Baltimore & Ohio Coach 445

Built in 1890 by the Pullman Company in Pennsylvania for the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. Around this time, rolling stock was still wood-bodied but had some upgrades, such as more length in railcars, heated air brakes were installed, and the link-and-pin couplers were replaced with knuckle couplers to reduce injuries to the railroad employees. Narrow but enclosed vestibules allowed passengers to cross the moving railcars. Between 1896 and 1916, travel by rail tripled and peaked in 1920 with 1.2 billion passengers traveling by rail. Unfortunately for railroad companies, the automobile and airline companies would replace travel by rail. In 1927, this coach was used for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Centennial Fair. It was painted royal blue and represented railcars that served between New York and Washington, DC. In 1970, railroads only accounted for seven percent of passenger miles, while airlines accounted for seventy-three percent of passenger miles. Today, this coach is on display inside the roundhouse at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum.