VOICE ONE:
The American city of Baltimore, Maryland is home to the Baltimoreand Ohio Railroad Museum. Museum officials have organized a specialsixteen-month event. It celebrates the one-hundred-seventy-fifthanniversary of railroads in America. I’m Sarah Long.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Steve Ember. This celebration of American railroads isour report today on the VOA Special English program, THIS ISAMERICA.
((Sound of old steam engine and whistle))
VOICE ONE:
The one-hundred-seventy-fifth anniversary celebration honors twoimportant dates in railroad history. The first is when lawmakers inMaryland approved a resolution to create the Baltimore and OhioRailroad. That happened on February twenty-seventh,eighteen-twenty-seven. The other event is the ceremonial laying ofthe first stone to build the railroad. That happened on July fourth,eighteen-twenty-eight.
The B-and-O Railroad Museum inBaltimore has planned a number of activities during the anniversaryperiod. The museum will present special shows, train trips and otherevents through July of next year. The celebration is called”One-Hundred-Seventy-Five Years: America On Track.”
VOICE TWO:
Courtney Wilson is the Railroad Museum’s executive director and ahistorian. He says one way to study American history is through thedevelopment of American railroads.
Baltimore, Maryland is a major port in the eastern United States.Early in the nineteenth century, the Erie Canal threatenedBaltimore’s economy. The Erie Canal was the first major waterwaybuilt in America. It provided an easy way to transport goods fromthe Great Lakes area to the port of New York City.
Mister Wilson notes that people in England created what we knowtoday as the railroad. He says businessmen from Baltimore sentrepresentatives to England to study the early railroad technology.When the railroad was brought to the United States, the technologyalmost had to be reinvented. The English countryside was mostlyflat. The Baltimore area, however, had large rivers, mountains, androads that were not straight.
VOICE ONE:
The name Baltimore and Ohio comes from the idea of operating arailroad from Baltimore in the East to the Ohio River in the MiddleWest. At first, there were disputes about exactly where the railroadwould be built. Organizers asked United States Army engineers todesign a path to the West. Difficult negotiations and a politicaldebate followed. Finally, the Carroll family, one of the oldest inMaryland, provided land for the railroad’s headquarters. The B-and-ORailroad Museum now occupies the property.
((Sound of railroad crossing and old steam engine))
The B-and-O Railroad was the first railroad built in NorthAmerica. The first railroad line was powered by horses. ByEighteen-Thirty, the B-and-O operated three horse-powered trainseach day to the nearby town of Ellicott’s Mills. Soon, the railroadwas carrying more than four-hundred passengers a day. The companyadded new cars to the system as soon as they were built.
VOICE TWO:
By this time, trains powered by steam had been successfullytested in England. This development was of great interest to PeterCooper, an inventor from New York. He told B-and-O officials that hehad an idea for building a steam-powered engine. Mister Cooperdeveloped the first steam engine for the new railroad. The enginewas later called “Tom Thumb.”
One story says the Tom Thumb steam engine once raced against ahorse pulling a passenger train car. Just as the little engine movedinto the lead, a piece of equipment broke. After that, the horseeasily won the race. The details have never been confirmed, but thestory is often repeated.
VOICE ONE:
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was never the largest or mostpowerful railroad in the United States. However, it was the firstrailroad in many ways. The B-and-O was the first to publish atimetable — the list of the times the trains left and arrived. TheB-and-O operated America’s first train station to earn money frompaying passengers. The B-and-O was the first railroad to enter thenation’s capital, Washington, D-C. It also was the first railroad tohave an agreement with the federal government to transport the mail.
The B-and-O was the first railroadfrom the eastern United States to reach the Ohio River. Thathappened in Eighteen-Fifty-Two. Forty-three years later, the B-and-Owas the first American railroad to use an electric-powered train.
((Sound of old steam engine))
VOICE TWO:
One reason for the B-and-O’s success was the Mount Clare Shops inBaltimore. This is where workers repaired engines, train cars andother equipment. The Mount Clare Shops also were active in researchand development. Courtney Wilson says the shops developed all theideas for railroads in America. This included how to build a railline and what kinds of materials would be used.
At one time, the Mount Clare Shops employed more thanfour-thousand people. Steam engines, passenger and freight cars werebuilt here. Once, workers built a bridge, and then transported it bytrain to its new home.
For more than one-hundred years, the B-and-O and the Mount ClareShops were the largest employers in Baltimore. Mount Clare is nowpart of the museum.
VOICE ONE:
Today, the B-and-O Railroad Museum occupies fifteen hectares ofland in the center of Baltimore. It is a short walk from the city’spopular Inner Harbor area. About one-hundred-sixty-thousand peoplevisit the museum each year. It operates as a private business. Thegovernment provides little financial help.
Much of the money comes from people who pay to visit the museumor to become supporting members. Other money comes as gifts fromindividuals, businesses and non-profit groups.
VOICE TWO: The B-and-O Railroad Museum occupies five buildings.One is called The Roundhouse. The Roundhouse is not really round,but has twenty-two sides. It also may be the world’s largestcircular industrial building. It is more than thirty-seven meterstall.
When first built, the Roundhouse was a place where passenger carswere repaired. In the center is a turntable. It turns in a circle tomove engines and cars from one train track to another.
The museum has more than two-hundred major pieces of railroadequipment, records and other objects. Visitors are permitted tostudy and explore a number of historic railroad engines and cars.Some are more than one-hundred years old.
((Train sounds))
VOICE ONE:
One room in the museum has paintings of people who were importantto the development of American railroads. For example, one paintingshows the man who started the meat business Swift and Company. Inthe late eighteen-hundreds, Gustavus Swift developed the firstrefrigerator car – a railroad car that was kept cold. He had theidea of killing farm animals in one area and transporting their meatacross the country. For this to be done safely, the meat had to bekept cold in such a refrigerator car. Mister Swift’s idea was agreat success.
Another painting at the Railroad Museum shows a young AbrahamLincoln. Before he became President, Lincoln worked as a lawyer fora railroad company. As President, Lincoln supported calls to build arailroad across the country. He died in Eighteen-Sixty-Five, fouryears before the railroad line was completed.
((Train sounds))
VOICE TWO:
For many months, B-and-O Railroad Museum officials have beenorganizing the celebration of American railroads. The main eventwill be held next summer. It is called “The Fair of the Iron Horse,One-Hundred-Seventy-Five.” It will include historic trains fromrailroads and private collections around the world. The trains willoperate on the first mile of railroad built in the United States.The event also will include railroad technology, toy trains andother activities.
Museum officials say they expect as many as two-million visitorsduring the railroad anniversary. The visitors will help celebrate animportant part of American history.
For more information, you can write to the B-and-O RailroadMuseum, nine-oh-one West Pratt Street; Baltimore, Maryland,two-one-two-two-three, U-S-A. Computer users can find thisinformation at w-w-w-dot-b-o-r-a-i-l-dot-o-r-g.
(THEME)
VOICE ONE:
This program was written by George Grow. It was produced byCynthia Kirk. I’m Sarah Long.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another reportabout life in the United States on the VOA Special English program,THIS IS AMERICA.