On two separate occasions last month, by special invitation and permission by railroad management, I was allowed access to the East Broad Top’s roundhouse and backshops.
The granddaddy of steam-era portals to the past, I found the interiors particularly difficult to photograph; to capture both the magnitude of preserved industrial revolution before my eyes, and what I was feeling while roaming the hallowed grounds. It boggles the mind that these scenes from 100+ years ago still exist.
All the stable mates are there; old friends - still together - getting older: 16, 18, 12, 17, 15, 14 & M-1.
Wow! Everything the Denver & Rio Grande Western could be and was destroyed! Now it just needs to become an operational historic railroad with some main line track.
Thr news item concerning the man who left considerable money in trust to promote vintage passenger railroad service shows there is money to rehabilitate the East Broad Top. It seems a natural for the EBT Friends to apply for a grant.
Last I heard, standard gauge 0-6-0 no. 3 was still in the enginehouse in Mt. Union, approximately 11 miles north of the roundhouse and shops in Orbisonia, where the narrow gauge equipment is kept. Standard gauge 0-6-0 no. 6 is still owned by the Whitewater Valley RR in Indiana, of course. As far as I know, everything is in a state of suspended animation.
Tom
P.S. Right, Firelock! I’m gonna write a letter of complaint. That ought to do it!