After the tour of the Mt. Clare Roundhouse, I next visited the Smithsonian Model Train Collection in the Alex Brown & Sons Foundation Gallery.
Originally conceived by transportation curator John H. White of the Smithsonian Museum of History and Technology (now the National Museum of American History), this gallery features the Smithsonian Model Train Collection. Beginning with the early British and American pioneers of 1803-1846, the Smithsonian Model Train Collection moves through the design advancements of railway locomotives and rolling stock throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, containing some of the most exceptional railroad scale models ever crafted. The collection surrounds a General Motors E8 Prototype Model from 1949, providing guests with an interactive learning experience detailing the parts and functions of the diesel locomotive’s engine.
British and American Pioneers 1803-1840.
American Refinement.
1840-1880.
Specialized Locomotives 1880-1927.
The Final Years of Steam Locomotives 1925-1953.
Diesel-Electric Locomotives.
Main Line Electric Railways.
Railroad Freight Cars.
Passenger Cars.
Electric Motive E8A 950. I then walked into the next exhibit "Dinner in the Diner".
Baltimore and Ohio China 1875-1972.
An Air of Elegance.
Dining Car set-up.
B&O Blue A Centennial of Heritage. I walked into the next room.
About Time: The Standardization of Time. The railroads were an important influence on the standardization and development of time zones across the nation because precision timekeeping was essential in maintaining the safety of the railways. Learn how Webb C. Ball developed precision timekeeping by exploring the collection of 21 clocks and 12 pocket watches that were used by conductors and engineers on the B&O Railroad lines. The exhibition provides deeper knowledge of the B&O Time Service Department, which handled the repairs and adjustments for the railway clocks and gives guests a chance to test their knowledge of the United States time zones by adjusting manual clocks to match the regional time zones.
In the next room was the Mt. Clare Station Living History Center.
I returned to the Mt. Clare Roundhouse once more.
There I was told that the B&O excursion train had just been called for its 11:30 AM departure so I walked out to board it.
B&O Railroad Museum Excursion Train 5/16/2007The waiting passengers boarded former Maryland Area Rail Commuter coach 144 for a ride on on the first 1.25 mile of railroad track built in the United States in 1830. We departed at 11:30 AM with B&O Railroad Museum SW7 1200 pushing the five=car train west.
A crew member took my picture on the first mile of track built in this country.
Passing the former Car Shop with its overhead crane still intact.
The former B&O mainline curving off towards downtown Baltimore. We then reached our furthest point and a minute later, the locomotive started pulling us back to the museum.
We rolled by Penn Central GG-1 4876 and the Restoration and Diesel Shop.
Passenger car behind the fence at the Restoration Shop.
Views of Baltimore as we returned to the grounds of the Museum. I thanked the crew for a unique trip.
On the way back to the parking lot, I stopped for a last picture of the Garden Railroad then walked back through the Museum and out of the front door, catching Amy as she was returning from lunch. I thanked her for a great visit to this fantastic museum. However, there was still something I wanted to photograph behind the Car Shop, so I drove to South Arlington Avenue.
The B&O Railroad Museum excursion train.
The line-up in front of the Car Shop.
CSX SD35 4550, nee Baltimore and Ohio 7402 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1964. After its retirement, 7402 was stored at Queensgate Yard in Cincinnati, Ohio. When acquired by the museum, the locomotive was in Chessie System paint then in 1995, it was repainted to its as-delivered B&O paint scheme and returned to the number 7402.
This completes my coverage of the B&O Railroad Museum. Next it was off to Elkins, West Virginia.
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