B&O Railroad Museum Redevelopment

The B&O Railroad Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, in Baltimore, MD is set to undergo a historic campus renovation and redevelopment in time for its 200-year anniversary. The 40-acre historic landmark is where the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad founded America’s first commercial railroad in 1827 and is home to the United States’ first passenger and freight stations, first railroad manufacturing complex, and houses the oldest and most comprehensive American railroad collection in the world.

Redevelopment To Enhance Community

The planned renovation encompasses 50,000 square feet of reimagined museum space and includes the creation of retail areas, classrooms, meeting rooms, and a new exhibit hall to showcase the historical, present-day, and future aspects of the American railroad. Currently situated at the north edge of the campus on Pratt Street, the museum entrance will be reconfigured to the southern part of the museum’s campus. The reworked entrance and a new amphitheater public plaza, dubbed the CSX Bicentennial Garden, present an opportunity to forge community connections between the Hollins Market and Pigtown neighborhoods along Arlington Avenue.

Structural Engineering

Working with Design Collective, Inc., McLaren is providing structural engineering services encompassing schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding and negotiation, and support services across all planned phases of construction. Our work focuses primarily on the South Car Works Building, CSX Bicentennial Garden, Multipurpose Building, outdoor train platform canopies, and surrounding grounds.

To repurpose this historic site, our team has proposed strategic modifications and additions to the existing interior and exterior museum features, carefully considering factors such as current retaining walls, wood floor framing, and masonry walls. The resulting structural design incorporates renovated and new retaining walls, terrace framing, guardrails, a guard station, and floor openings featuring stairs and elevators. Reinforcement modifications were implemented where necessary, ensuring the preservation and enhancement of the museum’s structural integrity. Our team also provided support for the installation and retrofit of large canopies to protect the exposed trains at platforms outside.

From initial in-depth investigation of existing structures to foundation work to support landscape elements, and structural design services, our engineers are helping ensure the Baltimore Museum project will be completed in budget with minimal disruption to the museum’s daily operations.