B&O Mount Clare Museum damage

[fitz]

The massive snowstorm in the east has taken a toll on our railfan community. About half of the roof on the B&O Museum, Mt. Clare, in Baltimore, has caved in on the preserved rolling stock there, mostly the oldest and most fragile. There is a lot of speculation about whether or not the Fair of the Iron Horse will be possible this summer. :(
It's pretty sorry looking. Go look at Railway Preservation news for photos and pix taken off TV screens. This museum, IMHO, is (was) one of the two best in the country. A real disaster. No one was hurt, so it's all relative, I guess. I'm just glad I got to visit there once. :cool:

[LadySunshine]

Here is the link for that site for you Jim and for others click the Briefs link and then the top one for the article and pictures:

http://www.rypn.org/

The B & O Museum site with their information:

http://www.borail.org/weather_roundhouse.asp

[ 18. February 2003, 01:12: Message edited by: LadySunshine ]

[rush2ny]

Sad. They also suffered some theft this week. This is from the N-scale list:

BURGLARY AT THE B&O MUSEUM ON FEB. 13/14:
Right on the tail of a Feb. 9th break-in at the Strasburg RR
enginehouse (in which several locomotive numberplates and
lanterns/marker lights were stolen) and the reports of a burglary at a
private residence in Pennsylvania in late January (in which a large
number of PRR locomotive number plates were stolen) comes a reliable
report that the B&O Museum was the victim of a similar burglary last
night, in which several items of railroad hardware were stolen.

[Mike Robertson]

This is a terrible thing to have taken place. I couldn't feel worse if such a thing had happened in my own home town.At least no one was hurt in the collapse. :(
regards / Mike
Life-long B & O fan. :(

[7600EM_1]

Heres the full Article I got fellas in e-mail.. Copy & pasted....


B&O MUSEUM ROOF COLLAPSE REPORT *PIC*

Posted By: Alexander D. Mitchell IV <lner4472@bcpl.net>
Date: Monday, 17 February 2003, at 12:10 p.m.

It ain't pretty, folks.

According to the neighbors, a section of the roof of the B&O Museum's Roundhouse collapsed between midnight and 12:30 on the morning of Monday, Feb. 17th, as a near-record snowfall continued to fall. An additional section collapsed ca. 5:30 am. The high portion over the turntable is still intact.

The section that fell was the part covering fully half--180 degrees--of the "stalls" or storage tracks facing to the southwest. The first photo shows the view from Pratt Street. The middle photo is a somewhat desperate attempt to shoot through the iron screen grill over the fogged-up window facing Pratt Street. To the left is Clinchfield 1; to the right the wooden B&O Royal Blue coach. The third photo is from the fence in their western backyard on the old track pointed to the former shopping center further west on Pratt Street.

The preliminary eyeball is that the collapse is concentrated on the vintage steamers starting with the Andrew Jackson and working around clockwise to the main access track. Right off the bat I can say that the most fragile jewels in the roundhouse--the Royal Blue coach, the Ma & Pa baggage-mail car, and the 1830s Nova Scotia directors car--SEEM to have escaped serious collapse damage; ditto Jersey Central 1000. However, I cannot confirm that the wooden B&O caboose or the older B&O wooden coach (the William Mason companion) have escaped damage. If they were underneath, you can fear the worst.

It appears from what locos I could see--the Camel and another (I think) Memnon)--that the damage is somewhat serious cosmetic damage at worst.

It also appears that the collapse shook loose some of the snow buildup on the remaining roof sections of the roundhouse. However, I certainly wouldn't walk in the shop building, which still has a considerable buildup of snow at last report.

If the link doesn't work right, try:
http://www.velarium.com/amitchell/

I saw Courtney Wilson on the scene; several of the B&O Museum staff own SUVs, but for now even the main drag of Pratt Street, a major city thoroughfare, is barely a pedestrian walkway. The entire region is under a state of emergency, with precipitation STILL falling at 24+ inches; and even National Guard Humvees are getting stuck. There are far more pressing local emergencies than this at the moment; however, I am going to ask that we band together, take vacation time, and help the Museum out as best we can. I will post any details of fundraising or volunteer help as I get them.


God, this is all we needed for the fair of the Iron Horse! Dang, talk about nasty timing! :mad:

[ 18. February 2003, 06:46: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]

[Martyn Read]

What a tragedy. :(

I hope that they can recover the equipment inside, and that it hasn't suffered too much damage, either from the collapse or from suddenly getting exposed to the elements after so long.

[Stourbridge Lion]

Very Sad News indeed!!!!!!! graemlins/shakehead.gif

[7600EM_1]

I can understand some of it. Look at MY HOUSE! :eek: :D

http://www.railimages.com/album/John%20Patton/frontofhouse121703.JPG

This winter is nasty for the northeast! I think the man upstairs turned his snowblower chute the wrong way!

[7600EM_1]

Heres a picture of what Mt. Clare Roundhouse looks like after the roof gave away to the tremendous amount of snow fall.....

http://www.railimages.com/album/John%20Patton/6660109.jpg

Sad thing, to see that to the oldest Roundhouse in the USA! :(

[Stourbridge Lion]

Link to Current Roundhouse Images (http://www.borail.org/roundhouse_restoration/)

What a mess :(

[Alan]

That is terrible! I hope that all the exhibits can be restored to former glory, and the roof replaced. I hope that all this is covered by insurance?

[7600EM_1]

Alan,
I would imagine they have prperty insurance for this type thing being a museum an all.....

I hate to think of what was under that section of the roof tho! Their was a few diesels in their an a bunch of really old steamers! Most still in opperating condition!

I haven't found a list as to what loco's may have got it but.... Anyone else have an idea of what was under that section of the roof an might have script to it ? I can't find anything on it....

[Martyn Read]

John, take a look at the link that Darren posted a little while ago, the pics there let you do a "virtual" walkround inside the roundhouse and shows what the damage is like.

Most of the steamers caught seem to have had the (wooden?) cabs crushed or damaged, but the main bulk of these loco's are pretty solid. There were a couple of baggage cars there that look a real mess though. :(

It's a real shame. Even if they do get insurance money they will still have the task of rebuilding and restoring the equipment, presumably for a second time. It must be heartbreaking for them.

[7600EM_1]

Martyn,
I know its heartboken to me! And I have never been inside the place! But I know whats inside the rounhouse an all. Just heart stopping when I heard that the roof caved in from the snow! :( I hate to think what it will be for them to refurbish everything..... I hope the William Mason wasn't harmed..... God, forbid, its the worlds oldest still opperational locomotive! Its a new day movie star! :D It was the loco in "Wild, Wild West" That was out a few years ago....Under steam an looking good! And not to forget the old Winians Camels that were in their... What a sad time for the B&OHS right now....

[6206_S1a]

:eek: :eek: :eek: I have been to the Museum twice and to see those pics from the restoration page just blows me completely away! It is heartbreaking to see those historical locos and rolling stock damaged or even possibly destroyed! It saddens me when pieces of America's past that are virtually irreplaceable damaged or destoyed by any means. It means that that part of history we have seen or touched, could be lost forever.

[7600EM_1]

Gang gone! The William Masn did get nailed!!! errrrrr :mad: Thats very saddening news to see those pictures! Thanks Darren!

[Stourbridge Lion]

Not knowing the B&O engines by site graemlins/headscratch.gif , which picture from the link I posted shows it. I was there a couple of years ago so I might graemlins/sure.gif have a "Before" shot I can scan and share.

[7600EM_1]

Darren,
The "William Mason was the 4-4-0 #25 probably in the pictures you have! Its been repainted quite a few times for being a movie star a bunch of times! So... It got a few face lifts every now an again! I wish they'd restore it to its original condition an leave it that way an use it "as is" in a movie!

As for the pictures you have, please, feel free to post them! We all enjoy that so..... graemlins/097.gif

[Stourbridge Lion]

Most of what I have is on video and currently no way to transfer in my computer but wife also took a few stills so I can share those.

Timeframe: October 1999

Outside
http://www.railimages.com/album/Darren%20Hadley/Outside.jpg

Derrick
http://www.railimages.com/album/Darren%20Hadley/Derrick.jpg

Lafayette
http://www.railimages.com/album/Darren%20Hadley/Lafayette.jpg

Davis Camel
http://www.railimages.com/album/Darren%20Hadley/DavisCamel.jpg

[ 03. March 2003, 19:33: Message edited by: Stourbridge Lion ]

[6206_S1a]

From www.borail.org, (http://www.borail.org,) and another group I belong to, the B&O museum folks have decided to cancel "The Fair of the Iron Horse" and focus on repairing the roundhouse roof. Sad. :(

[6206_S1a]

Let me repost that address;

www.borail.org (http://www.borail.org)

Click on Roundhose Restoration icon

[6206_S1a]

Correction again! graemlins/shakehead.gif

Click on the Fair of the Iron Horse image at the top of thier home page

[Stourbridge Lion]

I see the images are not showing via my Yahoo! Web Site :mad: so I'm working on uploading them to RailImages graemlins/097.gif . I will edit the above posting once I have them available from viewing.

[fitz]

Darren, they are up now, and thanks for sharing. Like you, most of my coverage of the museum (back in '95) is on video. I took few stills. Just glad I got to visit when it was in one piece. :(

[7600EM_1]

Darren,
They sure are showing up! Good work.. Nice to see the old roundhouse in one peice :( Concidering what it is now, an what its like on the inside!

I see you got a picture of the "Lafyette" Or however thats spelled...Ohh hect with it, It was a "Norris" type loco "4-2-0" :D The original was the first Horizontal boiler locomotive for the B&O....

[rush2ny]

Great pics! I love that last one of the Mother Hubbard!

Russ

[fitz]

Here is a link to the latest pix released by the museum. In the article is another link that will take you to the pix. Those of you fond of old 1800's passenger and baggage cars will probably cry when you see Nos. 5, 8, and 9. :(
B&O Museum 3-5-03 (http://www.borail.org/roundhouse_report/march_05_2003.asp)

[7600EM_1]

Thats a shame! I hate to see what damage it done in real life being for some reason, I have a feeling these pictures doesn't give what happened justice. Those old passenger cars are probably a total loss..... :(

Jim, CRY???? Yeah I hear that it aches me this happen. To some of the oldest railroad history in the USA! Not to mention the oldest still opperational locomotive in the country as well :( :mad:

[Stourbridge Lion]

A very sad day in railroad history indeed graemlins/shakehead.gif :( graemlins/sure.gif graemlins/nou.gif :confused:

[MarkJ]

I saw the images on CNN when they were doing coverage of the storm. They only mentioned the damage briefly and showed the images for a couple seconds. I was really shocked not only by the amount of damage, but also because I knew that many valuable and historic pieces were probably seriously damaged. What a shame. :(

[Stourbridge Lion]

Originally posted by Stourbridge Lion:
Link to Current Roundhouse Images (http://www.borail.org/roundhouse_restoration/)

What a mess :( I know this is an old posting; but, I thought some might wish to see some photographs I took in 1999 before this mess all happened.

Before the storm (From my RailImages gallery)
http://www.railimages.com/albums/BO_Museum/abc.jpg

After the storm (From B&O Site)
http://www.borail.org/images/roundhouse_restoration_report/2003022111.gif

[7600EM_1]

Darren,
A shame I know, it still aches me of what happen to the heritage of the B&O (an what was left of it!)

But I hope they have some type efforts to rebuid those that can be an then the ones that can't save/salvage some of the parts like number plates an such.... :(