Baltimore's B&O Railroad Museum has welcomed train enthusiasts and history buffs for decades. The first commercially chartered railroad in the country chugged into gear in 1827 from this site.
The museum also contains the South Car Works building, the oldest continuously operating railroad repair facility in the United States, if not the world (1869-1990). The star attractions of the museum are the multi-ton behemoths that shaped America by rapidly and reliably carrying passengers and freight across the country.
The museum is getting a new look to coincide with the 200th anniversary of railroading in America. Spurred by a $5 million gift from CSX, the construction at the museum will be led by Southway Builders and will welcome visitors to the facility in a fresh way. The cost of the new construction at the 33,000-sq.-ft. facility will be approximately $38 million. DXI will handle the excavation.
Southway Builders and Multivista Maryland photo
"The construction is an exciting opportunity to reconfigure the campus and welcome southwestern Baltimore for community events and economic development," said Kris Hollen, executive director of the museum. "The construction will have historical significance and also be important for bringing people in for education and workforce training. This work will transform the museum."
Hollen said that the museum renovation will open up rental space, provide room for meetings for local groups and even spur tourism. "We have a passion for community outreach," Hollen said.
Of course, renovating a historic property has its own special challenges. Levi Lloyd IV, project manager of DXI, will be guiding the excavation. The team estimates removing approximately 10,500 cu. yds. of dirt and asphalt.
"We will be removing heavy metals, including lead and arsenic, which is common in historic properties in Baltimore," he said. "We also will be doing erosion and sediment controls. The slope of the street and old retaining walls will be reconfigured to create a large entrance that will be welcoming to the community."
Lloyd expects to find a few surprises during excavation of the nearly 200-year-old property.
"We also will need to be careful as we handle some very old utilities."
During excavation, the team is using a Cat 320 excavator. The utility crew will use a Cat 336 excavator, a Cat 938 wheel loader and a Cat 953K crawler loader.
Southway Builders and Multivista Maryland photo
Southway Builders, headquartered in Baltimore, will be coordinating the overall efforts.
"The South Car Works structure is very solid," said Will Stonelake of Southway. "Some of the old retaining wall will be removed, allowing for construction of an outdoor amphitheater. Early construction activity will build new walls and prepare for installation of decorative pavers and seat benches. The team will also be installing elevators and stairs for the public to use for easy access to the museum."
The newly designed facility will have room for the American Freedom Train, which was used during the country's 200th anniversary in 1976. The museum will stay open during the construction process.
Joe Hinrichs, president and CEO of CSX, is the chair of the Capital Campaign at the museum.
"The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad pioneered countless innovations, and the B & O Museum Railroad Museum is continuing that time-honored tradition to this day," he said. "The 200th anniversary transformation may be the biggest and best yet. The museum is reimagining its 40-acre Baltimore campus to engage with the community and provide visitors with an experience as never before. The ‘new' museum will reconfigure its campus to face southwest Baltimore, creating a vibrant, accessible space, much needed by the community while also contributing to the area's economic development." CEG
