EVERETT RAILROAD - former Everett, PA operation

'The last steam powered train at the Everett Railroad' and 'The brief history of the Everett Railroad' by Adam Christman. All photographs and brochures that are listed here were formally part of the Jimmy McHugh, Sr. collection, in addition some of these items have also been purchased by JC McHugh over the years. All items are now in the collection of JC McHugh and his sole property. The history of the Everett is information that has been in several articles or internet postings concerning the railroad. This Everett Railroad Steam operation 1964 - 1970 page is strickly for the enjoyment of people that may desire to have a better understanding of the former Everett Railroad. This webpage is un-offical and is not affiliated with the current Everett Railroad operation.

The Last steam powered train on the Everett Railroad in October 1970.

The last day of steam power trains to operated on the Everett railroad was on a Sunday afternoon in October 1970. This last steam tourist train almost did not make it's final journey over the line because before the last train of the day was operated the conductor and fireman both quit and were no longer on the property. 

The engineer was still inside the cab of the locomotive tending to the coal fire, with #11 still connected to just one passenger coach car sitting at the station. The president of the railroad was selling the tickets at the station window because the other employees were also no longer employeed by the Everett Railroad. There were less than 10 passengers waiting for the train when Jimmy McHugh, his son JC, Hal Bortz, & Charlie Knapp arrived and wanted to purchase tickets. This group of four had herd that it was going to be the last steam train run at Everett that day and they wanted to ride the train but never expected what would happen next. The president of the railroad informed Jimmy, JC, Hal, & Charlie, that the last run was going to be cancelled because he did not have a fireman for the steam locomotive or a brakeman for the train.

Jimmy, Hal, & Charlie, informed the Everett railroad president that they were all from the NH&I railroad that also operated steam locomotives and could help them as the trains crew. Charlie Knapp was an engineer and he had also been a steam engineer for the Lackawanna RR, Hal Bortz was a steam  fireman, and Jimmy McHugh offered to watch the passengers and punch tickets. The president of the Everett RR made the decision to operate the last train with his new volunteer crew and the group of four did not have to purchase tickets. The Everett president said, Charlie you will be the brakeman and ride on the fireman's side of the locomotive, Hal you will be the fireman. Jimmy, you come with me in the coach, you will take the tickets and I will be conductor. JC started to follow his father to the passenger coach car and the president said "were are you going" you just climb up there and sit with the engineer and you can blow the whistle for us.

The last steam train with old number 11 was ready to depart Everett station on this October day in 1970. The train and coach did a reverse move from Everett for about 1 mile until we crossed the high bridge over route 30 with the president / conductor on the back of the coach snigaling the engineer. The train then headed forward passing Everett station up to Tatesville at the run-a-round siding. Here #11 uncoupled from the train and went to the north switch were Charlie Knapp threw it so #11 could pass the train. Then #11 whent to the south switch where Jimmy McHugh already had that switch thrown and when #11 cleared the points it was thrown back for the main track. The president / conductor coupled the smokebox end of #11 to the rear of the coach car and the little train headed back to Everett.

After the passengers were off the train, the coach car was placed onto a siding, then the president of the Everett said Jimmy hop up in #11 with me we are going for a ride. The last time a steam locomtive was operated on the line was with the lines president, the engineer, and the four new friends of the Everett railroad. The #11 was run light to the the trestle just south of Everett and back to the station several times with everyone operating it. On the last trip from the trestle to the Everett station, the president had the engineer put 9 year old JC McHugh on the seat with him, then JC was allowed to run #11 back to Everett station. After #11 was parked along side the train shed on a siding, Jimmy & JC McHugh watched Charlie Knapp & Hal Bortz, help the Everett men drop #11's fire and secure the locomotive. The last steam train at the Everett Railroad was now a thing of the past.

A brief History of the Everett Railroad.

The shortline, which experienced serious financial difficulties by the late 1940s, expressed interest in abandonment as early as 1950. Residents of the Everett area however, fought hard to ensure the H&BTM would continue to provide rail service. By the time the Interstate Commerce Commission approved abandonment on March 31st, 1954, a group of greater Everett businessmen had been organized to form a successor railroad. On March 1st, 1954, one month prior to the formal H&BTM abandonment, they incorporated the Everett Railroad to purchase and maintain rail service on the southernmost three-and-one-half miles of line between Mt. Dallas, Everett, and Tatesville. Also, plans were made to acquire one and a half miles of sidings as well as necessary operating equipment.

The Everett general office was established at Everett in the former Huntington & Broad  Top Mountain station and the freight house was converted to an engine house. The shortline interchanged at Mt. Dallas with a seven-mile-long Bedford & Bridgeport line of the Pennsy (and successors) that ran from Dunning’s Creek Jct just north of Bedford, PA. The Everett Railroad provided freight service on the line 3 days per week, or, as required.

The only diesel motive power was a former US Army 650-hp Whitcomb 65-ton center-cab switcher #56 that had served the Conemaugh & Black Lick Railroad and several other prior owners to being acquired by the Everett. In 1966, 500-hp GE 80-ton center-cab switcher, #4, replaced the Whitcomb as the sole motive power.

Revenue freight traffic gradually increased over the next 6 years, and peaked out at over 1/3 of 1 million tons per mile hauled in 1960. The Pittsburgh Silica Company sand works at Tatesville provided about 2/3 of the freight traffic and several small customers in Everett provided the other 1/3. Although sand was the primary freight hauled, other commodities such as wood, railroad ties, feed, fertilizer, and chemicals. When the Pittsburgh Silica Company ceased operations in 1961, it was a major blow to the railroad’s income.

In an effort to compensate for lost revenue, the Everett began promoting tourist passenger service. In 1964, the group purchased a Baldwin-built 2-6-2 light prairie-type steam locomotive form the Moorehead & North Fork Railroad in Kentucky. Also acquired were several pieces of passenger equipment, business car, and caboose. The steam locomotive, rolling stock, and railroad were all overhauled, and in the spring of 1965, tourist passenger service began on ‘the Everett’. Tourist trains ran on weekends from May through October 1965, and this same schedule would continue for another 5 years until October 1970.

The “original” Everett Railroad made its last revenue freight run on October 25th, 1982, when it became isolated by Conrail’s branch line “rationalization” program. This included the abandonment of the old Bedford & Hollidaysburg line as far north as Sproul, PA. The little road, in an extremely rare almost unheard of situation, was forced out of business by a Class I carrier that had served as its outside connection. The Everett filed for abandonment in September of 1983, and received the ICC permission to cease operations on Dec. 16th, 1983.

Isolated and incapable of serving its namesake community because its original track was abandoned, the Everett Railroad remained dormant until May of 1984. At that time, the “Everett” reactivated when it purchased eight miles of the former Bedford & Hollidaysburg line from Brooks Mill through Claysburg to Sproul, PA. On January 1st, 1985, the “new” Everett leased seven miles of line from the Morrison’s Cove Railroad, Inc. (formerly Allegheny Southern under the lease from Sept. 3rd, 1982 until Jan. 1st, 1985) from Roaring Springs through Martinsburg to Curryville. The two disconnected lines were linked finally in 1995 when a subsidiary company, the ten-mile Hollidaysburg & Roaring Springs Railroad, was formed to acquire the former Bedford & Hollidaysburg line from Hollidaysburg to Brooks Mill and the Martinsburg line from Brooks Mill to Roaring Spring.

The “new” Everett provides Monday through Friday freight service that originates out of Hollidaysburg, the CSXT interchange. Freights run to Brooks Mill where cars are split out and delivered to the Sproul and/or Curryville branches, depending on the customer requirements. The general office is located in Duncansville,  and the engine house is maintained at Claysburg.

1968 brochure - outside

2-6-2 steam locomotive #11