Press conference speech given by Courtney B. Wilson, Executive Director of the B&O Railroad Museum.

From left to right: James Brady, Chairman of the B&O Railroad Museum Board of Directors and Courtney B. Wilson, Executive Director of the B&O Railroad Museum

"In the wink of an eye...in the middle of the night, what was a multi faceted vision for the elevation and future of this incredible museum was reduced to three basic things:
The safety of human life and limb
The immediate stabilization of this historic National Landmark roundhouse
The preservation of the internationally significant artifacts impacted by the collapse

Yesterday, the structural engineers told me that the remaining structure above us has been stabilized enough to stand...under relatively normal weather conditions. So on this day that we have reached an important milestone in our journey forward.

Stabilization will continue for the next several weeks, damage assessment on artifacts will move forward at full speed following this morning’s event...and plans are being laid to rebuild...to restore...to give new life to this magnificent part of Baltimore’s skyline and the historic collections within.

From left to right: Courtney B. Wilson, Executive Director of the B&O Railroad Museum and Mayor Martin O'Malley, City of Baltimore

Offers of financial help, volunteer labor and assistance from every major railroad museum in the world, our great Baltimore institutions, literally from Japan, Germany, England...Canton, Mt. Vernon, South Baltimore...from all over are received daily. In the next several weeks, the B&O Railroad Museum board and our staff will be putting in place a campaign to reach out to our friends around the world and here in Baltimore to come back...better than ever.

The immediate response to this catastrophic event...the incredible efforts made thus far which enable us to stand here today and plans for the restoration initiative ahead ARE the result of many...acting as one. Our Deputy Director, Chief Curator, Edward Williams, my Director of Development, Stefanie Fay, and our Director of Facilities, Steven Johnson along with this entire staff have put forth energy of heroic proportions. Our board Chair Jim Brady, our President Gino Gemingnani and the entire executive committee and board of directors have been a constant source of care, concern and incredible support for all of us.

Comptroller William Donald Schaefer, State of Maryland

Within hours of the collapse...trudging through the deep snow, Mayor Martin O’Malley found me on the front parking lot shivering and offered his personal arm around my shoulder as well as the resources of this entire city. In the days to follow, Governor Robert Ehrlich, Comptroller Wm D. Schaefer, Congessman Ben Cardin, Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger all walked through our gates to see. And Senator Sarbanes and Mikulski made way for me in their Capitol Hill offices. An incredible show of public support...all contrasted and brought into perspective by the child who mailed us a crayon drawing of the roundhouse with the words; “I miss the trains” and 42 cents in change taped to the paper."