Aberdeen PRR Train Station – Maryland

Aberdeen  Pennsylvania Railroad Station
PB&W RR 

PRR Harford County Maryland
Currently used by Amtrack and MARC Trains
Stop to the North was Swan Creek Station  (Harford County) and to the South was Bush River Station (Harford County)

In 1880 – a man fell off the train as it passed through Town. I’m not sure what his fate was.

In 1881 – the body of a man was found along the tracks of the station and it was believed he had been struck by a train.
1894 – a child was struck by a train has he was playing on the train. He was injured but survived. 
In 1899, the old  Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore RR station in Aberdeen was being torn down after a new station had been built for the Town.

(Postcard below is that earlier station)
I believe the current Aberdeen PRR station was built in the 1940s, which means there had been earlier stations, one of which you can see below.

1903 saw a horse and buggy accident as a result of a train passing.
A look at a 1904 Train Schedule shows the stops around Aberdeen in that year for train traffic was Swan Lake Station to the North, and Short Lane Station to the South. 
 In 1905, there had been a break in at the station, which resulted in the theft of a suit of clothing, and pennies taken from a a chewing gun slot machine. 
In 1906 both train stations in Aberdeen had been the victims of attempted 
” robberies”, which I assume means burglaries.
In 1914, the station was again broken into, but nothing besides a few train tickets were taken. 
1926 – A nine year  old girl used her penny collection to catch a train from Biddle Street Station in Baltimore to Aberdeen Station , to see her father. The story was written up as an abduction case, but when everything was figured out, it turned out to be much more innocent than what was being told. 
Also in 1926, a special train carrying President Calvin Coolidge was involved in an accident involving a car. There were no serious injuries as a result of the accident. 
In 1929 – there was a serious railroad accident near the Aberdeen Station in the area of Short Lane. The accident involved three trains and five people were killed as a result of the accident. Sixty years earlier there was apparently a bad train wreck at the same spot. 
1942 saw a soldier from nearby Aberdeen base was killed by a train. The soldier had been on the train and according to the article found the death mysterious.
That same year, a train derailed near the station, resulting in no deaths but one box car was full of cattle which did not fare well. 
In 1948 , California Governor Earl Warren made a train stop in Aberdeen campaigning, running along with Thomas Dewey, for Vice President. 
In 1950 –  ” Doodle Bug ” service to Aberdeen Proving Ground was stopped, being replaced by bus service to the nearby base. The ” Doodle Bug ” is a one car gas / electric train that was being used as a shuttle.

Old railroad maps show a station on the Pennsylvania Railroad line for years prior to 1940. The station above was replaced in the 1940’s. There was also a B&O Aberdeen station as seen here.

In 1957 , an Army Private crossing the tracks near the Aberdeen Station was struck and killed by a train. 

After a 4 year absence of passenger train service, Amtrak started limited train service to Aberdeen in 1976, on a experimental basis. They advised the station did not need major renovation and had a pedestrian tunnel built for crossing under the tracks.  

Aberdeen Station way back in the day

Baltimore Sun Photograph – 1972

Aberdeen Station in 1972, closing down. It reopened over the years and trains continue stop there.

Plans for a new Aberdeen train Station in 2012. Nothing quite like this has started yet.

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