Mechanical Department
What are we doing?
The East Broad Top’s machine shop and roundhouse are part of one of the most complete narrow-gauge shop complexes in the country. Yet a historic building alone cannot restore a locomotive or secure contract work. The Foundation is investing in equipment, purchasing new machines and securing in-kind donations to give our crew the tools they need, while training the next generation of welders and machinists. At the EBT, the shop is becoming an engine for progress. Every machine acquired, every skilled worker trained in-house, and every contract job accepted transforms the shop into a source of revenue, reputation, and resilience. This self-sufficiency strengthens the entire railroad.
Related Projects
- Machine Shop Modernization
- Contract Services Expansion
- Apprenticeships and Trades Internships
Beyond The Rail Yard
Contract Services
The Foundation’s Mechanical Department now provides contract services for other heritage railroads and museums. Our crews bring decades of experience and apply skills that are increasingly rare in preservation. Each outside job builds the shop’s capability and helps fund restoration at the EBT.
– Services that are currently offered by EBT Mechanical Shop –
- Service, repair, and test historic air-brake valves
- Provide mechanical services for heritage steam and diesel equipment
- Fabricate obsolete parts in-house
- Offer expert consultation in narrow-gauge and heritage railroading.
Training the Next Generation
Building the Trade, Not Just the Train
Skilled narrow-gauge steam mechanics are becoming rare across the country. Instead of competing for a shrinking talent pool, the Foundation is developing its own. Apprentices start with welding and machining fundamentals and learn through hands-on restoration.
Intern
Welding and machining interns join the shop crew and learn on live restoration projects, not simulations, under the guidance of working mechanics.
Apprentice
Interns take on greater responsibility across the air brake shop, machine shop, and roundhouse, building the breadth of skill the trade requires.
Crew
Several former interns now work for the EBT full-time. This proves the program is not only training people for the industry, but also building the railroad’s own workforce.