BRUNSWICK, Md. — More than 10 years after its closure by CSX Transportation, the preservation of WB Tower in Brunswick, Md., has been assured by its move from railroad to city property.
The tower, built in 1910 by Baltimore & Ohio, made a short move uphill on Saturday, April 2. Wolfe House & Building Movers did the work; a state grant helped fund the project [see “Maryland tower to be moved this weekend,” Trains News Wire, March 29, 2022].
Plans are to turn the tower into a location explaining the building’s history and providing a viewpoint for activity on the adjacent CSX tracks.
What is not for the railroad to like about it? It is off their property, they don’t have to do lead paint abatement or address other environmental concerns that would come with demolishing it and it is advertisement for the railroad without having to maintain it. Lines, including mains, are closed for maintenance from time to time.
Most of the time railroads seem just plain dumb in their approach to practically anything. This is just plain smart… where have taken the real CSX and what have you done with it?
After the article last week I brought the site up on Google earth to see where the tower was, where it may be going, and what route it may take. Figured out the first two, but I would have never guessed they would have taken it straight across the main. Makes sense, but I would not expect the railroad would have been so accommodating.