By M.T. Burkhart
ORBISONIA, Pa. – The highly-anticipated return of steam at the East Broad Top Railroad took another big step forward with the successful first fire-up of Baldwin 2-8-2 16.
On Wednesday, June 22, the narrow-gauge Mikado was rolled out of the roundhouse and onto the turntable. It remained fired up into the following day. The last time the locomotive was under steam was in 1956. And while it was one of the last locomotives to operate when the railroad initially shut down, it never saw service in the tourist era.
No issues were uncovered, said Dave Domitrovich, East Broad Top Master Mechanic, and finishing work will continue leading up to an eventual test run.
Built in 1916, locomotive 16 did not move under its own power during the recent assessment. The remaining work includes installing the superheater, throttle, cab and new boiler jacket. The rebuilt tender is painted but needs to be lettered in EBT’s classic orange, which will be one of the last items completed, Domitrovich said.
The locomotive’s boiler and firebox passed its Federal Railroad Administration hydro test back in May. The railroad has not released a schedule on 16’s return to service.
Bringing a locomotive back to life that few people recall seeing in operation from the coal-hauling days has been rewarding for Domitrovich, as well as the railroad’s employees and locals.
“The biggest thing for me was how happy the people in town were,” said Domitrovich, who has worked on numerous steam locomotives over the years. “They were ecstatic. People were really happy to see smoke and hear the whistle blowing.”
The 33-mile East Broad Top was built in the 1870s to bring coal out of the central Pennsylvania mines, but also carried general freight, mail and passengers. Demand for coal kept the railroad running until 1955, but it fell on hard times and filed for abandonment. In 1956, the assets of the East Broad Top Railroad & Coal Co. were purchased by Nick Kovalchick, a local salvage dealer. In 1960, the twin boroughs of Orbisonia and Rockhill Furnace approached Kovalchick about putting a locomotive on display for the towns’ bicentennial. Successful trips were run and continued for 52 years before the property returned to slumber in 2011. In February 2020, it was announced that the EBT Foundation had purchased the railroad.
Last summer, trackwork to Colgate Grove was completed, and the railroad is offering diesel-powered trips Wednesdays through Sundays at 11 am, and 1 and 3 pm. Shop tours are available, and the neighboring Rockhill Trolley Museum is open and offering rides. This year also marks the 150th anniversary of the start of construction on the railroad.
There are plans to extend the runs south to Saltillo, Pa. and over the large trestle at Pogue. The bridge, which spans Aughwick Creek, has been inspected and track cleared south of Rockhill Furnace, Pa. Meanwhile, the Friends of the East Broad Top continue to hold work sessions stabilizing and painting structures among other items.
