Now that the new operating arrangement has been announced, the East Broad Top Railroad has posted
information about the coming season. The schedule is, as of now, unchanged from that of recent years: Trains run at 11, 1, and 3 Saturdays and Sundays June through October. Fares remain $12 for adults and $8 for kids 3 though 12. Kids two and under ride free.
Season highlights, as of now:
Opening day: June 6. In addition to the regular trains, there's a tentative plan to run the 1924 M-3 motorcar (which has a four-cylinder Nash engine and seats 6) and several of the line's historic speeder cars north to Colgate Grove behind the 3 p.m. train. A maximum of 18 passengers could be accommodated. Tickets would be $20 each. Additional information will be posted on the
railroad's home page as soon as it is available.
Central Pennsylvania Ragtime Festival: June 19-21. The railroad and the Iron Rail Bed and Breakfast, which is across the street from the station, sponsor a
three-day ragtime-piano extravaganza. Friday night there will be live accompaniment for silent movies. Saturday and Sunday there will be ragtime performances at the station, and Saturday night there will be a four-performer ragtime gala at the nearby Church of the Nazarene. (Note that trains will run only Saturday and Sunday.)
Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum Railfest: June 26-28. In a new partnership, shuttle buses will run Saturday and Sunday between the East Broad Top and the museum, which will operate 45-minute-long excursions from the Altoona station to the Horseshoe Curve and back behind vintage diesels of Juniata Terminal Company, in Pennsylvania tuscan-red paint scheme. Joint tickets will be available. For more information, visit the
railfest Web page. (Note that the EBT will run trains Saturday and Sunday only)
Community Appreciation Day and Homecoming Weekend: August 15-16. Civil War reenactors return to the East Broad Top to celebrate the 49th anniversary of railroad's reopening and join homecoming festivities for the towns of Rockhill Furnace and Orbisonia. Train crews, taken by surprise last year when reenactors attacked several trains, have spent the winter plotting their defenses. Special evening trains will run Saturday.
Fall Spectacular: October 9, 10, 11. Extra trains will run Saturday and Sunday -- including evening trains on Saturday -- and the EBT's unique 1927 Brill gas-electric car, M-1, will make round trips to Colgate Grove Saturday and Sunday. On Friday the railroad plans a special train for photographers, as well as speeder-car trips to Colgate Grove. The Friends of the East Broad Top hope to have additional shop machinery up and running for demonstrations.
That's what we know about so far for special events. The Friends of the East Broad Top plan to have volunteers available to offer $8 roundhouse and shop tours every weekend this season. Also available every weekend, weather permitting, will be $2 speeder-car rides from Meadow Street south along the main line. The speeder crew has just completed reopening an additional stretch of track (through what I can attest is some pretty potent poison ivy), so the speeder ride is now a mile long.
-- Lawrence Biemiller
