B&O Budd Car In Gaithersburg

I completely forgot to mention the nice coincidence earlier today. Just as I was rounding  the corner to pull into the parking lot in Gaithersburg, the gates dropped and the lights flashed. The Cap Limited, in bound to Union Station,  was coming through! 

Very nice!

In regards to your Cap Limited, the Eagle feeds it twice a day more or less where we are.

I've only seen the car from sitting in the MARC train, but would add that it makes a nice addition to the Gaithersburg train station.  The engine repaint also looks like it came out nice.

One thing that suprised me though, is that I thought there would be more shine to the stainless steel car body.

I do need to take the time to visit the station in person!

Jim

Jim,

My guess is that it will be getting a general sprucing up later which may include the exterior steel. The next restoration phase is the interior and will feature some railroading displays, as well as a running video about B&O and/or Gaithersburg history.

is this an perminate display, or is it on loan from the B&O Railroad Museum?

Just Curious.

Hi SJC;

I am glad too see that, i know the B&O Museum has alot of equipment that could be used by other groups, and Gaithersburg is an deserving group too display something like that, i wish other groups would consider that as well.

There are still alot of other groups that have too many piece's of rolling stock, and or motive power just sitting there taking up space and money, that could be displayed elsewhere.

Good Deed on the B&O Museum's part.

Thanks

The credit, I think, goes to the B&O Railroad Museum, the city of Gaithersburg, and the state of Maryland.  From what I've been able to read, the city came up with $250,000 to match the state's $250,000 grant.  This money together with the Museum's foresight to keep the car and have the expertise on hand to redo it lead the project to being a success.  Kudos to all parties involved!

Jim

Let me know if I understand this correctly. A half million dollars was spent to put this RDC on display in Gaithersburg?

Tom,

The City of Gaithersburg Community Museum (of which the Budd car is part of) serves as the central focus of the city's olde town district.  The 1884 B&O train station has been turned into a small museum and besides the Budd RDC, its the home for a 1918 Buffalo Creek and Gauley #14 Steam Locomotive and a C&O Railroad Bay Window Caboose.

Jim

It's preservation. I'm all for it. Hope they keep the vandals away.

That was the cost of the entire project, the RDC was only part of moving a couple of pieces, fixing up the steamer and other site changes.  I also believe the state funding has to be repaid over time; the state fronts the money to help get the project going and allow the local government to stabilize their budget needs.

Expect to see numbers like these now anyway.  The cost of moving equipment over the road, or craning onto flats and rail shipping is huge.  CSX at least, just won't move this stuff anymore.  See the threads about cabooses.  It will cost more to move it then to buy it.

Bob

According to the Gazette (the free local paper), the contract for the restoration of the RDC was $356,000 with an additional $35,000 in contingency funding, http://www.gazette.net/article/20120112/NEWS/701129838/1022/bo-rail-car-makes-permanent-stop-in-gaithersburg&template=gazette

Jim

Thanks for posting the article Jim. While it does have some errors, it is better than nothing. The Gazette has improved over the years. My Grandfather owned the Gazette for many, many years making many improvements with one being the distribution occuring weekly rather than a few times per month.

Sweet!  I'll pay a visit this weekend!

Anybody on board here who is a long time Gaithersburg resident? (1970's)

CSX has been replacing the former B&O CPL signals along the Metropolitan line. My understanding, is that one of the signals at Wards (Mont. Cou. Fairgrounds, near the Chestnut Street X-ing at Engine House Hobbies) has been donated to the city for installation and display at the station with the RDC, #14 2-8-0 and Caboose. Can anyone confirm this or confirm it is on display? 

The Budd looks like has good fans under the windows and exterior skirting.

Does that thing run or is it strictly to cool the inside for visitors?

SJC, the #2 track intermdiate from Wards was donated to the museum. Here is a photo of the signal after being taken down, and put on a trailer. Ironically, they parked it at Derwood for the night here; 

As of yet, it is still on the ground by the siding. The signal's lights, roundels, and visors have been stored for safe keeping. 

Here included is a photo album of mine with several shots of these local CPLs over the past couple of years, and this summer as they were taken down.

http://www.pbase.com/surlyknuc...surly_knuckles_stuff

Lee - I do not believe the car is still operable. Those are HVAC fans underneath. 

Jeff, 

Thanks for letting me know my memory is on stable ground!. 

Glad to know the signal has been saved and will be posted at the station. I wonder if they plan on lighting it up? 

Thanks for the album. I know via the posts on the forum, you work for CSX (we may have run into each other at Engine House Hobbies at one point or another as well) and I appreciate your album on the Met's CPL. Like you, I grew up watching them and have fond memories of them. 

I do hope the city has set aside some $$$ to maintain these pieces. I remember the #14's condition well, prior to the recent heavy cosmetic restoration and it would be a shame to see it and the other cars fall into the same condition in the future. 

Anyone want to guess how long those B&O herald's will last on that Budd car? At $500 plus a piece they won't be on there too long!