This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

New Conductor at Ellicott City B & O Station

America's Oldest Railroad Station Museum has new guidance as it heads into the commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, and Ellicott City's part in it.

Ellicott City’s Railroad Station, the oldest station in America, will soon be led by a new conductor.

Travis Harry, current site director and well known to the historic and preservation community, has accepted a position at the B & O’s downtown facility as Director of Operations and Volunteers.

Harry has been associated with the for many years.  He was a part of the transition that took place in 2005 when the B & O Railroad Museum in Baltimore took over management of the facility from Historic Ellicott City, Inc., a preservation group.

Find out what's happening in Ellicott Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Howard County’s Department of Recreation and Parks oversees the property, owned by Howard County.

World renowned by railroad buffs, the museum was the terminus of the B&O Railroad’s first thirteen miles of track. Built in 1831, it consists of the original passenger station built from granite blocks locally quarried from the nearby banks of the Patapsco. 

Find out what's happening in Ellicott Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The museum also features an 1885 freight house which houses a detailed 40-foot HO-guage model of the original thirteen miles of the B & O.  

New in Charge

Tom Hane will be taking Harry’s place in the interim, and continuing his work of promoting the history of Ellicott City and the B & O.

Hane started with the museum as a volunteer in 2007.  Prior to coming to Ellicott City he was a locomotive engineer for CSX, driving diesel freight trains on the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Brunswick lines.

Appropriately, he began his railroading career as a freight conductor.

A Lifelong Interest

Hane says his interest in trains and their history started early.  In 1995, he channeled that interest into hands-on experience with a job  as a train attendant on the NYS & W rail excursion line.  The line uses historic original steam and diesel trains for scenic train rides in upstate New York.

He also is a current member of the National Railway Historical Society.  While living in New York, Hane restored historical steam locomotives and Cold War era Diesel-Electric “E-units,” which ruled the rails in the 1950s.

A Close Call

His knowledge of trains came to the forefront on March 26, 2010.  As a Floor Manager, Hane was often outside on the rear platform of the museum when the giant CXS freight trains passed by.  The tracks are just a few yards from the museum's fence, where passengers once stood in bygone days.

As a two-locomotive sixty-car freight train passed, the noise was terrific, and unusual.  The sound was unlike that made by the many freight trains that passed every day.  Hane could see debris being thrown from under the train, and a large cloud of dust.

He knew that the wheels of a freight car had come off the track.   And he also knew that the engineer at the head of the train might not have any idea of the danger.

Hane immediately made efforts to contact CSX authorities and warn the engineer of the danger.  But the train was traveling at 40 miles per hour, and by the time his warnings were heard the train had derailed near Patapsco State Park.

Fortunately there were no injuries, but seven cars had gone off the track, and cleanup lasted several weeks.

Future Plans 

Hane is excited about the future of the museum, and his part in it.   

Plans are already in place for the “The War Came by Train,” a Civil War program beginning April 15, the start of the B & O’s five-year commemoration of the Civil War's Sesquicentennial. 

The B & O was an integral part of the Union war effort, and was called by some “Mr. Lincoln’s Railroad.”

Besides the exhibits of artifacts and photos, Hane hopes to host appearances by re-enactors marching through town, fife and drum music and musket firing demonstrations to bring to life this exciting period of history for Ellicott City’s many summer visitors.

He also envisions more interactive displays about Ellicott’s Mills and the B & O, and more hands-on history exhibits for children.  He has gathered many ideas from his experience guiding tour groups of schoolchildren through the museum each spring.

One idea already implemented is a Morse code device linked to a computer monitor, decoding the arcane dots and dashes as words that scroll across the screen.

Another innovative program at the museum is “,” a four week interactive program that incorporates story time, crafts, games and more into a fun activity for children ages 2-5.

Hane says he is ready for his new role. 

Likening it to his work as an engineer, where he was “on call 24/7,”  Hane says he will be constantly working to improve the visitors' museum experience. 

Under his direction, Hane wants to provide Ellicott City visitors, and especially younger visitors, with the ability to step off Main Street and back in time, and into a place where they can actually touch America's history.

 

In addition to writing for Patch and others, Mike Radinsky is a dad, history lover, and living historian. On weekends, he is usually found at a battlefield or museum (try the ), wearing blue or gray wool, carrying a musket and talking to kids about history. Mike searches for unique, little known stories about the history of the area.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?