EBT Locomotive Roster
16 - 'Nick (2021)'

Common Carrier Era

#16 was the first of the largest group of mikado (2-8-2 wheel arrangement) locomotives purchased by the East Broad Top. They incorporated new features like piston valves and superheating. Not long after her arrival, the power of #16 was put to the test when the train crew was given the open-ended orders to pull the empties (hoppers) from Mount Union back Rockhill. The crew, taking full advantage of the ambiguity of the orders, used #16 to pull 60 empties from Mount Union to Rockhill, about three times what she would pull on a normal train. It is unclear how many of these were new steel cars versus the older lighter wood cars. The design of #16 proved so successful that it was replicated not once, but twice, with #17 and #18.

Upon the arrival of #16 in 1916, the EBT main was still mostly 60# rail which was a bit underrated for these locos. Points with less than 60# and high stress areas like Coles Curve were upgraded to 70# and 85# rail shortly thereafter.

#16 along with sister #17 had a welded steel tender rather than riveted in the late Common Carrier Era. According to reports, both came with riveted tenders and new welded tender tanks were purchased from Baldwin in the late 40's. The same reports say that the boiler currently on #16 is a Baldwin built replacement.

#16 and her large sisters were the principal engines in the waning years of the railroad. She was not re-operated during the Kovalchick Tourist Era due to her larger size and more complex mechanicals. #17 was the only of this class to be returned to service. She was reportedly the last locomotive to be overhauled before the end of Common Carrier operations on the East Broad Top.

Kovalchick Tourist Era

August 10, 1985, Joe Kovalchick announced his intention to reactivate #16. In the end #14 was rebuilt instead, reportedly because #16's boiler paperwork had been destroyed by a roof leak. #16 was pulled out of the roundhouse for the first time since 1955 in July 1987 for an NMRA group. In the 1991 she and #18 were pulled out for display with the two locos facing each other across Meadow Street. #16 was brought out for display on track 3 during 2000 Fall Spectacular. At some point in the 1990s, #16 and #18 were relocated to stalls 6 and 7 so the four active locos could be in adjacent stalls.

Foundation Tourist Era

With the purchase of the EBT in 2020 by the EBT Foundation, all the Mikados were evaluated as to which were the best candidates for return to service. #16 received a steam cleaning March 11, 2020 in preparation for her inspection. Along with #14, #16 was selected in early May 2020 for reactivation (in Feb 2023 the second locomotive was switched from #14 to #15.) On 8-13-2020, #16 was christened "Nick" after Nick Kovalchick who purchased the EBT in 1956, did not scrap it, and started the Kovalchick Tourist Era excursions on the EBT (1960-2011.) ^G3 This was 60 years to the day when #12 was christened "Millie" (Nick's daughter) at the reopening of the EBT as a tourist hauler. The initial name on the locomotive cab was panted directly on the cab in black in and orange script replicating Nick Kovalchick's signature, but after the locomotive returned to service the name was in block letters on a metal plate fastened to the cab.

Asbestos abatement occurred in early May 2-9, 2020 in roundhouse stall 8. A successful hydrostatic test was performed the week of May 18-22, 2020. Tear down of #16 began in April of 2020. Early in the restoration, the stripped down locomotive was pushed up and down the line to test the condition of the driver boxes, hub liners and axles. As a result of this test, the main axles were not rebuilt. Work on the locomotive included rebuilding of the tender trucks, fabrication of a new tender tank by Curry Rail Services of Holidaysburg, PA, new tires on tender wheels, tender air system rebuilt, 3/4 of front tube sheet replaced, small parts of the door sheet repaired, replacing of staybolts, renewal of the generator and air pumps. As of 8-21-2021 restoration, renewal, or replacement of the following appliances and parts was reported as complete: Air tanks, dynamo, piping, two air pumps, two Hancock Inspirator injectors, new ceramic insulation, and new boiler jacketing. The first of the jacking started going on in late November 2021. The new tender tank was delivered to the EBT for the second time (first time was after fabrication) after interior spray lining with epoxy, on 12-17-2021.

#16 first moved under her own power after the restoration on 2-1-2023. After the final inspection by the Federal Railroad Administration, #16 made its first run across Meadow Street in Rockhill on 2-10-2023. In the subsequent week, test trains were pulled on the line. #16's first occupied passenger train departed Orbisonia Station the day before the Winter Spectacular, 11 AM 2-17-2023, and a second train was operated later that day. The first revenue train was a recreation freight train that departed 8 AM 2-18-2023. #16 pulled all trains during the EBT 2023 Winter Spectacular with only minor mechanical issues. #16 pulled all scheduled trains during the 2023 season except during brief inspection periods.

#16 was scheduled for additional work over the winter of 2024, particularly on the pilot truck which needed extensive work. On 4-11-2024, it was announced that during winter work, it was discovered that two adjacent spokes in the left #2 driver wheel center had developed cracks since the locomotive re-entered service in February 2023. Diesel M-7 was announced to pull trains through at least August 2024 while #16 was repaired. The wheel center was repaired by removing the driver tire, drilling from the outside of the center through the cracked spokes and into the hub, then inserting two machined steel pins. A steel gusset was also welded between the two spokes to further strengthen them. The pilot truck was also rebuilt, driver boxes renewed and new hub liners installed on that axle. The week of 8-26-2024 the reassembled locomotive started test runs and re-entered service 8-30-2024. 8-31-2024 the left #4 main bearing started running warm and the locomotive had to be removed from service again. That axle and driver boxes were removed and new main bearings poured and machined. By 10-4-2024 #16 had completed shakedown runs and returned to service.

#16 operated normally for the rest of the regular season including October Peanuts trains, but on 12/14/2024, during the Christmas in Coal Country event, the locomotive was taken out of service for a mechanical issue. A failure of the trailing truck bearing placed additional strain on the #4 driver axle, cracking it. The trailing truck and the #4 driving axle were rebuilt over the winter, spring and early summer. Tests began about 7/22/2025. 8/7/2025 the locomotive returned to regular service.

During Independence Day trains, 7-4-2026, #16 had to be removed from service due to an issue with the trailing truck. The issue was repaired and #16 returned to service by the next weekend

#16 has served as the primary motive power since its return to operation and continues to be so. #19 acts as backup until #15 is returned to operation.

General References

• G1 - East Broad Top - Lee Rainey and Frank Kyper - p. 214
• G2 - A Ramble into the Past on the East Broad Top - Frank Kyper - p.60-61
• G3 - Trains Magazine - With a splash of grape juice, East Broad Top returns to operation
• G4 - EBT Foundation announcement 9-2-2024