2016 NRHS Steam Excursion

My exposure to the Everett shortline barely stretches back a year at this point, but I have really enjoyed getting to know this pike through visits in Duncansville and Holidaysburg on my way back home from recent business trips to the State College area. (I can quickly fall in love with any hauler that rosters a working Paducah GP10.) I had already vowed to ride the road as soon as an opportunity presented itself, and that presentation came in late spring when a railfan alerted me to open tickets on an August steam special chartered by the DCNRHS chapter. I immediately grabbed up a ticket and carved out the Saturday in August.

The Everett did not disappoint. The pike rolled out the red carpet for the Chapter and its guests like me. Their brand new Holidaysburg depot was open for all to see. Crews staged two of the road's first gen diesel motors in the adjacent yard, allowing us to walk through them as well as to explore their former Baltimore & Ohio executive car, coupled behind. Everything was in tip-top shape for the day. But the star of the show was diminutive Alco #11. She was long under steam and standing ready at the depot by the time I rolled into town. The mixed train consist the road assembled was perfect for following her along the route. I was so glad to see combine #23 in the train -- a car I have had my eye on since I first discovered it in the shop yard in Duncansville back in winter. Everett has done a remarkable job restoring it to period and making it their own. It looks perfect in tow behind a kettle the size and era of #11.

Much of the red carpet treatment came in the form of numerous photo runbys offered throughout the day. We had not been on our way more than 15 minutes when we rolled to a stop, detrained, and got into position for the first curved runby. Many more would follow, as would some afternoon switching action at Conrail's former ballast loading area just north of Roaring Spring. Everett used our trip to drop off their two MoW ballast hoppers for loading later in the week. No. 11 performed flawlessly throughout the day, proving she was up to the task moving revenue tourists up and down the picturesque Everett branchlines. She puts on a quite a show despite her size, sounding much larger than her class as her crisp exhaust cuts through the woods around the bend. Everett has done a first class job bringing her back.

When people ask me which is my favorite railroad, I tend lately to say "whichever one I'm chasing today." That's doubly true when the chasing turns to riding. So the Everett is my new favorite road. They put on a great show for a group of exacting railfans. I look forward to riding behind #11 again on future visits to the Holidaysburg area.