Baltimore & Ohio Boxcar 17001

Most of the boxcars used during the Civil War had wood bodies. Iron-bodied boxcars, as well as other rolling stock, were built in the 1840s. This boxcar was built in 186

3 by Mt. Clare Shops for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. It was much more durable and heavier, as locomotives for the time were getting more powerful. Some of these railcars would rust, and if they were non-insulated, the cargo could be damaged inside. During the Civil War, these boxcars would also serve as troop carriers, offices, storage space, a place to sleep, etc. Today, this boxcar is on display at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in the roundhouse