BALTIMORE — The Washington — a 1949 Pullman-Standard observation-tavern car — has been cosmetically restored inside and out by the B&O Railroad Museum.
This is the museum’s first interior restoration project. The car will be unveiled on Saturday, Feb. 21.
“The No. 3316 is a showpiece both in terms of the incredible Art Deco interior featuring a beautiful bar and mural and the more significant story it conveys about Pullman porters,” says Kris Hoellen, B&O Museum executive director. “Our restoration staff are true craftsmen, and everyone who steps inside the car will feel they have been transported back in time.”
The Washington was assigned to some of the B&O’s top passenger trains — the Columbian (Jersey City, N.J.-Chicago), Ambassador (Baltimore-Detroit), and Capitol Limited (New York-Chicago via Washington).
Its streamlined Art Deco styling, both inside and out, have been restored reflecting the ambiance B&O travelers enjoyed. The interior is laid out with a 17-seat observation lounge and a 24-seat tavern with a semi-circular bar. The bulkhead at the front of the car features a mural of the capital with the famous cherry blossoms in bloom and the Washington Monument in the background.
The exterior is an example of Streamline Moderne design sporting smooth, aerodynamic lines, stainless-steel finishes, and expansive rear-facing windows. The design creates a sleek, modern profile that the B&O intended to signal speed, progress, and elegance as the Washington concluded a matched trainset.
Although this was the museum’s first car interior work, Jamie Partridge, restoration manager, did not hesitate to take on the project. “I personally looked forward to the interior restoration,” Partridge says. “Owning a company that specialized in historical restoration in the past, I felt very confident that I could handle all the unknowns that were bound to show up.”
Once working on the Washington, some odd things did show up. “We found a plastic B&O drink swirly stick that was dropped by some passenger at some point during the car’s service,” Partridge explained. “We found Pullman factory part number nomenclature listing Pullman’s lot numbers. We found builder’s notes written on parts that were to help direct workers during the fabrication of the car.”
Service aboard the Washington was provided by Black Pullman porters, waiters, and stewards. Nearly 98% of Pullman’s on-board service staff were Black. Within the Black community, porters were highly regarded as they had gained steady employment, nationwide mobility, and access to income and information that allowed many to educate their children and invest in their communities. While such opportunities helped lead to a Black middle class, Pullman’s poor treatment of the porters inspired them to organize, forming the first minority labor union: The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. The brotherhood went on to play a critical role in advancing labor rights and the broader U.S. civil rights movement.
The Feb. 21 unveiling program will feature a number of activities. A Slavery to Civil Rights Tour will discuss the role of Pullman porters in American railroading and the civil rights movement. Partridge will present a behind-the-scenes talk about the Washington. The car will be on permanent display and open to the public.
Partridge hopes that visitors will enjoy the “physical legacy” the museum has preserved in the Washington. “We go about our work with the intention that you will not be able to see our work,” he says. “[We are] not hiding the scars received while working on the railroad, but hiding our work during the restoration process.”
For more about the Washington and the B&O Railroad Museum, visit its website.
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Remember that the B&O’s “Columbian” was the first air-conditioned passenger train in North America.
Another important witness to the golden age of American passenger rail transportation has finally received the protection it deserves. Kudos to the B&O Railroad Museum!