the day. At 10:30 the moment of truth came and the entire train was backed down the Car Shop lead to pick up the caboose (a feat not possible until last May, when the track was retied during a work session.) Slowly the parlor car, normally the last on the train, slipped back until it liked with the caboose. The brakes were connected and after a few applications to loosen up the rigging, the car slowly slipped out of the Car Shop. The restoration crew watched and photographed from the freight cars parked on the next track.

{first photo: the roll-out of the caboose}

The caboose was stopped about a car length outside the shop and the members of the restoration crew were asked to pose on the rear platform for photos. Joe Kovalchick, President of Kovalchick Salvage (owners of the EBT) was on hand and said several words thanking the crew for their work on the car. The crew then boarded the car for its inaugural run to the station. They were offered the first ride to the grove, but restoration work beckoned and all returned to the shops to start on the many other projects in progress.

{second photo: Stanley Hall (EBT G.M.), Joe Kovalchick (EBT President), Hank Inman (FEBT President) and Lee Rainey (FEBT Rockhill Restoration Coordinator) pose on the caboose for photos.}

That evening the crew was treated to a "restoration worker" only ride in the caboose to the grove and back. After years of seeing the siding split and deteriorate on the car, we all couldn't help but to say "Da**, that looks good" every time we saw the car go by.

{third photo: The caboose returns to workaday service, on the end of the train for this weekend.}

Other projects in progress in Rockhill included rehabilitation of the Boiler House (visible in the first photo), window repair on the Machine Shop, Brush clearing along the wye and south of the yards along the main line, reconstruction of the roof connecting the Car and Loco Shop, upgrading track three to handle steam trains. Future projects for the group will include many other building, track and car projects yet to be announced.

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The Rockhill Restoration Crew works to restore the structures and facilities of the East Broad Top Railroad National Historic Landmark in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania. Won't you consider joining us? No matter your skill level there are tasks you can perform to help us make a difference. Find out how to join at:

http://www.febt.org/Restore/

The Rockhill Restoration Crew schedule for 2004 is as follows:

March 13-14
May 1-2
May 22-23
June 12-13
July 10-11
August 1-2
August 14-15 (Community Appreciation Weekend)
August 28-29
September 25-26 *NEXT*
November 6-7

Chris Coleman, FEBT Webmaster
http://www.febt.org

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What I think is even more beautiful than the caboose itself is the working relationship that FEBT is building with EBT and the Kovalchick family. I applaud everyone's efforts, not only on this car but the many other tasks that have been undertaken.

Alan Maples

Probably most readers will agree with me, in saying: Hats off to you guys, great job on the restoration!

Rich C.

I was up at EBT over that weekend. The caboose did look great! I have put a few pictures from EBT's Community Appreciation Day and Sunday up on the web. Also, I finally got around to posting a few pictures from Train Festival 2004 in Dennison. Click on the WWW link below and look for East Broad Top 2004 and Train Festival 2004 on the left side of the main page.