The Closing of EBT (East Broad Top Railroad) - Research Paper Was it a good idea to close The EBT Railroad? The year was 1956; the world was experiencing many changes. These changes affected the life of the railroad. EBT was no exception. With oil being the new and cheaper form of energy, the use of coal was decreasing to the point that EBT could no longer be profitable. The heart of the railroad was hauling coal. With the loss of revenue from the decrease in the need of and hauling of coal, EBT was put up for sale. April 16, 1956 the last train, No. 17, ran from Orbisonia to Mt. Union and returned ending it regular rail service. Along came Nick Kovalchick, owner of Kovalchick Savage Co., Indiana, PA. He became the new owner of EBT Railroad. This new owner could have scrapped the railroad, after all, he was in …show more content…
Nick's son Joe Kovalchick, wants to sell EBT as a unit. But, the price tag is 8 million dollars. So, far Friends of the EBT have raised 2 million dollars. That has allowed them to purchase a small part of the railroad. Friends of the EBT leased EBT from Joe Kovalchick from May 2009 until April 2011. After 2011, The Friends of the EBT were not able to come to a lease agreement or raise enough money to purchase the railroad. The last public excursion train ran in December 2011. This is a railroad that is close to financial collapse. A new potential buyer, Jerry Fisher, who is using a mix of public and private hands to buy EBT has made an offer to Joe Kovalchick. But, Jerry’s offer was rejected as being too low. This railroad that is full of history is close to vanishing. In 1964 EBT was designated a National Historic Landmark. Smithsonian Institutional expert William Withuhn declared, "Nowhere in North America does such a complete and original historic site exist." This historical site is in desperate need of a buyer, sooner rather than later. This is a railroad that time has