Baltimore Railway History Preserved by Baltimore Chapter, NHRS

Railroads In Trouble Lead to the Idea of Preserving History

The National Railway Historical Society and the Baltimore Chapter, NRHS got their start during the height of the Great Depression, in 1935 and 1936 respectively. Nearly 100 years after the first passenger railroad was built in Baltimore, railroads were entering bankruptcy. Many local streetcar companies and interurbans were being abandoned.  A few local organizations had formed by persons interested in these companies and their histories with the idea of preserving national and Baltimore railway history.

The Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis Electric Railway Co. (WB&A), an interurban connecting the three named cities, had entered bankruptcy. It was given approval to abandon service in early 1935. Persons from the above-mentioned groups arranged a final charter over the WB&A prior to abandonment. One of the attendees was George F. Nixon from Baltimore. The attendees discussed a need to create a “national” organization to gather the history of the railroad, streetcar and interurban industry.

Preserving Baltimore Railway History

In 1935, the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) was formed from the members of several regional organizations. The new group decided to set up local chapters in various cities and regions. The first chapter was established in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, followed by a chapter in Philadelphia.  The following year, George Nixon and Russell Wilcox applied for and developed an NRHS chapter in Baltimore with the goal to preserve Baltimore railway history. This chapter has been in continuous existence since January 20, 1936. Persons interested in the industry became members of the organization.

Chapters were interested in following the history of railroads and transit companies in their respective regions. They were also interested in touring the railroad and transit company properties by chartering special trips on mainlines and branch lines of the companies, especially lines that no longer offered regular passenger service. Arrangements were frequently made with the railroad for photo stops along the routes so that the event could be recorded.

First Baltimore Chapter Activities

Monthly meetings were scheduled to discuss railroad activity and to share photos of recent or historical happenings. The Baltimore Chapter, NRHS held its first charter trip on the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad on September 10, 1939 from Baltimore to York, Pennsylvania, and return. This was the first of several charters on this unique short-line railroad. In subsequent years, charters were held on the Pennsylvania Railroad, Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and the Western Maryland Railway.

In 1946, the Baltimore Chapter began operating frequent charters over the Baltimore Transit Co. streetcar routes as the company began converting streetcar routes to buses after World War II. These charters continued to November 3, 1963, when the last two streetcar lines were abandoned in Baltimore.

Baltimore Streetcar Museum Established

In the late 1960s, a Baltimore Chapter committee prepared and issued a publication of the streetcar history of Baltimore.

The Chapter has published three other books over the years. Many Baltimore Chapter members were involved in the establishment of the Baltimore Streetcar Museum, several of whom were founding members of that organization. In the late 1960s, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was downsizing its passenger car fleet. This made it more difficult to operate mainline charter trains. Several Baltimore Chapter members and others were founders of Railroad Passenger Cars, Inc., a separate corporation to acquire, maintain and operate a fleet of passenger cars for special passenger trains. This organization helped continue charter passenger trains for more than two decades. With the arrival of Amtrak in 1971, however, the ability to operate charter passenger trains was greatly reduced. Today, Amtrak and most freight railroads have no interest in operating charter passenger trains.

Creation of the Maryland Rail Heritage Library

Over the last 60 years, the Baltimore Chapter has acquired a vast collection of railroad books, magazines, photos, slides, videos, timetables, and other information about railroads. In the late 1970s, the Baltimore Chapter and the Baltimore Streetcar Museum merged their respective library collections, creating an operating entity, the Maryland Rail Heritage Library. The library has a vast collection of historical material about the railroads and traction companies of our region.

Baltimore Chapter Today

Today, the Baltimore Chapter, NRHS supports railroad and traction preservation. Over the last 40 years, the Chapter has been able to make donations to many rail and traction organizations for preservation projects. With fund-raising via the sale of surplus material donated to the Chapter, or by cash donations, it raises the funds to make these donations possible.  The chapter is poised to continue its important work into the future and invites other local railroad enthusiasts to become members.