Baltimore & Ohio Lounge 3302

Built in 1923 by the Pullman Car Company in Pennsylvania for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, it was numbered 5234. It would be much safer than wooden passenger equipment because it was flame-resistant. It would transport passengers between New York and Washington, D.C., on the Royal Blue Route, as well as between Maryland and Michigan on the Ambassador Route. This car was converted into a flat-end observation lounge and was renumbered to 3302. Adjustable seats, air conditioning, new ventilation systems, snack bar, etc., were added to this observation. 3302 would be used to transport passengers between Illinois and Washington, DC on the Columbian Route. By the mid-20th Century, Heavyweight cars were replaced by lightweight cars. The Baltimore & Ohio purchased new lightweight cars to replace the heavyweight cars on the Columbian Route. 3302 was used on other routes such as the Metropolitan and Shenandoah. In 1969, the Baltimore Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society purchased 3302, repainted it, and gave it the nickname “Edward G. Hooper”. Named after the Chairman of the Board of the National Railway Historical Society at the time. Hooper was a clerk for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Accounting Department and would become an Assistant to the Secretary until he retired in 1954. A nonprofit organization was founded to preserve historical passenger equipment called Railroad Passenger Cars. They purchased 3302 in 1972 and used it on excursions with government officials onboard. In 1980, 3302 was sent to West Virginia to get painted to match the Chessie System paint scheme and was used for the Chessie Safety Express train. Many organizations leased this railcar, such as the Maryland Midland Railway in 1989. In 1995, this railcar retired and is on display at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in the parking lot today.