B&O Railroad Museum Wins Federal Grant for Aid in Repairs
Author: TO News from Press Reports
The B&O Railroad Museum has won a $500,000 federal grant to help reconstruct the roof of its roundhouse, which partially collapsed last winter in a snowstorm. The grant is one of the largest ever in the National Park Service's Save America's Treasures program.

B&O officials had sought $1 million, but say they're not disappointed at receiving half that amount. "I'm so pleased that of all the projects they had considered, they chose the B&O to be their top priority," said Courtney B. Wilson, executive director of the museum.

Wilson thanked the Maryland congressional delegation, which in June wrote a letter on behalf of the B&O to the park service urging that the museum be selected for funding. Sens. Paul S. Sarbanes and Barbara A. Mikulski led the effort. Sarbanes and Mikulski also are trying to secure a $500,000 congressional appropriation for the museum. Wilson is seeking capital support from the city and state and is meeting privately with corporations.

During a snowstorm February 17, half of the roof over the roundhouse - the museum's centerpiece attraction - collapsed. A museum report blamed the collapse on what it called a poor building design that failed under the weight of six-foot snow drifts. The museum has been closed since the collapse and is not expected to reopen before next spring.

The roundhouse was built in 1884 as a train car mechanic's shop and converted in 1953 into the museum.

The cost to rebuild and restore the building and damaged exhibits is more than $15 million; much of that amount is being covered by insurance.