Mount Union, PA once again has an active East Broad Top Railroad presence. The former Shapiro’s Flooring building at 112 W. Shirley St. will house the new permanent headquarters for the Friends of the East Broad Top (FEBT) as a well as a space for the EBT Archives project, along with offices for railroad staff.
Mount Union is the northern most terminus of the East Broad Top Railroad where the narrow gauge EBT interchanged goods with the standard gauge Pennsylvania Railroad. The town last saw narrow gauge trains in 1956. Most of the local rail and yards, as well as the engine house, are still intact, being owned by the East Broad Top Preservation Association (EBTPA). The EBTPA is a separate organization from the East Broad Top Foundation (EBTF) who owns and is restoring the other remaining 27 miles of main line trackage.
The EBT archives will continue to be held and stored at the Orbisonia station in Rockhill Furnace, but the new space allows for more space for the archives staff to process the historical documents. The Friends operate a museum and railbike rides in Robertsdale, PA at southern terminus of the line, but the purchase of space in this building allows them to have a permanent address and official headquarters.
Brad Esposito, general manager of the EBT, mentions that the railroad isn’t done expanding its presence in Mount Union. In speaking to Mount Union planners, he mentions “We do have every intent of getting trains to Mount Union at some point.” The railroad currently ends its regular excursions south of Mount Union in Shirleysburg, since it does not own the trackage north into Mount Union. In the more immediate term, the railroad plans to collaborate with the Bricktown Museum and join in the town’s upcoming Christmas events.
Image from Google Maps Streetview
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