Frog and Switch Shop

This building is currently called the Frog and Switch shop as it was used to construct frog and switch tracks from 1930 to 1985. Frogs and switches aid trains from moving on one set of tracks onto another in order to change the direction of the train. 

Notably, there is a tremendous amount of open space in this building, as it is 200 feet long, 100 feet wide, and 48 feet high. The walls are 18 inches thick. Initially, this shop was designated for providing maintenance on freight cars. Then in the 1930s, this shop transitioned from fixing freight cars to the manufacturing of frog and switch tracks. This space is made possible by the double member truss beams supporting the building’s weight. 

These beams were designed by Albert Fink. Fink was chief engineer for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from 1852 to 1857. He was primarily concerned with designing bridges for the railroad company. These bridges were composed of double member truss beams, similar to those used in the Frog Shop.