B&O No. 3528

At the dawn of the 20th century, most railroads replaced their wooden passenger cars with coaches made of carbon steel. These new “heavyweight” cars were more durable and less flammable than their wooden predecessors, making them considerably safer. They were also more comfortable thanks to the introduction of adjustable seats, walkthrough vestibules, and improved ventilation systems.  

The B&O No. 5213 heavyweight passenger coach was built for the B&O Railroad by the Pullman Company in 1923. The car was streamlined at the Mt. Clare shops in 1933; four years later, it received a new mechanical air conditioning system, and its straight-back seats were replaced with 66 reclining chairs. Following this latest modernization, the coach was renumbered as B&O No. 3528 and assigned to the Royal Blue, the B&O’s flagship passenger train connecting Washington, DC to New York City.  

By the mid-to-late-1900s, heavyweight passenger cars were largely replaced by “lightweight” coaches made of stainless steel, aluminum, and weathering steel. The No. 3528, however, would remain in regular service thanks to its many upgrades. In the 1970s, the coach was transferred to a commuter line connecting Baltimore, Washington, and Brunswick. In 1981, it was used as part of the Chessie Safety Express train operated by Operation Lifesaver. When the No. 3528 retired from commuter services in 1983, it was one of the last commercial passenger cars to operate on former-B&O lines. 

The No. 3528 was displayed in Washington Union Station in 1998 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the B&O Capitol Limited train. It was shown alongside the B&O No. 908 “John T. Collinson” and the B&O No. 6607 (both of which are found at the B&O Railroad Museum). The coach was restored by the B&O Railroad Museum the following year.