A bunch of recent photos of the B&O Museum in Baltimore here. Worth a look. More items are now under cover.

http://andrewstransport.fotopic.net/c873890.html

Two observations.

1. Interesting display for the damaged pieces. Besides the two "civil war" coaches, have other damaged items been removed from display, or is everything left in place pending further conservation?

2. I note the pads on the floor to collect oil drippings. Does this mean that the Museum maintains lubrication in the bearings on otherwise static displays?

Wesley

Most of the damaged items were removed, including all the small exhibits and the moderately damaged rolling stock (e.g., PM-11 SW-1, etc.)

Only the most heavily damaged rolling stock--CNJ Coach, CNJ Baggage Car, and the most severly damaged steam locomotives--were left in situ behind the glass pending their turns in the restoration shop.



Some yes, most no. Some of the rolling stock gets out of the roundhouse for special events or for motion picture filming with the William Mason, etc., and is kept lubed, while many more items pretty much stay where they are planted and don't get lubed.

Erik and Group,

What work was done to the car shop? Were the original windows replaced with modern replacement windows or repaired/replaced in-kind? How much was done to the interior of the building - from the photos it seems that not many changes were made.

Tom Cornillie

Just a quick note but I finally was able to visit this wonderful museum this past weekend. I also had the pleasure of briefly meeting Mr. Wilson at unrelated location. I will go through my photos later.

I saw America on the Move the day before at the NMAH- wonderful to see the Smithsonian models so nicely displayed at the B&O.

If anyone is interested, rolling stock undercover in the long rectangular building, that I can remember-

B&O EM-1, C&O 377, early iron boxcar, B&O President Washington, a couple B&O passenger cars, the C&O 490, a B&O GP30, and the C&O Allegheny! I'd be interested to know what is in for work at the new restoration shop. I definitely will have come back after excursions start.


Joshua

Three locomotives are in the restoration facility. They are 0-8-0 #57 "Memnon" (New Castle Locomotive Works 1857), 4-6-0 Camelback #217 "Ross Winans" (Mt. Clare 1873), and 0-4-0T #4 (Porter, 1950), the St. Elizabeth's Hospital saddletanker. Other pieces will get their turn.

Joshua, I am sorry I was not at the museum this past Saturday. I hope to meet you on your next visit.

Brother Blay, I believe this is an example of 1) wishful thinking/fantasy and 2) how those unquenchable rumors about "hidden steam" stay alive.......

I believe you meant to start the list with one of the B&O's pioneering diesels, not a B&O 7600-class 2-8-8-4!!!

Insofar as what's in the Restoration Facility, what I can confirm has gone down there so far is St. Elizabeth Hospital 0-4-0T #4, the "Winans Camel" #217, and the "Memnon" 0-8-0. I made inquiries in December on behalf of a magazine that wanted photos of the restoration shop finally in full swing, and was told by an official that the move of the Camel and Memnon was preliminary and that no actual work was expected for many months. I have no idea whether it's a funding issue, a weather issue, or other priorities at the moment, but the distinct impression I was left with was that only minor-league restoration on 4, and not major rebuilding on anything else, was currently being undertaken, with work efforts focused on a reproduction horse-drawn car for the Ellicott City museum.

Ahh, my mistake. Thank you. I was trying to remember the model designation of the B&O diesel #51- is there even one?

Sorry I missed you as well Kevin!

Thanks for the replies gentelmen.

Joshua

Joshua, youe were close--the EMD class name was EA--just EA, no number. B&O had its own diesel class names that I never managed to learn...

Work on the North Passenger Car Shop has been ongoing since the early 1990s under a series of grants. The major repairs that I recall were replacing all the windows in kind (no small task!), repointing and repairing the brickwork, and roof repairs. Don't take this as gospel--I don't work for the B&O Museum in any capacity and my volunteer time there was 10 years and many administrations ago. It's just what I can recall as a frequent visitor and friendly supporter.

Prior to opening for the public the interior floors were cleared out--mostly the clutter was George Harwood's machine tools, all post-common carrier, but a few late-era common carrier interior fittings like the tool crib were also removed. I kind miss the old crib, as I have fond memories of my volunteering time, but it was in no way essential to the building's character.

Though always overshadowed by the roundhouse, the North Carshop is a fantastic 19C industrial builing in its own right. It would be the centerpiece of any other railroad-related industrial heritage site. It's great that the public now has access to it.