Envelope Marked "Train 1884"

Six (6) Negatives in envelope marked "Antique Train 23 867"

I believe these were taken at the B&O Bolt & Forge Shops area in Cumberland.

3 select images.....

Two (2) Negatives, Envelope marked " Train of Tomorrow 6/15/47"

Pretty obvious that the exterior photo was taken at Cumberland, MD

The B&O used to send parts of its historical collection out on tour for town anniversaries such as centennials, Fourth of July celebrations, and other things; this looks like one of them, and yes, it's at the old Bolt & Forge shop, which survived into the early 1970s before being demolished--and then the property sat vacant for 30 years before being redeveloped as another strip mall.

The B&O had planned to keep a B-16 (?) 4-6-0 as part of its historical collection, but like the last EM-1 2-8-8-4, all of those engines went to scrap. One of these locomotives had been used as the assigned power for Daniel Willard's official train; at the time, it was reported to have been painted olive green with stripes, like the then-new President class 4-6-2s that were running between Washington and Jersey City.

The principle question would be, what was the occasion in Cumberland for something like this? Could it have been the inauguration of a new train service, like the Cincinnatian or the domeliner Columbian?

Edited after seeing the next photos--It's a visit by the Train Of Tomorrow, a joint EMD-Pullman Standard demonstration of the latest and best in rail passenger equipment of the time. The set was later sold to the Union Pacific. One car survives today in very derelict condition.

Also, how are those exhibit flat cars painted? I can't vouch for the body colors, but the trucks are NOT black, and appear to be a light color, like silver. The tones of the bodies matches that of the darker portion of the Sentinel Service box car, which was blue and silver. Could these cars be painted blue?

To tie in with the exhibit, although not on the B&O:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEfznj0-Ac8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXCUlwzmofA

http://www.trainweb.org/web_lurker/GM/

http://streamlinermemories.info/?p=946

Forgot about this earlier thread:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33670

Six (6) Negatives, Envelope marked "Train Wreck 1/3/48"

Selection of 3........

I'm 99.7% certain that the very first photo shows the 2061 with "B&O 445," the "Royal Blue Car" (replicated in 1927 from a DL&W Pullman car, ca. 1890) now enshrined in the B&O Museum Roundhouse. I've never heard that the 2061 was ever actually a part of the B&O historic collection; at the time these photos were presumably made, the B&O still used plenty of these in branch line service, including on the Landenburg Branch in Del./Pa., which eventually became the Wilmington & Western.

Six (6) Negatives, Envelope marked "Train Wreck Near Rawlings 36N"

Selection of 3......

Tim W.

Ten wheeler #2061 was a regular locomotive assigned to the B&O's Landenburg Branch that is now know as the Wilmington and Western RR. She operated late into B&O steam.

The technical quality and visual composition of those wreck photos is exceptionally good. They really capture the dramatic details of mainline wrecks.

Looks like Antique Train 23 867 of B&O loaded flats are B&O's contribution the the 1948 Chicago RR Fair.
Look for B&ORR No. 25 pulling the Lincoln Funeral train about 18 min into this clip. Also looked like Conestoga wagons same as at the fair.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wLvBa7MApI

Jeff -

Good question. And as long as we're asking them, I have a few about the tower in one of the wreck photos:

1. CO Tower or GO Tower?

2. I assume it is no longer in existence, right?

3. There is what appears to be a white card at one of the second floor windows. Might this be some type of train order notification? Or what?

Thanks!

Les

I do believe CO Tower or McKenzie Tower at Pinto, MD. This would be on the B&O mainline from Cumberland going west towards Grafton, WV.

Tim W.

Considering it's a Diesel hauled train, why the steam? Fire started by friction? Steam to thaw the contents of the cars?
Curious.

These photos have the look and feel of Newspaper photos.

-Hudson