Dear Friends of the B&O Railroad Museum:

It has been a little over four months since the Roundhouse roof collapsed during the President's Day snowstorm. In those four months, over 500,000 pounds of debris and rubble has been removed; supportive scaffolding towers and cabling have been erected; all artifacts (with the exception of the large locomotives and rolling stock) have been removed from the Roundhouse and carefully stored; over 10,000 images have been taken to document every aspect since the collapse; protective scaffolding shelters with light-filtering screens have been built around the remaining pieces in the Roundhouse; and a complex plan to solve the many challenges facing the Museum in the next year is being formulated.

On Monday, June 30th the Museum began physically rebuilding the Roundhouse as the construction team raised the first new truss above Bay 15. There will be 22 new steel trusses in the Roundhouse after completion. As the trusses are erected around the Roundhouse, bracing beams will connect them to ensure support. The existing lower roof will be removed and replaced so that the entire lower roof is built with the most modern materials. Inspection of the upper clerestory and cupola continues.

With all the work that has been completed and the first truss marking the visual beginning of the restoration process, the Museum extends its appreciation to all those who have generously given their support and encouragement thus far.