Another fallen flag?

[Matt Probst]

Opened the newspaper this A.M. to see a disconcerting article. It seems like the famous East Broad Top may cease to exist at the end of this year. A huge drop in tourism is to blame, and the line is losing money hand over fist. Unless the Kovalchick family (who owns the line) finds a good buyer, it's doubtful that the railroad will operate next year.

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the EBT, it's the last surviving narrow gauge railroad east of the Rockies. It was a coal hauler with passenger service that interchanged with the PRR. It went out of business in 1956 and a man named Nick Kovalchick bought the railroad, mines and 20,000 acres of property and turned it into a tourist line. According to the newspaper article I read, Nick's son Joe said "it was my father's model train set he was unable to obtain as a child".

Here's a link for those who may be interested in the historical side of things... http://www.febt.org/ebt.html

Matt--Hershey, Pa.

 

[jon-monon]

Originally posted by Matt Probst
According to the newspaper article I read, Nick's son Joe said "it was my father's model train set he was unable to obtain as a child".

Who-boy, talk about a midlife crisis. I thot I was bein' silly playin' with trains... Bet his wife was pissed. Erm, angry. Don't want to confuse our English and Austrailian brethren


Kinda sad to hear it will probably die, thanks to terrorists no doubt...

 

[billk]

I guess it's a matter of definition, but you could say it's "flag fell" in 1956. At any rate, it is still sad news.

 

[N Gauger]

Unfortunatly this has been "going on" for a couple of years.

It's not a new thing.... I guess they've tried everything they could & now it's time has gone

I had the chance to ride it 2 times - it is a very nice trip...

So verrrrrry sorrrrry to see another PA business going away..

~ Mikey

 

[Matt Probst]

Kinda sad to hear it will probably die, thanks to terrorists no doubt... [/B][/QUOTE]

Jon-funny you mentioned that; when reading the article, the same thought went thru my mind... since 9-11 how many different economys got shaken in so many different aspects.
Knocking down buildings has impacted a railroad!?!?!

Now I'm really p.off!!!!

It was probably going down the tubes anyway but it's FUN to be mad at terrorists!!!!

 

[Vic]

Like BillK said its flag fell awhile ago. But I seem to recall that the EBT as a tourist line had always been in some kind of difficulty but has always "risen from the ashes". Lets keep our fingers crossed...this one's a national treasure.

 

[Casey Feedwater]

There's no doubt this is bad news. But it's not too dissimilar from the news coming from other tourist lines lately.

I've been a longtime EBT fan. It and Mann's Creek Rwy (of W. Va.) are two of my favorite eastern railroads. A couple of weeks before the demise of RR-L, I had started placing a number of references concerning mining and mining roads in the forum's "Reference" area. Many of those references were about the EBT's coal hauling operations and equipment.

There is a lot of info out there on the EBT for those who are interested.