Not much is left of the old Huntington & Broad Top Mountain in Pennsylvania, but a local historical society in Dudley, Pa. acquired this ex-Duquesne Slag saddletanker in the 1960s to stuff as a reminder of the railroad that once operated. Saddletank gone, with a phony tender behind, it looks pretty sad:http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?january04/01-10-04/pb0600-019-HBT-side-shot-of-engine-inPark.jpgWater tank and freighthouse are part of the display:http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?january04/01-10-04/pb0600-023-HBT-WaterTank-Park.jpghttp://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cg ... n-park.jpg

This 0-4-0 (ex-Duquesne Slag Products Co. 0-4-0T #65) was tourist line operator Sloan Cornell's first steam locomotive. He acquired it around 1960 and ran it a few years on some track on his farm near Blairsville, Pa. A few years later he opened a public tourist operation at Blairsville called the Penn View Mountain RR. He started this operation with a second, larger steam locomotive he bought from Duquesne Slag, their 0-6-0 #8. Eventually he acquired 2-8-0 #76 from the Mississippian Ry., which became the tourist line's primary motive power. The PVM RR lasted until about 1973 or 74. Cornell moved #76 and his rolling stock to Gettysburg a few years later. During this time he sold the 0-4-0 in question to the H&BTM Historical Society, who moved it to this display site at Dudley, Pa. Also at that time 0-6-0 #8 was sold to a private party and moved to Clarks Summit, Pa., where it remained in pieces until being acquired by Steamtown and transformed into their cut-a-way display locomotive.Regards,Jim Robinson

...... and somewhat not so ironically, the Cornells still own, and used to operate, former Huntington & Broad Top Mountain 2-8-0 38, which I last saw/rode behind at Gettysburg and believe must now be up with the other Cornell relics up on the now-moribund Knox & Kane.So the opportunity exists for Dudley to replace the sad saddletanker with the real McCoy, although lots would probably prefer to see her running--say, at Strasburg or Steamtown.Not so far away, meanwhile, in Everett, Pa., the local historical society there has managed to repatriate ex-Everett 2-6-2 #11 from Williams Grove Park near Dillsburg, Pa. and stuff-mount it at the former Everett station (which was, for a time in the 1960s and 1970s, an excursion operation with #11).........

38 is indeed in the enginehouse at Marienville on the K&K. Others can fill you in on the exact details, but she's out of service needing some boiler work to pass the newest regulations. As close as she is to being operable, stuffing and mounting 38 in a remote little village such as Dudley, PA would be a shame. If I had a million...In case anyone cares, the water tank at Dudley is in its original location. The Broad Top City depot is not. It was moved to Dudley from its perch at the end of the Shoups Run Branch just below Broad Top City whenever they built the park area. The original Dudley depot was on the other side of the water tank.Keith Burkey

Folks,There was a coach or combine from the H&BTM at the Sandy Mountain Railroad Park (forget the exact name) in the late 1950s. I know that the equipment such as the locomotives was auctioned off in the 1960s.Where did the passenger car end up? I am talking about a standard gauge wooden car with, I think a steel frame.Any ideas?Ted Miles

Folks,There was a coach or combine from the H&BTM at the Sandy Mountain Railroad Park (forget the exact name) in the late 1950s. I know that the equipment such as the locomotives was auctioned off in the 1960s.Where did the passenger car end up? I am talking about a standard gauge wooden car with, I think a steel frame.Any ideas?Ted Miles

Ted,The H&BT's surviving passenger equipment was coach 27 and RPO #5436 (ex-PRR, same). Both, along with #38 and cabin 17 (ex-PRR ND), went to Stan Groman's then-fledgling Rail City Museum at Sandy Pond.27 was built by Brill in 1929 as H&BT motor car M-39. In 1942, the gas electric was wrecked and converted into a coach. 27 was all-steel, as was 5436. 27 is now at the Central New York NRHS. See [url]http://www.rrhistorical-2.com/cnynrhs/Roster/cnypass.html[/url] for a photo. This is probably the car of which you were thinking. The only surviving wooden car, miner's coach 14, was disassembled in 1953 or 1954.5436's disposition is unknown. Apparently she served at Rail City as a post office, but that's not verified. The disposition of cabin 17 is unknown as well. Check out the following [url]http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6532430723[/url] to see a picture of what 17 looked like while at Rail City. The paint job's far from authentic, but the car did appear to be in good shape when the shot was taken.Keith Burkey

Ted,Perhaps you are thinking of the former Rail City Museum in upstate New York. Dr. Stanley Groman built this museum near Lake Ontario at a place called Sandy Pond, NY. He put down loop of track which he called the Sandy Pond & Ontario RR. He acquired the above-mentioned 2-8-0 #38 from the H&BTM RR along with a passenger car that originally was built as a motorcar (and I think some other car from the railroad as well). #38 was too large to run on the loop and was later sold to Livonia Avon & Lakeville RR, also in NY state (the LA&L ran tourist excursions until the mid 1970's, after which #38 and their passenger stock went to Gettysburg). The Rail City trains ran with ex-Bath & Hammondsport 2-6-0 #11 (now stored at the M&NJ RR in Middletown, NY) and included the ex-H&BTM RR coach / motorcar being hauled along as part of the train. Years after Rail City closed, the collection was auctioned off. Unforturnately I don't recall who got the coach / motorcar, but I believe it was saved.Speaking of Sloan Cornell and his steam locomotives, see the below link for a c.1965 photo of his "Blue Baldwin" 0-6-0 #8 running on the Penn View Mountain RR at Blairsville, Pa. This is from George Elwood's "fallen flags" website; Bob Rathke was the photographer.Regards,Jim Robinsonwww.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-p/pvm-s8r.jpg

Check out the link to a website about the Rail City museumJoel Salomonhttp://www.railcitymuseum.com/

When I see locomotive displays gone to pot like this one, I reflect on how good the "Lost Locomotives of Roanoke" really are!

There is, or possibly was by now, a body of a short H&BTM caboose at Williams Grove that was last used as someones camper. From the length of the body I would guess it may have been a bobber. Could this have been the number 17 you refer to?John Bohon

Thanks for the information guys.And yes there is or was a Rail City Historical Society, where a member of the family is remembering the work that the Rail City did all those years ago.Claims that Rail City was the first steam tourist rail line in the United States.I wonder?Ted Miles

The body of the former H&BTM RR bobber caboose is still at the Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association's grounds (at least it was last Fall). It's sitting on cribbing (sans running gear) on the hill behind the stationary steam engine building. The body seems to be in pretty good shape and does indeed sport "HBT" lettering on the side. It also has a number, but I forget what it is. I had thought that this was the ex-H&BTM bobber that was once part of the Everett RR tourist train. Apparently that caboose (#16) is the one now at the RR Museum of Pa. Therefore, I would say the caboose body at Williams Grove is #17. Speaking of Williams Grove... great news for PRR steam fans... the boiler of PRR 0-6-0 #643 has recently returned from the boiler repair shop (see linked photo at www.williamsgrovesteam.org/643/photogal ... %20025.jpg ) and will be reunited with the running gear later this year. First, a new bottom needs to be welded into the smokebox. The running gear received work while the boiler was off, including getting the whole chassis trued up. #643 last operated in September 2001. The members of the WGHSEA have done a great job so far in getting the locomotive repaired including an excellent fund-raising effort to pay for the work. Visit www.williamsgrovesteam.org/643 if you would like to fuel the donation fire.Regards,Jim Robinson

The ND at Williams Grove is H&BT 15. After the H&BT shut down, the car served as a camp near Raystown Lake for awhile and apparently was also shown on display near the Everett Railroad. 16 was restored for operation on the Everett Railroad tourist trains. She was later kept in Saxton by her owner and donated to the RR Museum of PA in the 1990s.Photos of both during the Everett tourist train years can be seen at http://members.tripod.com/~wayneshobbies/huntingdonbroadtop2.htm.Keith Burkey