NS
NS on May 14 held its annual Short Line Conference. The Class I’s 350-plus small-road partners (260-plus directly connected) “consistently and vibrantly deliver growth, value, and service to our mutual customers, making them an absolutely crucial part in executing our overall strategy,” reported Stefan Loeb, NS Vice President Business Development and First and Final Mile Markets, via LinkedIn.
NS CEO Mark George, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Ed Elkins, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer John F. Orr, and Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Mike McClellan participated at the event, “driving home the importance of continued partnership, collaboration, and creativity needed to grow,” according to Loeb. Also serving as speakers were American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association President Chuck Baker, NS Field Sales and Short Line Marketing AVP W. Clark Reed, NS AVP of Market Research and Forecasts Jason Trompeter, and NS Director Short Line Performance Alex McNeil. All detailed the actions NS is taking to expand and grow with short lines, including the expansion of its interchange program to all directly connected short lines and its continued efforts “to drive effective, trackable, and accountable sales activity,” according to Loeb.
The meeting included the presentation of the first Alan Lambert Short Line of the Year Award. Alan Lambert, Loeb said, was “a fallen NS colleague and friend to so many at NS, short lines, and customers over the years.” Stephanie Roop and Jodi Heath, two of Lambert’s close friends, presented the award to OmniTRAX, Inc.’s Alabama & Tennessee River Railway, an NS partner that Loeb said “doubled its traffic year-over-year in 2024 through true collaboration and teamwork.”
The day was capped off with breakout sessions covering multiple areas at NS, including Industrial Development, Industrial Products and Coal, and Operations and Strategic Planning.
“To all who participated: Thank you,” Loeb reported. “Short Lines drive more business to rail, and we at NS recognize that and are committed to grow with these important partners and customers.”
B&O Railroad Museum / CSX
The B&O Railroad Museum on May 14 held a groundbreaking ceremony for its campus transformation project, in preparation for the 200th anniversary celebration of American railroading in 2027.
Key elements of the project include:
- Restoration of the South Car Works Building. Said to be the oldest, continuously operating railroad repair facility in the country (1869-1990), it will become the museum’s new entrance, which will allow the museum to reconfigure its campus flow to face Southwest Baltimore “for the purpose of sparking community economic development.”
- An Innovation Hall. This space will showcase the present and future of railroad technology using interactive exhibits.
- An amphitheater for community use. When the museum’s campus is reoriented to face Southwest Baltimore, a new amphitheater and garden, known as the CSX Bicentennial Garden, will be created.
- An archival space. The museum’s nationally significant archival collection, currently housing more than 30 million documents, will be relocated and placed on public view for the first time. This will create greater access for researchers and students.
- “Smart” educational classrooms. The plan will introduce two smart classroom spaces, to help the museum accommodate its growing educational program. The classrooms will be adjacent to the archives to allow students to learn how to use original source material.
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 (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.
CSX President and CEO Joe Hinrichs was keynote speaker at the groundbreaking event. He and Benjamin H. Griswold IV are co-chairing the museum’s $38 million capital campaign for restoration work. Also at the event was CSX’s 1827 heritage locomotive (pictured above), which was renumbered in recognition of the B&O Railroad’s founding year. It combines the colors of CSX and B&O and carries the modern CSX logo on the front and B&O’s capitol dome logo at the rear.
“Railroads changed the course of American history, and it all started here in Baltimore,” Hinrichs said. “Today, we’re not just honoring that legacy, we’re investing in what comes next. This transformation will spark curiosity, honor the rich history of the railroad, and strengthen the connection between freight rail and the communities we serve.”
“This is such a momentous day to see the grounds of the railroad my relatives and many others helped to charter almost 200 years ago be transformed in preparation for the next 200 years,” Griswold added. “I’m particularly excited about the transformation for Southwest Baltimore, a city I love.”
“Bank of America is thrilled to support the B&O Railroad Museum’s transformation, which preserves our history while also creating opportunities for learning, tourism, cultural engagement, and community connection,” said Bank of America Greater Maryland President Janet Currie. “At Bank of America, we’re committed to investing in projects that strengthen neighborhoods and enrich our society.”
“Preparing to celebrate the 200th anniversary of American railroading and its contributions to the country while simultaneously preserving a railroading landmark, the South Car Works building, and positively contributing to our community with a $38 million investment is a trifecta of a project,” Museum Executive Director Kris Hoellen said.
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.
