by Jeffrey Smith/photos as noted
The year 2023 was an exciting one for narrow gauge steam fans with the resurrection of East Broad Top (EBT) 2-8-2 No. 16 in Pennsylvania. It was the most unlikely event to expect until February 2020, when a trio of well-connected railroad industry executives announced they had formed the East Broad Top Foundation and purchased the line from the Kovalchick family. The Foundation wasted no time in evaluating steam locomotives for restoration and working toward reviving the infrastructure needed to operate trains.
EBT has six 2-8-2s of varying sizes in its stable, and it was quickly determined that Mikado No. 16, built in 1916 by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, was the ideal candidate for restoration because it was in the best overall condition. The 16 had been overhauled shortly before the railroad ceased operation in 1956 and only ran a handful of times. Nos. 17 and 18 had seen the heaviest use in the years leading up to the 1956 closure and need significant mechanical work. Locomotives 12, 14, and 15 ran extensively in the tourist era and also need considerable mechanical work (17 ran during the tourist era but not as heavily as the other three). No. 16 is much larger and more powerful than 12, 14, and 15. Its increased power means that it will not sustain the wear and tear that the smaller locomotives will, placing less stress on the locomotive and thus reducing maintenance costs. In fact, in 1916 when it was built, 16 was the largest narrow gauge steam locomotive ever constructed.
ABOVE: A Christmas in Coal Country train simmers at the Orbisonia Station in Rockhill Furnace, awaiting its departure on December 1, 2023. Like many December days in Pennsylvania, it is cold but still too warm for snow. This doesn’t change the magical feeling in the air around the holiday season. —Matthew Malkiewicz photo
No. 16 went through a full 1,472-day boiler inspection including renewal of all staybolts, replacement of the front tube sheet, 180 new flue tubes, and minor work on the running gear. A new tender cistern was built by Curry Rail Services in Hollidaysburg, Pa., and various appliances were rebuilt. In some cases, appliances were borrowed from other locomotives in order to speed the restoration effort. It was the first of three larger Mikados that featured Southern valve gear and a super-heated boiler. The Southern valve gear is some-what rare in U.S. steam locomotives, with Walschaerts and Baker types being more common, so there was a bit of experimentation required to adjust 16’s valve gear. A comprehensive look at the restoration is beyond the scope of this article.
By early 2023, 16 was ready to go mechanically. On February 1, 2023, with the temperature hovering around freezing for most of the day, 16 was steamed up and moved under its own power for the first time in 67 years. She last ran on March 29, 1956, where a daily inspection report indicated problems such as “flues leaking” and “check wedges.” In February 2023, these problems were clearly in the past as 16 performed flawlessly and only required some minor tweaks and adjustments. Shortly after the successful steam-up was made on February 1, the railroad announced that 16 would power all trains during the Winter Spectacular later in the month, as well as all regularly scheduled trains throughout the 2023 season. Fans were excited, to say the least.
ABOVE: he first steam-powered revenue train since 2011, a coal train run at 8am on February 18, 2023 (the first day of the Winter Spectacular), traverses the long fill at Runk Road headed back to Rockhill Furnace. This is a historically accurate consist for EBT, although in the 1950s there may have been more hopper cars. —Jeffrey Smith photo
With Master Mechanic Dave Domitrovich at the throttle and Nevin Byers firing, additional break-in runs were conducted on February 9 and 10 in preparation for the engine’s debut at the Winter Spectacular scheduled for Presidents Day weekend February 18 and 19. The Winter Spectacular was also being held for the first time in 42 years. In the early 1980s, the railroad substituted a Fall Spectacular event because of the challenges of operating in the cold and snowy winter weather that February commonly presents in Central Pennsylvania.
The morning of Winter Spectacular 2023 saw East Broad Top and the normally quiet town of Orbisonia, Pa., bustling with people long before sunrise. Every train was sold out well in advance, close to 2,000 tickets in total. The town was filled with people. Cars chasing the train caused traffic to back up for miles on Route 522, which parallels the railroad tracks north for several miles. Route 522 has ample shoulders on both sides of the road and was able to handle the unusual volume of cars and people without causing too much trouble. Most drivers were courteous and patient, and the locals were at least tolerant.
ABOVE: Various reenactors dressed in period clothing are posed at the station in Orbisonia during a Pete Lerro Charter on April 27, 2023, as Mikado 16 pulls into the station. One can imagine this scene repeating itself on a daily basis in the early 1900s. —Jeffrey Smith photo
The railroad purchased four new passenger cars that appear to be prototypical steam-era narrow gauge cars, but are modern in every way. These cars will allow EBT to keep its historic wooden fleet for special occasions and reduce wear and tear on them from regular use. The fourth of these cars had been delivered in the days prior to the Winter Spectacular and hadn’t yet even been lettered for EBT.
At 8am on February 18, No. 16 pulled a coal train consisting of a boxcar, seven hopper cars, and a caboose as the first revenue steam train since 2011. Through-out the day Saturday and Sunday, EBT alternated passenger trains and the M-1 railcar. The passenger train consisted of the four new passenger cars and a caboose. The sight of a steam locomotive pulling into the Orbisonia Station platform full of passengers was an incomprehensible event before 2020. The railroad also ran various tours and hosted a night photo session on Saturday.
