“Fueling America’sRailroads: Climate Change and the Evolution of Fuel Types” Public Tour at B&O Railroad Museum

This tour will explore the history of fuel types on the railroad and what has caused the railroad to switch to new fuel types over time. The evolution of fuel types on the railroad mirrors the history of climate change in the United States. As train travel became more popular, the effects on the environment continued to increase to a point where the government had to intervene with regulations. Since those regulations, railroads have continued to search for the most cost-effective and least detrimental to the environment source for fuel. Today electric, hybrid, and magnetic levitation trains can be seen across the globe.