In General
Getting Here
Map
Sights
Pictures
Signals
Floobydust

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In General


Location / Name:
Orbisonia / Rockhill Furnace PA, Huntingdon County

What's Here:
the East Broad Top Railroad
the Rockhill Trolley Museum

Data:
GPS Coordinates: 40.241444, -77.898986 (station)
Phone A/C: 814
ZIP: 17249
421 Meadow Street, Rockhill Furnace, PA 17249
(814) 447-3285
info@eastbroadtop.com

Access by train/transit:
None

The Scoop:

The East Broad Top, or EBT, is one of the true gems of the east, being the only operating railroad that still exists almost in it's entirety from the way it was when it stopped revenue operation back in April of 1956.  It re-opened in 1960 as an excursion railroad between Rockhill and the wye just south of Shirleysburg, but the original tracks still go all the way from Mt. Union and Robertsdale.

It is located in Orbisonia, or more correctly, Rockhill PA, about an hour east of Altoona.  Co-located in the same spot is the Rockhill Trolley Museum.

The East Broad Top stopped operating in 2011, due to a variety of circumstances.

In 2017, a press release stated that the owners, the Kovalchick's, were looking for a buyer for the railroad.

In February of 2020, it was announced that the railroad had been sold to a group of investors and railfans, and the new company is a non-profit.

From the new EBT website as of 10/22: The railroad was completed in 1874 to service the iron furnaces and coal mines along a 33-mile corridor in Huntingdon County PA.  The railroad was sold was 1956 to the Kovalchick family who reopened the train in the 1960s.  The EBT Foundation, Inc. acquired the railroad in 2020 and immediately began an extensive restoration effort with the goal of returning to regular service in the near future.

See below in the Floobydust section.....

I have pictures of the whole right-of-way from Mt Union to Robertsdale that someday I will get around to scanning.... interesting pictures!

Acknowledgements:
Christopher D. Coleman
Open Railway Map
Google Maps
Trains Magazine

Websites and other additional information sources of interest for the area:
https://eastbroadtop.com/ The East Broad Top's website
https://oldeastie.com/ If you want to know anything about the East Broad Top, this is the best place to go!



Getting Here

It is fairly easy to find the East Broad Top.  It's about an hour east of Altoona PA.

From the west or east, come in via the Pennsy Turnpike, take exit 180 (the Fort Littleton exit), and go about 25 miles north on US522, taking a left in the middle of Orbisonia at the traffic light.

From Altoona, take US22 east to Mt Union, then take US522 about 12 miles to the same traffic light in Orbisonia, taking a right to the museum.

From the south or Maryland, come up to the PA Turnpike via I-70 to Breezewood (PA Turnpike exit 161), and take it west one exit to exit 180.

From the north, it's a draw.... maybe take exit 161 off I-80, I-99/US220 down to State College, then US322 down to Lewistown, US22 west to Mt Union, and finally south on US522 to Orbisonia.... or follow your GPS :-)



Map











Pictures


Pictures from 2004

These pictures are from 2004 Fall Spectacular, guess I need some newer ones :-)

           


Pictures from 2011

These pictures are from 2011 Fall Spectacular on one foggy morning, Sunday.  We managed to stop by on the way back from Michigan. The day turned out to be really nice once the fog burnt off, but the fog did offer some great photo ops not normally encountered :-)

the Depot

           

     

Trains

   

Engines

         

               

               

       

Rolling Stock

             

Walking Around

               

             

             

             

             

             

the Shops

             

           

       

Other Stuff

               

 

      These guys are from next door at the Rockhill Trolley Museum



Signals


There are no signals on the East Broad Top


Floobydust


We will have to see how things go once they re-open for business, but this is schedule they used to have:

The East Broad Top is open on Saturdays and Sundays between Memorial Day and October.

The hours are 10am to 4:20pm, with trains departing at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm.
Roundhouse and shop tours are at 12:30pm and 2:30pm.
M-3 rides are at 11:30am and 3:30pm.
Speeder rides are at 11am and 4:30pm.

The fare is $13 for adults for coach or open car seats.... $8 for kids 2-12.

As of October 2022:




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New AUG29/2008, AUG07/2016, OCT17/19/2022, JAN12/2023
Last Modified: 12-Jan-2023