Nostalgia & History > B & O Museum Restoring Historic Diesel

The B & O Railroad Museum is cosmetically restoring the first streamlined Electro-Motive diesel passenger locomotive, B & O EA #51.  The following is a link to the Trains.com Newswire article about this project:

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/01/23-first-streamlined-emd-passenger-unit-is-under-restoration-at-bo-railroad-museum

This is great news!  Restoration of this locomotive gives me a new reason to make another visit to the B & O Railroad Museum.

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The B & O Railroad Museum is cosmetically
> restoring the first streamlined Electro-Motive
> diesel passenger locomotive, B & O EA #51.  The
> following is a link to the Trains.com Newswire
> article about this project:
>
> http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/01/23-fi
> rst-streamlined-emd-passenger-unit-is-under-restor
> ation-at-bo-railroad-museum
>
> This is great news!  Restoration of this.
> locomotive gives me a new reason to make another
> visit to the B & O Railroad Museum.

Meanwhile everything else, especially the B&O Passenger Cars, continue to rust away which is so sad and a crime especially when money was given to that museum to maintain them.  So now they will have a nice looking original E unit to park in front of all the rusty passenger cars.  Phooey.  Why bother to support this mismanaged organization.  I refuse to go there any more as there are plenty of other worth while museums and rail operations to support.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

ClubCar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RuleG Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The B & O Railroad Museum is cosmetically
> > restoring the first streamlined Electro-Motive
> > diesel passenger locomotive, B & O EA #51. 
> The
> > following is a link to the Trains.com Newswire
> > article about this project:
> >
> >
> http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/01/23-fi
>
> >
> rst-streamlined-emd-passenger-unit-is-under-restor
>
> > ation-at-bo-railroad-museum
> >
> > This is great news!  Restoration of this.
> > locomotive gives me a new reason to make
> another
> > visit to the B & O Railroad Museum.
>
> Meanwhile everything else, especially the B&O
> Passenger Cars, continue to rust away which is so
> sad and a crime especially when money was given to
> that museum to maintain them.  So now they will
> have a nice looking original E unit to park in
> front of all the rusty passenger cars.  Phooey. 
> Why bother to support this mismanaged
> organization.  I refuse to go there any more as
> there are plenty of other worth while museums and
> rail operations to support.
> John in White Marsh, Maryland

Right on cue

ClubCar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Meanwhile everything else, especially the B&O
> Passenger Cars, continue to rust away which is so
> sad and a crime especially when money was given to
> that museum to maintain them.  So now they will
> have a nice looking original E unit to park in
> front of all the rusty passenger cars.  Phooey. 
> Why bother to support this mismanaged
> organization.  I refuse to go there any more as
> there are plenty of other worth while museums and
> rail operations to support.
> John in White Marsh, Maryland  

We recently had a program at our local railfan group of a visit to this museum.  After this program, I can understand
your comments.  However, the sheer size of the collection makes it impossible, I would think, to prioritize everything.
Therefore, some things are left alone.  I think we should be grateful for what they have accomplished while urging 
them to do better on what they haven't.  This sentiment applies to the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento
as well.  Just my two cents worth.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Spoony81 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ClubCar Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > RuleG Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > The B & O Railroad Museum is cosmetically
> > > restoring the first streamlined
> Electro-Motive
> > > diesel passenger locomotive, B & O EA #51. 
> > The
> > > following is a link to the Trains.com
> Newswire
> > > article about this project:
> > >
> > >
> >
> http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/01/23-fi
>
> >
> > >
> >
> rst-streamlined-emd-passenger-unit-is-under-restor
>
> >
> > > ation-at-bo-railroad-museum
> > >
> > > This is great news!  Restoration of this.
> > > locomotive gives me a new reason to make
> > another
> > > visit to the B & O Railroad Museum.
> >
> > Meanwhile everything else, especially the B&O
> > Passenger Cars, continue to rust away which is
> so
> > sad and a crime especially when money was given
> to
> > that museum to maintain them.  So now they
> will
> > have a nice looking original E unit to park in
> > front of all the rusty passenger cars. 
> Phooey. 
> > Why bother to support this mismanaged
> > organization.  I refuse to go there any more
> as
> > there are plenty of other worth while museums
> and
> > rail operations to support.
> > John in White Marsh, Maryland
>
> Right on cue

Yup! Clubcar must just cut and paste that tirade!

ClubCar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Meanwhile everything else, especially the B&O
> Passenger Cars, continue to rust away which is so
> sad and a crime especially when money was given to
> that museum to maintain them.  So now they will
> have a nice looking original E unit to park in
> front of all the rusty passenger cars.  Phooey. 
> Why bother to support this mismanaged
> organization.  I refuse to go there any more as
> there are plenty of other worth while museums and
> rail operations to support.
> John in White Marsh, Maryland

So after the restoration, I will visit the museum to admire a beautifully restored historic B & O diesel while you will continue to harbor resentment towards the museum.  Which one of us will be happier?

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/19 17:34 by RuleG.

There isn't a railroad museum in the world that can restore everything in 
its entire collection.  The desire is there, but the funds and manpower just
aren't.  Which begs the question:  Is it better for a museum to accept a donation
knowing that they will probably never be able to do anything with it for years (if 
at all) or let it go for scrap?  I would think it better to be in a museums "back lot"
than gone forever!