The Everett Railroad of today, notable for steam excursions, has nothing in common with the original Everett Railroad, other than the name. Originally, the road operated a former Huntingdon& Broad Top line centered around Everett, Pennsylvania after the H&BT gave up the ghost in 1954. As a kid, I remember seeing the Everett’s GE 80-tonner along the Pennsylvania Turnpike as we passed by Everett on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The Everett operated the line until 1982, when Conrail abandoned its Mt. Dallas Secondary, which was the Everett’s connection to the outside world.
After lying dormant for two years, the Everett found a new home on the former Conrail Bedford Secondary between Brooks Mill and Sproul. Remaining rolling stock was trucked to the new line, including 80-tonner number 4, seen idling in the cold morning airin the right distance. Old Number 4 wasn’t enough to handle the new line’s traffic, so the Everett acquired two ex-Conrail SW9’s, painted in a scheme reminiscent of NJDOT’s original scheme. Here SW9 8933 stands at the road’s operational headquarters in Claysburg, Pennsylvania.
