B&O Railroad Museum: Christmas Visit 2021

Since they had some Christmas train exhibits, we visited by B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore. The talking bust of Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence and board member of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, was festively decorated.

Charles Carroll in Santa hat

The museum has a new model train gallery that shows the various scales of model trains and has an exhibit.

Pick a size?

The exhibit is an HO-scale layout of Baltimore in 1997. The designer is Jeff Springer of Custom Model Railroads and is one of the most detailed displays I have ever seen. Many iconic Baltimore landmarks are included. The most amazing replica is Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles.

Camden Yards

Inside the stadium

We were amazed by the individual miniature people in the stadium. The Bromo Seltzer Tower is visible outside, though it is not that close to the stadium in real life. The B&O Warehouse building on the right is that close to the stadium. Out-of-the-park home runs don't go very far out of the park!

The Inner Harbor is recreated with the USS Constellation, the Baltimore World Trade Center (the tallest pentagonal building in the world), the USS Torsk, and the facade of the National Aquarium.

Inner Harbor

Side view

Close by is a government building and another angle on the Bromo Tower.

I don't think trains go under there in real life

One strip along the railroad line has, from right to left, the Hippodrome Theater, the Basilica of the Assumption, and the several other buildings.

These are amazing models

Further down the track is Pimlico Racetrack and the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.

Maybe a Catholic sponsored the exhibit?

Pennsylvania Station is a train station in Baltimore named after a competitor to the B&O.

Pennsylvania Station

The ritzy Belvedere Hotel is also recreated lovingly in the display.

Belvedere Hotel

One suburb is included!

Baltimore's burbs

We continued our visit by going to the Roundhouse, the main display area of the museum. It was decorated all over for Christmas, including a red carpet entrance.

Leading in to the Roundhouse

A gigantic polar bear made for a wonderful photo opportunity!

Pretty cool

In the middle of the roundhouse was a Christmas tree that was just a decorated frame. Visitors could walk through the middle!

Not a line for Santa

One small miniature train display contributed to the festive atmosphere.

Christmas scene

A small town

This truck caught my fancy

Another nearby model explains how the turntable at the middle of the roundhouse is designed and works.

Turntable

The outside miniature trains were not running, but we did see some local patriotism.

Not afraid of bad weather

The museum is always fun to visit!

B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore, Part II

A continuation of yesterpost...

The B&O Railroad Museum has a lot more on display outside the main roundhouse building. A lot of the museum's "stock" is kept outside, because who has room for all those cars?

B&O Roundhouse obscured by train cars

A flatbed and caboose

Railway workers can join the Brotherhood's Relief and Compensation Fund, which has provided job income protection for over 100 years. A statue is dedicated to the fund.

BRCF Memorial

The outdoors also has some platforms as found in typical train stations. Platform 1 has cars with exhibits.

Going to Platform 1

One car has a model railroad inside. The model mimics Baltimore and the original route of the first track which went from Baltimore to Ellicott's Mills, thirteen miles to the west.

Baltimore in miniature

Shipping in the harbor

Countryside farms

Pumpkin farm!

Another display is a refrigerated car that has information about keeping freight cool. 

A slogan for the car

The other side of the refrigerator car

Inside the car

One interesting story in the refrigerator car dates to the American Civil War. The Confederates had invaded Maryland and one scouting party came upon a farm where ice cream was being loaded for shipping to Baltimore. The rebels seized a ten-gallon container of ice cream. They ate the ice cream, a first time experience for some of them. Due to their unfamiliarity, they used their hats as bowls. Whoops.

Another display shows how bananas are shipped.

18-step plan for banana delivery

Model of a refrigerator car

The car across the platform contains displays of various china used on restaurant cars. The collections are impressive. 

Train china

Those rebels should have stolen some ice cream shells

A bigger set

How it looks on a table

The favorite spot for our children was a caboose. The caboose shows how the rail workers lived on long trips. 

Hanging out in the caboose

Another engine has a dynamometer which is used to measure the power of the locomotive. 

Dynamometer

The car also has a small exhibit on trains used in World War II, including the bunks for soldiers.

Sleeping conditions

Pictures of trains supporting the war

Women at war!

Another major building on the grounds is North Car Shop. Workers built and repaired passenger cars in this building. Now it displays more engines and cars.

North Car Shop

An impressive engine

A luggage cart that's actually a cart!

Engine repair

Some of the engines are accessible to visitors, as in the roundhouse.

What happens if I touch the red button?!?

Barely-labeled controls

Engine No. 377

Outside is another miniature train display. This set is G-scale and includes some Thomas the Tank Engine cars.

Outdoor display

More of the display

Multi-layer operations

Back in the parking lot, we tried to find the Mr. Lincoln's Railroad - "AND THE WAR CAME" geocache but were unsuccessful. We bought a year-long membership, so we may try again if we come for a special event or to ride the mile-long route. That train wasn't running because we visited on a Monday, not the weekend.

Mr. Lincoln's engine, surely?