CAMBRIDGE, Md. — Questions are surrounding the future of the Rescue Fire Company’s Train Garden after a city press release suggested the display could be relocated — a statement that was later refined.
Andrew Bradshaw, chairman of the Train Garden Committee, says the release caused confusion because no final agreement had been reached.
“There was a city press release that may have been accidentally released that suggested that we were going to be moved out,” Bradshaw said. “There hadn’t been any final discussions with Rescue Fire Company with regard to that.”
City Manager Glenn Steckman says the focus is on the condition of the old fire house where the train garden is housed. He says the building has not been properly maintained for years and needs significant renovations.
“This is a very large operation, and it is difficult to move a train garden of this size,” Steckman told WBOC. “But at the same time, this building is old and it has been neglected for the last 18 to 20 years.”
Steckman says the city has a request for proposals to repair the old City Hall clocktower, but asbestos mitigation throughout the building is a more pressing concern. He says renovations will need to move forward, raising the question of whether work can be done around the existing display.
Trey Davis of the Rescue Fire Company says he understands construction may require flexibility, but he hopes the train garden can remain in its current location inside the old fire house.
“We understand it, like moving around the building,” Davis said. “If they have construction, that would need to happen. But there’s a list of items that have to be attended to in order for us to move from this room.”
Davis says the current location is convenient for visitors and offers direct access from the street.
“The other major factor is with the display being up front here, [it] offers the public the best route to be able to get into the building,” Davis said. “It’s curbside. It’s very convenient. Where if we move it throughout the building, that we might have to work around construction or entryways.”
Despite the concerns, both sides say discussions are ongoing.
“We absolutely want to work with them as partners not only on the train garden remaining here, but also on the building’s restoration and its next hundred years,” Bradshaw said.
City leaders say they are continuing conversations with the Rescue Fire Company to determine how renovations will move forward and whether the train garden will need to be relocated during the process.
For now, both sides say the goal is the same — preserving a beloved tradition while addressing the long-term needs of the building.
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