It has been a great year and much progress has been made at the EBT.
I have compiled the following information as a summary for the rest of you. If I have left something out, please feel free to chime in.
Of course nothing on the EBT would get done without the full time employees. They include:
David Brightbill - Office manager, brakeman
Daniel Gilliland - Grounds forman, conductor
Stanley Hall - General manager
Roy Miller - Track gang, fireman
Tom Holder - Roundhouse foreman, engineer
Ronald Rabina - Track gang, hostler
I think Stanley deserves a huge round of applause for coordinating the completion of #15, working with the Strasburg Railroad, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Friends of the EBT for their projects.
Contractors in 2005 included:
Strasburg Railroad Company -- #15 and #14
JC McHugh Locomotive Crane & Locomotive -- repairs to #M-7
Ron Woodward -- carpentry wook to passenger cars.
A big special thanks to:
Special thanks go out to:
The Kovalchick Family
JC McHugh Locomotive Crane & Locomotive
Three charters were conducted which include:
S-Gaugers
Gunning Photo Special
Franz Photo Special
2005 Operations
Total days of revenue operation: 47
Days of scheduled operation for #14: 38
Days of scheduled operation for M-7: 10
Days of scheduled operation for #15: 10
Days of scheduled operation for M-1: 3
2005 Events in rough cronological order
Repairs to M-4's starting mechanism
M-3 is shipped out for rebuild/restoration and return to service in 2006
A crack in a driver spoke on #14 prevents her from operating most of June
The shops coal bin is demolished for construction of a replica
M-7 stands in for #14 for 7 days in June
M-7 suffers a failed traction motor and generator
#14 is readied a week ahead of schedule
The 'paint shop' is cleaned up and a new concrete floor installed
M-6 is reactivated and now replaces M-4 for most switching duties
Combine 15 is released from the shop with new siding and paint
#15's Title 49 CFR 230 upgrade is completed and she returns to service after four years
Parlor car 20 is released from the shop with new paint, sand blasted railings with new paint, and one new platform
Flatcar 119 is refurbished by FEBT and returned to the railroad
M-7 is repaired
An EBT speeder is brought home by FEBT
Four speeders from NARCOA visit
Boxcar 175 enters shop for carpentry work
Cambine 14 enters 'paint shop' for major overhaul by FEBT (not in paint shop just yet)
Each locomotive turns the following years old this year:
#3 - 82
#12 - 94
#14 - 93
#15 - 91
#16 - 89
#17 - 87
#18 - 85
M-1 - 78
M-3 - 77
M-4 - 58
M-6 - 36
M-7 - 41
If you are able, please write to Mr. Kovalchick to let him know you appreciate his dedication to the EBT. Let him know we care about what he is doing. Again, his address is:
Joeseph Kovalchick
President, East Broad Top Railroad
1060 Wayne Avenue
Indiana, PA 15701
~~Lance Myers
