Mr. Masaki Ooshida, Director of The Railway Museum signs the affiliation agreement with Mr. Satoshi Seino, CEO of JR East looking on.

Mr. Kanji Yamanouchi, Minister of Economic Affairs, Embassy of Japan; Mayor of Baltimore, the Honorable Stephanie Rawlings-Blake; Mr. Courtney B. Wilson, Executive Director of the B&O Railroad Museum; Mr. Masaki Ooshida, Director of The Railway Museum; Mr. Satoshi Seino, CEO of JR East and Mr. Francis X. Smyth, Chairman B&O Railroad Museum Board of Directors.

On Friday September 5, 2014 the B&O Railroad Museum signed a formal affiliations agreement with The Railway Museum in Saitama City, Japan just North of Tokyo. A press conference was held in the B&O’s historic Roundhouse and was attended by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Director of Smithsonian Affiliations Harold Closter, B&O Board members, Executive Director Courtney Wilson and 12 delegates from Japan including the Minister for Economic Affairs and the Counselor of Transportation from the Embassy of Japan. Our Japanese guests also included the Director of The Railway Museum, the CEO of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and other representatives from the Museum and JR East. A celebratory luncheon was held following the ceremony where Maryland Secretary of State John McDonough presented a Governor’s Citation to Mr. Satoshi Seino, Chairman of JR East and Chairman of the East Japan Railway Culture Foundation commemorating the new relationship.

The sisterhood agreement will enable the two museums to exchange collections, expertise, technology, personnel, education programs and best practices. In addition both museums will launch a marketing campaign to draw visitors East to West and West to East.

A plaque commemorating the affiliation was unveiled at the ceremony. B&O Board Chair Francis Smyth and Executive Director Courtney Wilson will visit The Railway Museum in Saitama City in the Fall of 2015 to officially unveil a similar plaque in the Japanese museum.

The event was covered widely by the media in both the United States and Japan.

Time Fischer’s work Trains Unlimited in the 21^st Century recognized both the B&O and The Railway Museum in the Top Ten Railroad Museums in the world.

Please visit The Railway Museum’s website for further information:

http://www.railway-museum.jp/en/

You're invited: Press Conference commemorating Sister Museum

The Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the B&O Railroad Museum,

cordially invite you to a Press Conference

commemorating the formal affiliation between

the B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore

and The Railway Museum, Saitama City, Japan.

Friday, September 5, 2014

at the B&O Railroad Museum

901 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21223

11:00am: Press Conference

Attire: Business Dress

Free Parking

Movement of large Steam Locomotive Chesapeake & Ohio No. 1309 from Baltimore to Cumberland, MD for restoration and operation on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.
"The transfer of C&O steam locomotive No. 1309 (2-6-6-2) to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad of Cumberland, MD is an incredible milestone for steam operations in the USA! With this transfer, the B&O Railroad Museum and Western Maryland Scenic Railroad will be preserving steam locomotive history for generations to come."
Chesapeake & Ohio No. 1309 will be lifted onto flat cars for the move to Cumberland, MD.  This Locomotive is special for several reasons.  C&O No. 1309 WAS THE LAST STEAM LOCOMOTIVE BUILT BY BALDWIN LOCOMOTIVE WORKS FOR A DOMESTIC RAILROAD.  Once restored, this locomotive will also be the LARGEST ARTICULATED STEAM LOCOMOTIVE IN REGULAR OPERATION IN THE USA! Once restored, we will be operating every weekend from May - December.  Articulated explains the front wheels movement around curves.  This locomotive was build for tight turns and steep grades and is perfect for our Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. We would like to thank CSX and TTX for their donations and B&0 Railroad Museum, and Hulcher for their help in planning and executing this magnificent project. Approximate live feed time will be begin Thursday early morning, July 10.  Thank you TRAINS Magazine and Chase Gunnoe! We hope you enjoy the webcam...  We look forward to the next big move for No. 1309 once restored, which will be under steam! The link to sign up and watch this live feed is: http://trn.trains.com/Railroad%20Reference/Locomotives/2014/06/Chesapeake%20Ohio%202%206%206%202%20No%201309%20live%20webcam.aspx
For more info, follow this project at the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad  www.wmsrf.org