>Here is a museum that I know of that contains a small amount of materials
>that belonged to the B&O.  It is the Railroad and Pioneer Museum in
>Temple, TX. It is a local musuem that focuses on the history of the Santa
>Fe Railroad and the growth of Temple, which was founded by Santa Fe.

The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's slogan was, "Linking 13 great states with the
Nation". Last I recall none of those 13 states was Texas, so why does a local
history museum in Texas have artifacts from the B&O?

This is an example of the age old practice in small railroad museums to collect
and exhibit any and all railroad artifacts, regardless of whether or not they
have any significance to the "local" area claimed to be represented by said
museums.

Some of the problem has to do with these museum curators (or whomever is in
charge of the museum) not fully realizing the difference between railroadiana
and railroad artifacts, and a reluctance to seek out and exchange artifacts
between museums.

I have been to a rail museum that has over 150 brakeman's lanterns hanging from
the ceiling, and are faced with several thousand dollar cost of rebuilding the
display track under their locomotive. It did not even occur to them that they
could auction off the 149 lanterns that do not contribute to the interpretive
purpose of the museum and generate the funds to right the locomotive before she
falls on her side.

Just an observation.

Rick