What happened to the original post? From where, the operating line or Mt. Union, Saltillo. Robertsdale/Alvan? Things were looking pretty hardscrabble in Mt. Union last time I dropped in. When I told a couple that we’d made the ride from Washington to see the yards and enginehouse (was it 6 or 3 inside?) she asked her husband if he couldn’t drive to DC for work.
Also i surprised (and freaked out myself!) when looking into a US army woodsheated boxcar and seeing the a man’s blue-jeaned pants standing inside. I think we both nearly fainted! There must have been 20 of the standard gauge cars in that yard.
Plenty of dual gauge rail in that yard! And plenty of trees growing between a lot of hopper cars.
I wasn’t aware that this had been posted yet. There is a story about it on the Trains Newswire, but I was out there with the work crew the week this was discovered. There was about a quarter mile of rail stolen from an inactive section between Cooks and Robertsdale. The tieves even had a phony letter “signed” by the General Manager that they showed to anyone questioning what was going on. No small coincidence that this was during the week the General Manager was on vacation.
The enginehouse at Mount Union has the third #3 inside.
This area had 85 or 90 pound rail, rolled in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s. The thieves actually brought in a scrap metal dumpster (a 40 yard size by the stories I’ve heard) and weren’t worried about being challenged because they had the “letter” from the General Manager, and knew that the GM was on vacation, so calling the station would get the answering machine, no quick action.
Unfortunately, the rail was cut by torch into sections about 3 feet long to make it easier to load into the dumpster. Most, if not all, of the rail has already been found at a scrap yard in Williamsport, ironically, a competitor of Joe Kovalchick’s. We’ve been told the police have “solid leads” on the thieves.
Since the entire East Broad Top has been designated a National Historic Landmark, this may become a federal offense.
Unless they had the heat numbers (stamped/indented on the other side from the mill branding), which I doubt - fat chance. The rail could have come from anywhere.
One big scrap yard I go to has video cameras. Its state law in Minnesota that you present your drivers liscence at least when you bring in non-steel if not all metals. And they have to pay you by check now unless you bring in aluminum cans.
450 a ton? go get yourself a real job, I can make that in 2 weeks, its not worth snagging up rail iron and all the work to tear it apart. Now it has to be replaced. Hope the crooks are caught and replace all the rails.
Been to EBT and saw the enginehouse with the 0-6-0 treetrapped inside…it’s sister I think was at Freedom Wisconsin on the line up there if my memory serves right.
As a former Police Officer, I can say with certainty that all thieves are stupid. Three Stooge stupid. If any of them had an ounce of brains they could do better, but they don’t have even that much.
Sounds like the ROW paralleling the highway south Cooks to Robertsdale. Straight track there. I’m hoping it wasn’t the track north to Rocky Ridge. In the '80’s and '90’s we’d camp at Rocky Ridge just north of then crumbling TO building by the tunnel entrance. It was a “Happy Motoring” billboard or calender shot place on Trough Creek. Musical water sounds, thick pine needles (never needed an air matress), and even a bench someone had nailed against a tree. We called it our “Sweet Spot”. Until the last time,when we backpacked in and someone had lumbered it and left a lot of mud. Broke my heart.
Times are tough everywhere. Here in DC we just had a guy caught stealing the brasses from fire hydrants in the VA 'burbs, and the wire and even manhole cover thefts are spreading.
Is the country (some would say we’ve been for a while) starting to eat itself? I might be willing to CCC it to defend my beloved Eastie.
…Rix: That area on the East Broad Top RR where you fellows accepted the thick pine needle “beds” to bed down at night…Isn’t that rough enough country to have some creeping things that might join you at bedtime…? Don’t think I could hack that.
Yes, I’ve slept in pup tents, etc…oh, so many times…but that part of Pa…?
It’s been 48 years now since we’ve visited EBT {and rode on it…in the car with the whicker chairs}…and really enjoyed it. Hope it is still doing much the same running as it was back then.
And now…{what have we come to…}, people stealing the rails…Sad.
Quents, never saw a snake or a bear, but we used to imagine (over the previously used fire pit), Eastie’s trains coming out of the bore. We hung our butts over a fallen tree to poop and always policed the place before we left. The poop and paper could stay, however.
In the morning, EBT’s operations, Altoona, and even Johnstown were within easy travel distance. Some guys were shy about getting nekkid, but a bath wedged between Trough’s rocks was cool (read chilly). Anyone to clean up the frying pan?
The hike out to the knoll north of Cooks and the miserable “store” there was always a bummer, but H&Bt, the Portage planes, the Curve, etc were the next day’s fare.
Never could get a good night’s sleep above the Curve. Just had to tend a low fire and watch the action!!!
FYI If you look on rail you will see near the end the markings. It will show the mill were it was rolled the quality of the rail. Trains did an article some months ago bout rail that explained this. Also the rail stolen was kind of an odd lot these days. Not something very common.
Also from one of the other posts it looks like the police have located the looted material. Unfortunetly it sounded like it was cut up, which really destroys any value besides scrap. I think thieves will be caught in this case.
(1) You clearly don’t understand the difference between a heat number (indented letters) and the mill stamping (raised letters)… the heat numbers is the pseudo serial number for that rail and tells you much more about the rail than the mill stamping, going right down to where in the ingot that particular rail came from. Railroad used to keep detailed track of heat numbers for defect purposes, but do not anymore)
(2) 85# rail is still extremely common in yard, industrial and backtracks. It may no longer be rolled (last rolled in limited quantities in the 1960’s IIRC), but it is everywhere and not going away anytime soon.