BALTIMORE — CSX Corp. CEO Joe Hinrichs will chair the B&O Railroad Museum’s $30 million capital campaign in preparation for the 200th anniversary of American railroading in 2027, the museum has announced.
CSX previously launched the campaign by donating $5 million toward building of the “CSX Bicentennial Garden,” an amphitheater and multi-use public space for community events and use by local organizations [see “CSX makes $5 million gift …,” Trains News Wire, June 8, 2023].
“CSX is the proud successor to America’s first commercial railroad, the Baltimore & Ohio,” Hinrichs said in a press release. “As proud as we are of our heritage, we are equally excited about the future, both the future of our modern transportation company and the future of the dynamic and visionary B&O Railroad Museum. Which is why I am honored to chair the B&O Museum’s 200th Anniversary Campus Transformation Campaign … This campaign is an excellent way to celebrate our nation’s railroad history by contributing to a one-of-a-kind learning experience for generations to come.”
Along with the Bicentennial Garden, plans for the museum campus include plans to restore the South Car Works building, used from 1869 to 1990 and believed to be the oldest continuously operating railroad repair facility in the U.S. if not the world. The 33,000-square-foot building will become the new entrance to the museum, revising its flow to face Southwest Baltimore to spark economic development. The restored building will house a hall to exhibit present and future railroading technology, a state-of-the-art educational space, and the museum’s extensive historical archives.
“We could not be more honored to have Joe Hinrichs, president and CEO of CSX, serve as 200th Anniversary Campus Transformation Campaign chair,” said Kris Hoellen, the museum’s executive director. “Joe is a visionary who understands the importance of preserving our past, while supporting the economic health of today’s communities and preparing our children for the future of American railroading technology.”
A YouTube video announcement of Hinrichs’ role is available here.
More information on the museum is available at its website.
It’s nice to see a Class 1 CEO actually creating and spreading goodwill instead of destroying employee morale and leaving customers desperate to find other modes of transport for their products. Maybe Mr. Hinrichs is the real deal…
An exemplary gesture to be congratulated.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün