SALTILLO, Pa. — The Friends of the East Broad Top and EBT Foundation broke ground today (April 5, 2025) for a new station at Saltillo, which will be virtually identical to the structure built in 1892 and torn down in 2004 after nearly 50 years of disuse.
The project is part of the two organizations’ “March to Saltillo,” the project to restore the East Broad Top Railroad main line to reach the community some eight miles from the EBT headquarters in Rockhill Furnace, Pa., and a little more than 6½ miles from the current end of track at Jordan Summit [see “EBT reopens more track ….,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 8, 2025].
Friends volunteers took detailed measurements and preserved a number of interior details from the station before it was torn down. Architect John Bowie, a Friends member, made drawings of the station for the Library of Congress’ Historic American Engineering record, then created plans for the new structure, which will have the same dimensions as the original building while meeting current building code and accessibility requirements.
The Friends group “is excited to complete the circle from documentation of the original station to building a faithful replica that will prove beneficial to the railroad and community alike,” Friends President Andy Van Scyoc said in a press release.
The major change from the original building, which had a freight room with a raised floor, is that the new structure will have a single interior level, permitting a variety of uses. It will be built at the original site, where G&H Anderson Excavating has done initial clearing and grading. Jeff Swope of J.L. Swope Construction is the contractor for the construction.. His crews will complete the exterior and make the building watertight, while Friends volunteers will complete the interior.
The Friends group plans to contribute $50,000 toward the station recreation, and set a goal of $75,000 for restoration of the main line as part of its 2025 fundraising [see “Friends of EBT opens art exhibit …,” News Wire, Oct. 17, 2024]. Overall, the current fundraising campaign has already passed $300,000 — $30,000 beyond its goal — with six months remaining.
— Updated at 6:35 p.m. CT with photo from event, historical image.
Anyone who can see a way to do it, I encourage donations to the Friends. They have done astonishing work, and every extra dollar gets the tracks closer to Saltillo. You can donate one their website (https://febt.org/campaign/).