CSX
The B&O Railroad Museum has announced that the Joe Hinrichs, CSX’s President and CEO, will chair its $30 million dollar capital campaign for restoration work ahead of the 200th anniversary of American railroading in 2027.
The museum is a historic site located in Baltimore, Md., on the original grounds of the B&O Railroad, the first commercially chartered railroad in the country in 1827. Its campus extends 40 acres into southwest/west Baltimore and features the first mile of commercial track ever laid in the country; eight historic buildings, including the 1851 Mt. Clare Station recently designated a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Site; and the 1884 Roundhouse.
The B&O Railroad Museum plans to restore its South Car Works building, which is said to be the oldest, continuously operating railroad repair facility in the United States if not the world, 1869-1990. The 33,000-square-foot building will include an Innovation Hall to exhibit the present and future of American railroading technology, as well as educational and historical archive space. Additionally, it will serve as the new entrance for the museum, which the museum said will allow it to “reimagine its campus flow to face Southwest Baltimore to spark community economic development.”
In June, CSX reported a $5 million donation to support the museum’s transformation. It will be used to build the “CSX Bicentennial Garden,” an amphitheater and multi-use space that can host local organizations and hold community gatherings. “This installation will serve as a vibrant event space and provide a fresh, new location to welcome visitors to the museum,” according to the railroad, the first corporate patron to pledge support for the capital campaign.
“CSX is the proud successor to America’s first commercial railroad—the Baltimore & Ohio,” Hinrichs said. ”As proud as we are of our heritage, we are equally excited about the future. Both the future of our modern transportation company, and the future of the dynamic and visionary B&O Railroad Museum. Which is why I am honored to chair the B&O Museum’s 200th Anniversary Campus Transformation Campaign, as we prepare to celebrate the bicentennial of American railroading in 2027. This campaign is an excellent way to celebrate our nation’s railroad history by contributing to a one-of-a-kind learning experience for generations to come.”
“We could not be more honored to have Joe Hinrichs, President and CEO of CSX, serve as our 200th Anniversary Campus Transformation Campaign Chair,” said Kris Hoellen, Executive Director of the B&O Railroad Museum. “Joe is a visionary who understands the importance of preserving our past, while supporting the economic health of today’s communities, and preparing our children for the future of American railroading technology—this project does it all, join us.”
The B&O was the first steam-operated railroad in the United States to be chartered as a common carrier of freight and passengers. The museum was established in 1953. CSX in 1987 officially transferred all land and property for the museum to a non-profit that became the B&O Railroad Museum.
In May 2023, the Class I showcased its first heritage locomotive design in honor of the B&O.
NS
NS this fall recognized eight of its Blue Ridge Division railroaders who collectively have more than 230 years of injury-free service. All were honored during an awards luncheon in Roanoke, Va.
“Each one of these railroaders has demonstrated a deep personal commitment to thoroughly incorporating safety into their daily actions,” NS Blue Ridge Division Superintendent Robert Lewis said. “All serve as role models to their fellow railroaders on the ballast line and show what is possible by making safety their top priority.”
The honorees are:
Mechanical: Tim Price (30 years)
Transportation: Shawn Gailey (36 years); D.D. Arthur (36 years); J.P. Carter (35 years); Vic Long (34 years; not pictured); Josh Wickline (19 years).
Communication & Signals: Scott Guilliams (10 years)
Engineering: Pete Archie (34 years)
