The B&O Railroad Museum (2024)

The B&O Railroad Museum is located at the historic site of the B&ORailroad's Mt. Clare Shops in Baltimore, MD. Mount Clare is considered to bethe birthplace of American railroading. From this historic site (most of theshops are long gone) sprang so many innovations that it was considered"Railroad University" by many. The B&O was America's first chartered railcommon carrier, dating from February 28, 1827.

The museum collection includes a wide variety of steam locomotives. It isarguably the most historic collection found in the United States. An HO scalelayout operates inside an air-conditioned passenger car. An impressive displayof vintage railroad station clocks is located inside the museum. A small movietheater shows movies. There are also extensive outdoor collections of engines,cars, cranes, and other railroad equipment. Vintage diesel-powered, 3-mileround trip train rides are also offered on the weekends. Be sure to check theofficial B&O Museum web site for details.

I have visited the museum in 1992 and 2009. Many of the photos shown below arefrom those two visits.

A number of large and impressive steam locomotives are on display in the mainparking lot near the entrance of the museum. Since my first visit in 1992,some of them have been moved into the recently-acquired "North Car Shop"adjacent to the roundhouse. However, there are still some quite famous steamlocomotives available for viewing in the parking area before you enter themuseum.

C&O 2-6-6-2 #1309

For a medium-sized articulated locomotive, C&O 1309 has a very impressive lookto it. The air pumps on the smokebox give it a massive looking face. This issometimes called "the C&O look". 1309 is a C&O class H-6 2-6-6-2. Itwas the last steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (1949).Many articulated locomotives are erroneously called "Mallets". 1309 is a trueMallet. It is both articulated and has high andlow-pressure cylinders.

Since these photos were taken, C&O 1309 has been moved to the Western MarylandScenic Railroad for restoration to operating condition.

Photos

• 1309 (1992 Wes Barris photo)
• 1309 face (1992 Wes Barris photo)
• 1309 (1998 Photo courtesy Richard Duley)
• 1309 (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 1309 face (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 1309 (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• Restoring 1309

C&O 2-8-4 #2705

This is one of 12surviving (Kanawha is the C&O name for the 2-8-4 wheel arrangement). This class of2-8-4s is almost identical to the Berkshires on the NYC&StL, PereMarquette, W&LE, VGN, and RF&P. 2705 was rescued from a Russell, KY scrapyard before being placed at themuseum.

Photos

• Russell, KY scrapyard photos
• 2705 (1998 Photo courtesy Richard Duley)
• 2705 (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 2705 rear truck booster (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 2705 baker valvegear (2009 Wes Barris photo)

Reading 4-8-4 2101 (Chessie Steam Special/American Freedom Train Locomotive)

This ReadingT-1 (2101) was rescued from a junk yard in Baltimore and restored tooperating condition back in 1976. Once owned by Ross Rowland, it was used forabout two years as the Chessie Steam Special,honoring the 150th anniversary of the B&O which was part of the ChessieSystem at the time. It was painted in Chessie System colors, and pulled 18-20cars. It was also used as one of the three locomotives used to pull the "American Freedom Train" throughout the country in 1976.On March 7, 1979, while being stored one winter in a Chessie System roundhousein Silver Grove, KY, 2101 was severely damaged in a fire. Also damaged in thatfire was a NYC Mohawk tender. The tender is now located at the NYC RailroadMuseum in Elkhart, IN). 2101 was cosmetically restored and placed here atthe B&O Museum on Labor Day, 1979, in exchange for C&O 614.

Photos

• 2101 (1998 Photo courtesy Richard Duley)
• 2101 (2009 Wes Barris photo)

C&O 4-8-4 614 (Chessie Safety Express Locomotive)

In 1992 Ross Rowland's "Chessie Safety Express" locomotive was displayed at theB&O Museum. The name the C&O chose to use for the 4-8-4 wheel arrangement was"Greenbrier" instead of the more commonly used name "Northern". Afterretirement, 614 was stored at a rail yard in Russell,KY awaiting scrapping. However, it was saved and relocated to the B&OMuseum where it was put on display for a few years. After Ross Rowland'sReading 2101, which he was using on his "Chessie Steam Special" excursiontrains, was damaged in a fire, 614 was traded to Ross Rowland and 2101 was putin its place at the museum. 614 was used for a number of excursions in the1980s through the 1990s. Today, 614 is stored at the Reading & NorthernRailroad in Port Clinton, PA.

Unlike most roundhouses, where there is a turntableand an arc-shaped building (the roundhouse) built near the turntable pit, thisroundhouse completely surrounds the turntable. In fact, the turntable iscompletely enclosed within the building. This is a very unique roundhouse.This roundhouse has often been referred to the closest thing in the country to"an industrial cathedral." Trains magazine listed it as one of thetop ten shrines of American railroading.

The roundhouse was designed by Baltimore architect Ephraim Francis Baldwin,and built in 1884. Some of Baldwin's other remaining architecture include theB&Owarehouse at Camden Yards, the B&O stations at Laurel, Rockville,Gaithersburg, Sykesville (now a restaurant bearing his name), his masterpieceat Point ofRocks, and also the stationat Oakland, in Garrett County, MD. Around the museum the roundhouse issometimes called "Baldwin's Cathedral." Baldwin was a devout Roman Catholic,and his great dream had been to build a cathedral for the City of Baltimore.Unfortunately, the Basilicaof the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in 1821 and the Cathedral of Mary our Queen wouldnot be built until the 1950's. It is said that Baldwin realized this, andsince this was to be the largest building he would ever be called upon todesign, he put all of his effort into it. In a way it is ironic that the B&OMuseum has become a holy shrine of railroading.

During the winter of 2002-2003, a heavy snowfall caused the roof ofthe roundhouse to collapse. It took until November, 2004 to repair theroundhouse. During this time the museum was closed to the public.

Photos

• collapse photo
• collapse photo
• (2009 Wes Barris photo)

Of all of the roundhouses I have seen, this is the only one where the floor"is clean enough to eat off of". You can see the turntable in the foreground.Surrounding the turntable is a collection of historic equipment.

Pictured in 1992 Group Photo 1 by Wes Barris

• Tom Thumb (B&O 2-2-0 replica, built at the Mt. Clare shops in 1927 for the Fair of the Iron Horse, operational)
• Atlantic (B&O 0-4-0) [info]
• Memnon (B&O 0-8-0 #57)
• a three pot coal gondola
• William Mason (B&O 4-4-0 #25, William Mason Locomotive Works,Taunton, MA, 1856). This is the oldest operating steam locomotive in the USA.The British-built "Fairy Queen" in India (1855) is older and still operatestourist specials. The William Mason was rebuilt in the spring of 1998 atStrasburg for Warner Brothers who used her in a movie remake of The Wild,Wild West.

Pictured in 1992 Group Photo 2 by Wes Barris

• Camel (B&O 4-6-0 #217)
• Lafayette (B&O 4-2-0 #13 replica, built at the Mt.Clare shops in 1927 for the Fair of the Iron Horse, operational)
• J. C. Davis (B&O 2-6-0 #600)
• a caboose
• A. J. Cromwell (B&O class E-8 2-8-0 #545)

Pictured in 1992 Group Photo 3 by Wes Barris

• Greenbrier Cheat & Elk 3-truck Shay #1
• CNJ Camelback locomotive (class P-6s/A-28) 4-4-2 #592

CNJ 4-4-2 Camelback #592

• 592 (1992 Wes Barris photo)
• 592 (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 592 (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 592 (2009 Wes Barris photo)

GC&E 3-Truck Shay #1

• 1 (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 1 (2009 Wes Barris photo)

B&O Tom Thumb replica

• Tom Thumb (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• Tom Thumb (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• Tom Thumb (2009 Wes Barris photo)

B&O Atlantic

• Atlantic (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• Atlantic (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• Atlantic (2009 Wes Barris photo)

B&O John Hanco*ck

• John Hanco*ck (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• John Hanco*ck (2009 Wes Barris photo)

B&O Lafayette replica

• Lafayette (2009 Wes Barris photo)

B&O 2-8-0 #545 "A.J. Cromwell"

• 545 (2009 Wes Barris photo)

B&O 2-6-0 #600 "J.C. Davis"

• 600 (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 600 (2009 Wes Barris photo)

B&O 0-8-0 #57 "Memnon"

• 57 (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 57 (2009 Wes Barris photo)

B&O 4-4-0 #25 "William Mason"

• 25 (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 25 (2009 Wes Barris photo)

The "North Car Shop" was sold to the museum in 19??. Once it becameavailable, sevaral locomotives were relocated from the front parking lotinto this building. Keeping steam locomotives inside this building protectsthem from the elements but also makes them very difficult to photograph.

C&O Streamlined Hudson (4-6-4) #490

490 is the sole surviver of only four streamlined Hudson type (4-6-4)locomotives owned by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. Because of their colors,they were sometimes called "Yellowbellies". It was rebuilt by the C&O in 1946from a Pacific type (4-6-2) locomotive. The original Pacific was built by theRichmond division of the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1926. 490 wasdonated to the Baltimore & Ohio Museum in Baltimore, MD in 1971 from the C&OHistorical Collection. It is also the only surviving streamlined (shrouded)Hudson. Some may call this ugly. I call it classic and am thrilled that ithas been saved in its streamlined livery from the scrapper's torch.

Photos

• 490 (1992 Wes Barris photo)
• 490 (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 490 (2009 Wes Barris photo. Notice the absence of valve rods indicates that this locomotive uses poppet valves.)

C&O 2-6-6-6 Allegheny #1604

This is one of only two remaining Alleghenies (2-6-6-6). TheAlleghenies have the distinction of being the heaviest steam locomotives everbuilt in the United States (778,000lbs). They also have the highest horsepowerrating (7,500 @40MPH) of any steam locomotive (even higher than that of the Big Boys). If I had, youwould see that the tender has a six-wheel lead truck and an eight-wheeltrailing truck.

Upon retirement, 1604 was sent to the scrap linesbehind the diesel shops at Russell, KY. It was donated to the RoanokeTransportation Museum circa 1969. At Roanoke, 1604 was displayed next toN&W 1218. On November 4th, 1985, it was partially damaged in a flood(N&W 1218 was gone by this time). During that flood, it almost turned overwhen the ground was washed out from under it! (photo) Fortunately, itleaning up against an overhead bridge pier which prevented it from falling anyfurther. The NS did a cosmetic overhaul on 1604 at the Roanoke Shops beforefor it was sent (around 1987) to Baltimore to be displayed as the centerpieceof the Mt. Clare Junction shopping center which was adjacent to the B&OMuseum. The shopping center was literally built around 1604. In 1989, thefailing shopping center decided that 1604 was too big and decided to donate herto the B&O Museum. 1604 was moved from the mall onto B&O Museumproperty in early 1990 by SW-1 Pere Marquette 11. During the early 1990s,there was a rumor going around that the CSXT was considering starting their ownsteam excursion program. They reportedly sent some mechanics to check thecondition of 1604 to see if it was feasible to restore it to operatingcondition! Today, the cab has been cosmetically restored and lighting has beenplaced in the firebox so that it can be viewed. It has also been moved indoorswith a handicap accessible ramp added.

Photos

• 1604 (1998 Photo courtesy Richard Duley)
• 1604 face (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 1604 cab (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 1604 stoker (2009 Wes Barris photo)

B&O Pacific (4-6-2) #5300

This is one of only two "large" B&O locomotives that survive. 5300 isnamed "President Washington" (the B&O painted all 20 Pacifics of thisclass olive green and named them after the first twenty one presidentsof the United States -- one locomotive carried the name "President Adams"which represented both John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams).

Photos

• 5300 (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 5300 (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 5300 stoker (2009 Wes Barris photo)

B&O Mikado (2-8-2) #4500

4500 is a class Q3 Mikado. It was the first locomotive designed by the USRA.

Photos

• 4500 (2009 Wes Barris photo)
• 4500 (2009 Wes Barris photo)

C&O Ten-Wheeler (4-6-0) #377

377 is a class F-11 4-6-0.

Photos

• 377 (2009 Wes Barris photo)

B&O EA #51

51 is one of only a few surviving E-units left in the country. Now in theNorth Car Shop, this locomotive used to be displayed in the main parking lot.

Photos

• 51 (1992 Wes Barris photo)
• 51 (2009 photo courtesy Kevin Howard)

The museum also has a number of non-steam locomotives on display. Here are afew of them:

PRR GG1 #4876

4876 is best known for crashing inWashington Union Station in 1953. 4876 is stored off the propertyuntil she can get a proper cosmetic restoration.

Photos

• 4876

PRR GG1 #4890

In 1995, 4890 was sent to the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay,WI in exchange for a Fairbanks Morse H12-44.

Photos

• 4890 (1992 Wes Barris photo)

Western Maryland BL-2 #81

Photos

• 81 (2009 Wes Barris photo)

Western Maryland RS-3 #195

Photos

• 195 (2009 Wes Barris photo)

Baltimore & Ohio GP-7 #6405

Photos

• 6405 (2009 Wes Barris photo)

Baltimore & Ohio GP-40 #3684

Western Maryland F-7A #236

Photos

• 236 (2009 Wes Barris photo)

The following diesel-electrics are operational at the museum

• Pere Marquette SW-1 #11
• B&O SW9 #633
• B&O GP-7 #5605
• B&O passenger GP-9 #6607
• B&O GP30 #6944
• B&O SD-35 #7402
• CSX (B&O) GP-38 #9699 (3802) (1982 "All-American" Diesel)

• The B&O Railroad Museum (Official Web Site)
• B&O Museum Photos
• The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Network