Speedy Easty *PIC*

In 1906, when the president of the East Broad Top fell deathly ill, he was tranported to Philladelphia for hospitalization. On the trip up to Mount Union the train, consisting of only a locomotive and the presidential parlor car, reportedly hit speeds in excess of 60 mph on the Shirleysburg straightaways. It is level there and the few curves are very broad.
Although the mikados and prarie were not on the property at that time, Ten-Wheelers 2nd #4, #8 and #10 and Moguls 2nd #5 and #9, all with 48" drivers, were. It is not mentioned which locomotive served the train.
In March 1908, a caboose was switched off on the fly in the Robertsdale yard when no one was in it. The cabbose rolled to a stop then headed back toaward Mount Union. Two cremembers hopped on the locomotive before it took off after the car, one at the throttle and the other on the pilot. Again, the locomotive is not identfied nor was the top speed, but it managed to outrun the caboose down the 2.5% grade and catch it just before Cooks about two miles away. The man on the pilot boarded the caboose and stopped it with the hand brake. A bit longer and would have plowed into a passenger train climbing the mountain.
Nothing like big drivers to make time ;^) .