Story By: Sol Tucker
Photos By: Sol Tucker and B&O Museum Renderings
Baltimore, MD–
If you grew up anywhere around Maryland, it’s probably hard not to know how important the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was to the foundation of history in the state and especially the City of Baltimore. Even if you played Monopoly, you were exposed to the name B&O. Like many of us on the East Coast, much of what we use on a daily basis was brought to us by the B&O and later the Chessie System and now CSX, it has been a vital part to so many businesses.
As we approach the 200th Anniversary of the B&O Railroad, the B&O museum has broken ground on its new $38 Million dollar Campus transformation with the help of CSX, the museum hopes to relink the Southwest Baltimore community with new development all around the area after the transformation is complete which will include a huge celebration in 2027 celebrating the birthplace of railroading. This will also celebrate first commercially chartered railroad in the country in 1827.
“We are happy to be a part of this project and know how much the B&O meant to where we are as a railroad today at CSX,” said CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs. Everyone understands the history Baltimore holds on shaping the nation with rail travel. It can be seen here today in the first mile of track on the campus grounds. We are going to help the museum become the best representation of the history of rail travel.
The Museum will restore the South Car Works building, the oldest, continuously operating railroad repair facility in the United States if not the world, 1869-1990. In restoring these 33,000 square feet building and making it the new entrance to the Museum, the Museum will reconfigure its campus flow to face Southwest Baltimore for the purpose of spurring community economic development.
For so many in the community, this will be a welcome change to what has become a tired neighborhood in quite a few different aspects. The creation of a new amphitheater and garden, known as the CSX Bicentennial Garden, providing a new green space that has been missing from this area for decades. The chance to have a new fresh space for the community has been welcomed by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and others involved in the project.
“We have been working with the museum for quite some time now to change how we look at this part of Southwest Baltimore. There are so many great spaces, like Carroll Park, over here and we welcome the plans that the museum along with CSX is putting into this community,” said Mayor Scott.
Across town, CSX is already 2 months into its Howard Street tunnel project, which will revitalize how freight traffic is moved up and down the east coast. The Howard Street Tunnel upgrades will enhance intermodal rail service on CSX’s I-95 corridor while better connecting the Seagirt Marine Terminal Intermodal Container Transfer Facility at the Port of Baltimore with interior distribution hubs.
So, whether you are planning a visit to Baltimore as a train enthusiast or just want to check out all of the history the B&O brings to the city, plan a trip today, but make sure this is on your list in 2027, because this is shaping up to be an amazing birthday party for the birthplace of modern railroading.
