There are as many different interest groups as there are people. Some people are fascinated by cable sheaves and how they are made and used, while others are obsessed with the game of Scrabble. A sizeable portion of the hobby scene is devoted to trains and the railways they run on, however. In Britain whole clubs of people engage in "trainspotting” while here in the United States, thousands of people have model railways in their basements. Even if your interest is not quite so vehement, you may find the B&O Railway Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, an interesting way to spend the afternoon.

The B&O Railway stands for Baltimore and Ohio. The B&O is one of the oldest American railoads, with the first track laid in 1827 just outside Baltimore. The B&O Railway was initially conceived as a way for Baltimore to compete with Erie, Pennsylvania, which has just constructed the Erie Canal. The B&O Railway became a tremendously successful commercial railway, transporting everything from consumer products to industrial mixers until it was eventually absorbed into CSX Transportation.

The museum commemorating this historic line was opened in 1953. It is housed in the old Mount Clare Station, which was once used in B&O's regular operations. The building itself is historic as well, since it is where the first regular rail passenger service left from in 1830 and where the first telegraph message was sent from in 1844. Many of the original construction and window weights are still there, including the roundhouse, which now houses part of the museum. It is also a National Historic Landmark.

The B&O Railroad Museum features artifacts from the rail line's heyday in the 1800s and early 1900s. This includes sections of track, documents, personal articles, and the trains themselves. In fact, the B&O Railroad Museum has the most locomotives from the 1800s of any museum in the country. You can come and climb on them, touch their fire sleeves, or even take a ride on one. Train rides are offered from Spring to Fall, usually during the weekends and are very popular with children. You can also visit the gift shop for train and railroad related books, games, and memorabilia for all ages and interest levels.

In addition to historic artifacts and life sized trains, the B&O Railroad Museum also offers something to interest the model railroad enthusiast. There are several different model railways of different scales and complexities in the museum, and local groups set up a special model railway collection from October to January. Your kid may not know or care what a process calibrator is, but he or she will have fun at the museum. It's won several Nickelodeon awards, both as a fun destination for little kids and for big kids.