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The Baltimore Streetcar Museum 8/4/2018

We drove from the B&O Railroad Museum the shortest distance of the whole trip to the Baltimore Streetcar Museum.

The Baltimore Streetcar Museum History

The Baltimore Streetcar Museum is a non-profit museum located at 1901 Falls Road (MD 25) in Baltimore, Maryland. The museum is dedicated to preserving Baltimore's public transportation history, especially the streetcar era. The museum is open Noon to 5 P.M. every Sunday March through December and Noon to 5 P.M. Saturdays, June through October.

The original Museum collection had been under the stewardship of the United Railways and Electric Company, then the Baltimore Transit Company and finally, for a short time, the Maryland Historical Society. Finally the Baltimore Streetcar Museum was founded in 1966 by several members of the Baltimore Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society. The collection was moved from Robert E. Lee Park near Lake Roland in 1968 to the present Falls Road Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad site and public operations began in July 1970. Before public operations could commence, many hours of volunteer work were necessary to build operating track and install overhead wire which, at first, provided only a short ride for visitors. Over the years, the Museum has incrementally extended its line along Falls Road that includes now turning loops at the north and south ends of its line. Completion of the Museum's entire streetcar line was realized in October 2008 with the completion of its double tracking project, which took many years to complete. The track gauge is 5 ft 4 1/2 in, which is unique.

The Baltimore Streetcar Museum houses the library collections of the Baltimore Streetcar Museum and the National Railway Historical Society (Baltimore Chapter), formally known as Maryland Rail Heritage Library.

We parked the car and started to look around this unique museum.

United Railways and Electric Company J.G. Brill "Peter Witt" car 6119 built in 1930.

SEPTA PCC 2187 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1948, converted to an overhead line car.

J.G. Brill double truck snow sweeper, built in 1917.

SEPTA PCC 2168 built by St. Louis Car Company in 1948.

Baltimore Traction Company single-truck open car 445 built in 1894 by Brownell Car Company.

Brownell Car Company double truck convertible car 264 built in 1900. It was the first car restored by the BSM in 1968.

Horse Car 129 built in 1865. It was home-built by Baltimore City Passenger Railway in 1875.

Museum view.

The first car we would ride was the United Railways and Electric Company JG Brill "Peter Witt" car 6119.

We left the station and headed down the track. Now sit back and enjoy the trip aboard this streetcar with us.

Rolling down the rails of this unique museum. That building we passed was the Ma & Pa (Maryland & Pennsylvania) warehouse.

The 16-stall Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad roundhouse built in 1920 is in relatively good condition considering the Ma & Pa moved out somewhere around 1964. Next we made our way to the reversing loop.

The trip around the reversing loop.

The Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad roundhouse.

Returning to the station area ending our first trip aboard this wonderful trolley line.

Baltimore Traction Company Brownell Car Company single truck open car 445 built in 1894.

Horse Car 129 built in 1865, it was a home built by Baltimore City Passenger Railway in 1875.

Horse Car 25 built in 1859 by built by Poole & Hunt right up the road in Woodbury. Its unrestored body is incapable of restoration and is a shell only.

Pullman-Standard trackless trolley 2078 built in 1940. It is a historical piece of equipment and the only Baltimore trackless trolley saved.

Closed car 3828 is a match for open car 1164. Restoration is in the planning stage.

Baltimore PCC 7407 built by Pullman-Standard in 1944. It is the pride of this Museum fleet and was the last streetcar to run in Baltimore.

Horse Car, to Cable Car trailer, to Electric Car 417. Built in 1884, it was home-built by Baltimore City Passenger Railway and is supposedly the oldest operating electric streetcar in the United States.

Baltimore streetcar 2234.

Brownell Car Company single truck "accelerator" car 1050 was built in 1896.

Single truck safety car 4533 was built by JG Brill in 1904 and converted to air in 1924, then to a test car in 1940. It was restored to its 1924 version.

St. Louis Car Company PCC 26, originally built for Minneapolis/St. Paul then sold to Newark for their subway line.

Philadelphia trolley 1161.

We all made our second run aboard the Baltimore Traction Company 445.

This device counts the passengers aboard the trolley. After that trip we toured the inside of the museum.

This museum has plenty of good information throughout their building. I bought a Coca-Cola on this warm humid afternoon before we rode the SEPTA PCC Car, after which Bob had his chance to operate it.

The inside of the SEPTA 2168. Bob is getting taught how to run this car.

Map of the SEPTA lines in Philadelphia.

Passing the other car out on the line.

Bob operating the SEPTA PCC car 2168.

Bob is getting to run this car. After two more runs they taught Robin how to run this car

Robin looks right at home operating the PCC car.

Group shot of our great motormen.

The day's end is the closing of the car barn. I want to thank the Baltimore Streetcar Museum for a wonderful late afternoon visit to their excellent trolley museum. We left here and took Interstate 95 to Havre de Grace.

I had always wanted to take pictures here and now was my first opportunity to do so. We walked out onto the public pier and waited.

The bridge across the Susquehanna River, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1904.

We could see the old Pennsylvania Railroad postion light signals and saw we had a green northbound signal so knew we had something coming.

Amtrak Siver Meteor train 98 was our first train here.

Northeast Regional 149 came next across the bridge.

That was followed by Northeast Regional 135.

Northeast Regional 192 was spotted next.

Geese in the water below us.

The sun was sinking in the western sky.

The late afternoon lighting was fantastic.

But all good things have to end, so we left the bridge and moved to our last stop of the day.

Perryville, Maryland.

The MARC Perryville station built in 1905. We drove to Newark, Delaware, stopping at Subway for dinner before making our way to the Rodeway Inn for a two- night stay.

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