Remembering the East Broad Top Railroad in Philip R. Hasting’s photos

East Broad Top Railroad at Mount Union, Pennsylvania: "Little did we realize at the time, but some seven months later, on April 13th, 1956, the 3-spot would be making a similar switching move, and this would be the last revenue wheel to turn on an abandoned EBT." — Philip R. Hastings

Hastings was among many photographers to photograph the East Broad Top in south-central Pennsylvania. Look closely at this 0-6-0 steam powered switching locomotive as it moved a Pennsylvania Railroad hopper — Hastings follows the train and creates a sense of movement when he captures a slow-speed motion blur in the foreground.
Philip R. Hastings

Philip Hasting's original caption: "Engine terminal at Mount Union. Two standard gauge switchers on the EBT roster make their home here and handle switching in the dual gauge yard. Standard gauge 0-6-0 in foreground was built by Baldwin in 1907, weighs only half as much as narrow gauge 2-8-2 #14 in background, which was built five years later. Quadrilateral water tank is characteristic EBT design."

Dual-gauge track, freight moves, odd-looking side structures — all help make this scene uniquely East Broad Top.
Philip R. Hastings

From Philip Hastings' original caption: "Freight extras meet at Cooks, three miles north of Robertsdale. EBT's entire roster of cabooses is herby portrayed. Passenger coaches are used as crew cars on other trains."

Photographic prints of Hastings' work on the East Broad Top Railroad in its final years are a gem in the David P. Morgan Library at Kalmbach Media.
Philip R. Hastings

"Upbound mixed train #2 pauses at Saltillo for a flurry of business. Passengers must walk a few steps to board the combine, for engine #16 has spotted its tender at a water tank around the corner. Three miles of continuous 2 1/2 % grade lie ahead on the climb to Tunnel #1 at Kimmel. July, 1952" — Philip R. Hastings
Philip R. Hastings

"Evening at the EBT roundhouse in Orbisonia finds the hostling crew busy servicing the four locomotives which have been out working the line during the day. Engine #15 has its grates shaken. This engine represents medium-sized power on the EBT, weighing 74 tons, and was built by Baldwin in 1914."

This photo, stamped "May 15 1953" represents another look into the final years of the East Broad Top Railroad at Orbisonia, Pennsylvania, a popular gathering spot for railfans and active hub for the three-foot gauge or narrow gauge railroad.
Philip R. Hastings

From Philip Hastings original typewritten caption: "In the old days there were many places where cars or contents had to be transferred between incompatible systems. Such things are now oddities. The system concept was essential to the growth but it is also associated with the great and uncontrolled car cost. The tendency to blame the 'system' misses the point. The error is not the system but the failure to recognize and cope with the problem."

Aside from Hastings' philosophical or psychological point about human perception, he has neatly captured the once common event of railroaders placing wheels and trucks underneath a boxcar in an open yard — from the point of view of the boxcar, no less. The crew is installing a narrow-gauge truck underneath a standard-gauge boxcar so it could travel on the EBT. The swap is on dual-gauge track, that is, the track has rails that are either three-feet or four-feet eight-and-a-half inches apart, on the same ties.
Philip R. Hastings

"Evening finds all locomotives present and accounted for. #14 is on table, #18 and #16 visible in house. Lightest engine on the road, #12 is stored behind closed door at left and used only for emergencies. #12 was built in 1911, has 17x24 cylinders and weighs 59 tons." — Philip R. Hastings.

Prints, like this one, must be scanned digitally into a computer to be posted on the Internet. After adjusting lighting and tones, a "blacker" sky shows plenty of spots hardly visible in the print. Are these stars in a clear sky or minor imperfections and flecks in the gloss coating on the photo paper? The person who did the photo scanning work prefers to think this was a magically clear night on the East Broad Top.
Philip R. Hastings

Here Philip Hastings captures East Broad Top Railroad Train No. 7, lead by steam locomotive No. 14, crossing Aughwick Creek near Pogue siding.
Philip R. Hastings