ISSN 1053-4415 A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY THE BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD HISTORICAL SOCIETY $8.00 VOLUME 33, NUMBER 2 SECOND QUARTER 2011 Letter from the Editor When I was fewer than a dozen years Lincoln, the raids by “Stonewall” Jackson, old, the centennial of the Civil War was cel- the massive transport of Union troops The official publication of THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO ebrated. It became a centerpiece of life, in southward, the defense of the railroad and RAILROAD HISTORICAL SOCIETY school and in the newspapers, along with the attacks launched against it. P. O. Box 24225 dozens of events to commemorate 100 Indeed, one worthy task—volunteers, Baltimore, Maryland 21227-0725 e-mail: [email protected] years after this and that battle or happen- please!—is to compile a timetable of website: www.borhs.org ing. It actually began with the centennial these wartime events so that they can be Missing Sentinel: [email protected] of the Harpers Ferry raid, which, of course, properly commemorated as their anni- The Baltimore and Ohio Historical Society is a involved the B&O as a central factor. versaries roll around. A bibliography of non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving and disseminating historical information about At precisely the same time, I began my the B&O story during the Civil War is The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. lifelong fascination with model railroading also a good and easy project for someone Copyright ©2011 ISSN 1053-4415 and railroad history. So there it all is: today so inclined. SOCIETY OFFICERS I’m a B&O modeler, an amateur railroad There should be photo exhibitions Bob Hubler, President Bob Weston, VP Operations historian, a Civil War re-enactor, and the and research material published on the George Stant, VP Finance owner of a Civil War-era B&O layout. locomotives, passenger cars, and freight Ross Pollock, Secretary Now with the 150th anniversary of the vehicles of the B&O in this era. And that Chris Winslow, Treasurer Civil War upon us, and massive attention should include the frantic and remark- BOARD OF DIRECTORS to this event once again, it is a great time able rebuilding (as well as wrecking) Chris Tilley (2013) Andy White (2012) Nick Fry (2011) Bob Witt (2012) to promote interest in the history of the efforts, one of whose features was the Bruce Griffin (2011) Allen Young (2013) B&O. No other railroad came even close near-overnight construction of some Greg Smith (Past President) to being as central to the war on many amazing bridges. Officers’ terms expire annually. Directors’ terms expire in October of the indicated year. levels. Indeed, if this were a Hollywood A lot of this material is already avail- All officers may be reached at [email protected]. movie the B&O would be the good guy of able in books and articles, but should EDITORIAL STAFF the story with the Pennsylvania Railroad be dug out and assembled in system- Barry Rubin, Editor as the villain, trying to exploit the crisis atic fashion. Just as there is something [email protected] Harry Meem, Associate Editor to funnel money and power to itself at the fascinating about the later age of giant [email protected] expense of the national interest. steam locomotive power and luxury Michael Doyle, Staff Artist The B&O was a front-line operation passenger cars, while some people find Ross Pollock, Research Timesaver that sometimes ended up behind Con- charm in diesels (that one eludes me, Nick Fry, Archivist federate lines. From the transportation but everyone has different tastes!), the John Teichmoeller Roberta Poling, Graphic Design of President Abraham Lincoln to Wash- Civil War period of tiny American-style [email protected] ington for his inauguration to the man- locos, rickety rails, little wooden cars, COMPANY STORE agement of Lincoln’s funeral train a mere drooping-mustached trainmen and Craig Close four years later, the B&O was involved daring brakemen has a flavor of its own. [email protected] in almost every campaign in the war’s If you are a modeler, let’s face it, a Contributors welcome: Articles, manuscripts, photographs, reviews, eastern sector. layout based on that period gives you and other historical data are solicited for Many stirring stories can be told—and more for the limited space you inevitably publication. Original material will be returned need to be retold—of the B&O and the have because everything is, well, smaller. upon publication. Send all material to: Harry Meem, Harpers Ferry raid, the perilous journey of (continued on page 30) 2409 Birchwood Road, Richmond, VA 23294. MEMBERSHIP One year regular membership is $35.00, for other categories or to send notification of change In This Issue of address contact the Secretary by writing to Where Are They Now? the Society’s post office box or via e-mail. Memberships, once accepted, cannot be returned. Tracking the B&O’s Office Cars, by Frank H. Dewey .....................................................3 Bad Night on the B&O On the Covers 21 The Gaithersburg, Maryland, Wreck of February 11, 1953, by Bruce Elliott ......................... FRONT COVER: EM-1 Number 7611 Mr. Lincoln Goes to Washington gets a train under way at, according But John Garrett’s B&O, a “Southern Line,” Was Suspect, by Nick Fry ................................27 to information on the print, Lockport, Ohio—which isn’t listed in Rand McNally. Running Light Reader guesses are solicited. (Bob’s Photos) Election Time, Collection Time, Some Painting. ..........................................................31 BACK COVER: The information there tells The B&O Enters Chicago the tale. The Society’s new Sweetland/ …and the Cartoonists Respond, 1874-1881, by Mark Aldrich .........................................34 Russell Collection has yet to be catalogued. 2 Second Quarter 2011 The B&O had a reputation for treating its passengers like royalty, and in at least one case the railroad was literally fit for a queen. When Elizabeth II and her consort, Prince Philip, visited the United States in 1957, the B&O took them overnight from Washington to New York (see The Sentinel, Volume 26, No. 4, fourth quarter 2006). Office car 100, which the B&O used frequently to convey presidents, was the car of choice. The royal couple posed on the observation platform at Union Station in Washington, and you can get a close look at such details as the floodlights mounted under the roof, venetian blinds at the windows and the B&O Special sign mounted on the railing. (B&O Railroad Museum collection) Where Are They Now? Tracking the B&O’s Office Cars By Frank H. Dewey Photographs from the author’s collection unless otherwise noted. When the B&O’s last Form 6 was that does not fully explain the decline issued on January 1, 1954, it listed 13 office in the fleet size since the 13 cars in 1954 The Cars Today cars among the Miscellaneous Equip- still included five that were wooden with For photographs of all the cars as they ment (Service) on page 65. They were either a steel underframe or center sills. look today, see pages 18 & 19. 97, 98, 100, 900, 901, 902, 903, 904, 905, Perhaps the white paper of Janu- 906, 907, 908, and 912. This was half of ary 11, 1967, written by then C&O/B&O average office car cost $65,000 a year to the business cars that were on the roster Industrial Engineer and later Director of maintain and operate. in January 1, 1934. Passenger Services, William F. Howes, He said that the historical use for Part of that decline could be explained titled “Do We Really Need Office Cars” office cars was to: by the fact that only four of the 1934 fleet explains some of the decline in numbers. • Afford office space and lodging were cars of all-steel construction. But His analysis had found that in 1966 the at remote field locations. Second Quarter 2011 3 • Provide transportation and terminal reasons were no longer valid. He cited the for less disruption to operation. lodging for large study groups or availability of hotels and motels since the A look at the current CSX business committees. advent of the automobile made lodging car fleet of 18 cars shows that numbers • Serve as a vehicle for observing easy to find even at most remote loca- four and five are still valid since the fleet the railroad. tions, pointed out that the decline of pas- includes mostly lounge and dining cars • Provide mobile and luxurious senger service limited travel destinations with two theater cars (not including the facilities for entertaining. via passenger train to mostly mainlines Track Geometry Car assigned to Engi- • Serve as status symbols for and at limited times that were often at neering) and only four office cars. company officers. night, and said the use of hi-rails and Of those four office cars, none are He went on to say that most of those theater cars to observe the railroad made from the 13 cars that were in the 1954 What Are They? Just what qualifies as an office car? The 1953 edition of the Car Builders’ Cyclopedia, under a listing for “Officers’ Car,” says, “See Business Car;” to wit: Business Car. A term frequently applied to a car used by railway officials while traveling. Equipped with office and living accommoda- tions for eating and sleeping. Bill Howes, the dean of B&O passenger ser- vice, once told me that the terms “office car” and “business car” are used interchangeably. This would support that. But all of the current Class I railroads have cars in their business car fleets that do not fit this definition.