For more than a century, the East Broad Top Railroad has been a lifeline for central Pennsylvania. Built in the 1870s, it is the oldest surviving narrow-gauge railroad east of the Mississippi — and it still runs on its original track and steam locomotives.
This fall, the railroad launched a new tradition aimed at inspiring the next generation: Take a Train to School Day. Students in the Southern Huntingdon County School District swapped out school buses for passenger cars, riding a steam-powered train directly to their high school.
“I don’t know anywhere else in the United States where you can take a steam locomotive-powered train to school in lieu of a school bus,” said Brad Esposito, General Manager of the East Broad Top Railroad. “It just seemed natural that we could literally drop school kids off right in front of the high school. And it ended up being an overwhelming success for our first time.”
A “Living Time Capsule”
The East Broad Top Railroad, based in Rockhill Furnace, has a long history of innovation and resilience. Originally constructed in 1872 to haul coal, the railroad operated until 1956 before closing. It reopened as a tourist railroad in 1960 and, after decades of dormancy, was purchased in 2020 by the nonprofit EBT Foundation.
Esposito said preservation efforts, supported by the 2,100-member Friends of the East Broad Top volunteer group, have kept the site uniquely intact.
“You’re literally walking back into the 1920s or the 19-teens when you come to the railroad,” Esposito explained. “Everything from payroll records to belt-driven machine tools in the shops is still there. The EBT is just… unique in the fact that the infrastructure is still there, whereas in a lot of places across Pennsylvania and the country, it’s disappeared.”
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Ride
For students, the chance to ride the train to school wasn’t just a novelty — it was a memory in the making.
“I think that it was something that they’ll remember, you know, 60 years from now when they’re telling their kids, ‘Back in the day, I took the train to school,’” said Superintendent Hilary Lambert. “I had a lot of elementary students tell me they were so excited. It was their first time riding the train.”
The trip, though just three miles from Rockhill Furnace Station to Southern Huntingdon High School, captured the imagination of students, parents, and teachers alike.
“We weren’t sure if we were gonna get 10 kids or 300 kids,” Lambert said. “And we ended up with well over 300 kids riding the train that day. Parents were lined up at the station to see them off, and then they greeted their kids as the train pulled into the high school. It was really cool for them.”
Restoring the Past, Inspiring the Future
Esposito said moments like these capture the heart of the East Broad Top’s revival.
“One of the rewarding parts of my job is that you can see the before and after — the tangible effect,” he said. “When you can see something come back to life, when you can smell the old grease and the oil in the air, and then watch kids and families experience it — that’s what makes it all worth it.”
With events like Take a Train to School Day, the East Broad Top Railroad continues to connect history with community, ensuring that the sound of steam locomotives remains part of Pennsylvania’s story for generations to come.
Listen to the podcast to hear the full conversation.