This made the EBT a valued customer of Baldwin Locomotive Works, which was founded in Philadelphia in 1831 by jeweler and whitesmith Matthias W. Where you would normally have to dig a tunnel, you can just go around it, or you don't have to build a bridge because you can snake your way down the valley and come up the other side.'Īlthough narrow-gauge rail began to fade by the start of the 20th century, the EBT remained committed to using steam-powered trains even after the widespread adoption of diesel engines in the late 1930s. 'It saves a lot of costs when you're building a mountain railroad. 'You can navigate sharper curves, which allows you to hug the terrain better and go up steeper grades,' Smith said. The EBT's tracks are 3 feet wide and were built to handle the region's mountainous terrain. Most metros, Amtrak trains and all freight trains today are standard gauge. Standard-gauge rails have a measurement of 4 feet, 8 1/2 inches. Narrow-gauge rail refers the distance between the two, parallel, steel rails on which a train rides. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The railroad later grew to supply coal to the fire-brick plants of Mount Union, about 11 miles north, and also carried other raw materials including ganister rock, lumber, concrete and agricultural goods, in addition to passengers. Its original purpose was to haul coal from the Broad Top Mountain plateau to support the iron production operation of the railroad's sister company. The East Broad Top Railroad was built in the 1860s, during the Civil War, and operated between 1872-1956. The foundation also offers guided tours of the EBT’s 19th- and early 20th-century machine shop complex, along with special events throughout the year.

Fares start at $20 for adults and $15 for children.

16 will power one-hour, 9-mile roundtrip excursions aboard a vintage caboose, enclosed coaches and open-air cars. When the EBT's 2023 season begins on May 6, No. Most people have never taken a train across the country, period, when it used to be such a common thing for our grandparents and people before them.' 'Most of us never took a steam-powered train across the country. 'The whole purpose of heritage railroads like ours is that you can't be nostalgic for an experience you never had,' said Jonathan Smith, EBT Foundation's director of sales and marketing. 16 rides along a 4.5-mile stretch of the East Broad Top Railroad in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania. The organization's mission is to preserve the history and scenery of legacy transportation for future generations. 16, the restored train began operating last month along the 4 1/2-mile stretch that the non-profit EBT Foundation started rehabilitating in 2020.

Considered a sacred site in the rail community, the EBT in Rockhill Furnace, Huntington County, is the oldest surviving, narrow-gauge railroad east of the Rocky Mountains.Īnd soon it will offer visitors the chance to experience the magic of a steam-powered train that was built more than a century ago by Philadelphia's Baldwin Locomotive Works.ĭubbed No. Just don't mention that to the rail enthusiasts who operate the remnants of the East Broad Top Railroad, a 150-year-old, coal-hauling, freight line that once traversed 33 miles of main line track in central Pennsylvania, about a three-hour drive west of Philadelphia. Real-time countdown clocks to be installed on SEPTA subway platforms this springįew technological feats have done more to power human ingenuity and expansion than the steam engine, yet how many people living today have actually ridden a steam-powered train? They endure as images of an indelible, romantic frontier, but they're also now relics with little practical use on modern railroads.New SEPTA trolleys will be more spacious and accessible to people with disabilities.Philly to explore capping Vine Street Expressway with intent of making Chinatown whole again.Steam-powered trains dominated more than a century of travel and industrial output until diesel engines began replacing them in the 1930s. They gave mobility to society, resulting in new cities and businesses sprouting along regional and long-distance rail networks. The steam era of railroading in the United States is among the most storied, transformative legacies in the long saga of American industrialization.Ĭhugging, hissing locomotives that spewed plumes of smoke across 19th century landscapes were the foundations of the modern economy.

Steam train pennsylvania