Patten Travel Visits... EBT?

[Kevin Madore]

EBT is a great take if you like to explore.   That place hangs its shingle as a tourist railroad, but it really should be a museum.   The original infrastructure is pretty much all there, although is not in the best of shape.   I hope that some day a new owner will take over and give the place the attention it deserves.   Until that happens, the Friends of the EBT have done yeoman service to help preserve what's there.

Strasburg is the opposite end of the spectrum.  There, you'll see what money can do for preservation.  The line is extremely well-run and the equipment is top-notch.  Their coaches are pieces of fine furniture and their locos can probably run for another 100 years.  They start hostling locos around 9AM and they're fine with people watching it all.   Trains run every half hour from 11:00 to 1:30 and then hourly from 2:00 to 5:00.  They also run an evening trip at 7:00.   During the half-hour schedule, steam meets steam every 30 minutes at Groff's Picnic Grove.   
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=260549&nseq=155

Except for a few hundred yards near Lehman Place, the line is virtually all in open country and is extremely photogenic.  Be sure to take the shop tour at 12:00.   It's like $20, but is discounted if you ride the train.  The shops are impressive, as are the projects underway within.   Also, don't miss the RR Museum of PA across the street.   A lot of Pennsy history there.

Other RRs to check out down there include:

New Hope and Ivyland....about 1+15 from Strasburg.   They also run hourly steam.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=289986&nseq=25

Wilmington & Western.....about 1+00 from Strasburg.   Check their schedule as steam ops are intermittent.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=238310&nseq=266

Wannamaker, Kempton & Southern.....about 1+15 from Strasburg.   Weekend steam with a Porter 0-6-0.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=282777&nseq=62

Ordinarly, I'd say, "see ya down there" as I usually hit Strasburg in that timeframe.   This year however, I'm doing Pete Lerro's Berk Charter in Owosso.

Happy Trails! 

[James Patten]

I can't make this vacation all railroads, my wife would hang me.  I did promise her we'd look at Amish stuff, maybe go to Hershey.  And I'm planning a day to go into Philly and check out Independence Hall and the Franklin Scientific Institute (which has a Baldwin experimental engine as I recall, along with a Star Trek exhibit).

[Keith Taylor]

James, I would include one of the "Family Style" restaurants on your itinerary. As long as you keep eating, they will keep bringing delicious food to you! If you see "chicken pot pie" on a menu....order it! It is not like any chicken pot pie you ever ate. No "pie" as such, no dough crust....but instead fabulous "bow tie egg noodles." That alone is worth the trip!
Keith

[Bill Piche]

James,

If you're going to be at Strasburg, I hear that you can get cab ride tickets there. The trick is that you have to be there when they open the ticket office because I think they only have about 3 a day. I plan to investigate this more throughly myself the next time I am down that way.

[Stephen Hussar]

Two pictures from Wayne Laepple of James and Laurel -- taken today At the East Broad Top...

[Wayne Laepple]

Department of Corrections: That's James and Laurel in front of no. 17 at the roundhouse in Rockhill Furnace. No. 15 was on the train.

[James Patten]

Laurel and I had a great time.  Unfortunately my battery was running low so I had be judicious in the photos I took.  The battery ran out at Colgate Grove.

I got a tour of the roundhouse (first time I've ever been in it) and saw the machine shop as part of the FEBT tour.  Rode the trolley all the way, and caught the last steam train.  STILL have not been in Rockhill Trolley's museum.  Wayne got to ride the put-put south to the end of cleared track, which I haven't had a chance to do either yet.

It looks like the next time I go I have ignore the lure of the steam train and do the other stuff.

I'll post some photos as soon as my batteries are recharged.

[Paul Horky]

James which batterys are you talking about yours or the cameras?

[James Patten]

The camera batteries ran out.

[Mike Fox]

James, you beat me by a week. We are headed down this weekend to atleast W,K & S, because I have never been there, along with a few other non-railroad related stops in that corner of the State. I also plan on stopping at Roadside America again. Fun place to look at. I may even stretch it and go to EBT. Never been there. I will have to wait and see how time goes. Only 3 days from the time I leave here until I have to be back.

[Matthew Gustafson]

  I spy EBT #17 in the background. I hope one day they will start restoration on EBT #14, which has my all time favorite steam whistle and #16 & #18. I hope they will one day run the rails again sometime in the future.