East Broad Top #16: Scenes of Slim Gauge Nostalgia

The East Broad Top Railroad is highly considered one of America's national treasures in the realm of historical significance and steam railroad preservation. When one visits the distinctive narrow gauge railroad in the Aughwick Valley of Pennsylvania, and observes all that still remains from the coal-hauling common carrier days of the railroad, it could really be any year. The entire 33-mile right of way from Mt. Union to Robertsdale, as well as the entirety of the yard and shop facilities at Rockhill Furnace, remains intact, and everything from locomotives, rolling stock, bridges, tunnels, sidings, stations and many other historic structures still reside in the state in which they were when the railroad closed its doors in 1956. With so many important pieces of the railroad miraculously still here in the 21st century, the EBT is naturally a perfect place to recreate the past in the form of photo freight charters.

We attended two such events in 2023, with the first held in late April by Lerro Photography, and the second in mid-November hosted by Dynamo Productions. Both events featured 2-8-2 Mikado #16, already in her common carrier freight appearance, hauling period mixed trains featuring a plethora of the railroad's classic narrow gauge coal hoppers, along with a wooden boxcar, as well as passenger cars and a caboose. Adding great nostalgic flavor to both events were staged actors in period clothing, co-starring alongside a variety of 1940s and 50s-era automobiles. Among these included a 1940 Buick, a 1949 Plymouth, a 1950s Chevy, and even a Ford F1 pick-up truck lettered for its former owners, the Pennsylvania Railroad. #16 is seen performing plenty of runbys at several notable locations along the current active trackage on the East Broad Top between the yard at Rockhill Furnace, and the wye at Colgate Grove. You'll see scenes in both spring with budding green leaves on the trees, as well as late fall with fading foliage, adding great contrast to each location. As a fitting conclusion, you'll also see some fascinating night scenes in the yard, turntable and roundhouse at Rockhill Furnace, watching as #16 is put to bed for the night.

Both of these events were well organized and brilliantly executed, and our sincerest thanks goes out to the staff of Lerro Photography, Dynamo Productions, and the East Broad Top Railroad for creating such surreal experiences of narrow gauge railroading as it was. With major track expansions south of Rockhill Furnace, and more locomotive rebuilds in the schedule for 2024 and beyond, the revival of the East Broad Top is only beginning to reach true levels of spectacular.

#16 was built by Baldwin in 1916, and was the first of the large Mikados built for the EBT, which were equipped with several unique modifications to give them greater pulling power. These included superheaters, piston valves and Southern valve gear, allowing them to pull up to 22 loaded coal hoppers. #16 was once documented to have pulled a whopping 60 empties from Mt. Union to Robertsdale shortly after her delivery, record breaking for a narrow gauge locomotive at that time. She last ran for the EBT in March of 1956, and was in the midst of an overhaul when the railroad shut down. In the 1980s, when locomotive #14 spent an extended stay in the shop for heavy repairs, #16 was nearly chosen to be restored due her sound boiler condition, though #14 was ultimately rebuilt instead with assistance from the Strasburg Rail Road. Her chance to operate finally came once again in 2020 when she was selected by the foundation to be the first locomotive to bring steam back to the EBT, and on February 1st, 2023, #16 ran under her own power for the first time in 67 years. She has been affectionately nicknamed "Nick" in honor of Nick Kovalchick, whose family's efforts and caretaking is the sole reason the railroad amazingly survives well into the 21st Century.

Enjoy!