The Western Maryland Railway Depot

The Western Maryland Railway Depot. . , The Western Maryland Railway Company had its beginning in 1852 in Baltimore, MD. In 1863, the Western Maryland Railway, over its line from Baltimore, MD transported President Abraham Lincoln and his party on their way to Gettysburg, PA, to make his now famous Gettysburg Address. His train passed through York County on part of the run, from Porters Sideling to Hanover. At Hanover the train made a brief stop and Mr. Lincoln spoke to the local townspeople., York's heavy industrial activity attracted the Western Maryland Railway to extend its lines into the city in 1893. The Western Maryland Railway Depot, built in 1896, stood on the northeast corner of George and Arch Streets and was in use until the late 1940s. The passenger station built in Queen Anne style of yellow brick with white trim was attributed entirely to the design of Reinhardt Dempwolf., The Western Maryland Railway, York's third railroad, operated fast freight trains daily to and from the York area, offering next morning delivery to major east-west and north-south rail connections plus overnight service to the port of Baltimore. Facilities included switching service, several trestles for handling bulk commodities numerous public delivery tracks, platform unloading and storage facilities and a ten-ton capacity overhead electric crane., Western Maryland (WM) pioneered "piggy back" service (trailer on flat car) to and from York on May 1, 1955. Another first for WM in York was the establishment in 1954 of radio contact between the main yard office in the Lincoln Yards at York and crews on the switching engines traveling in the York area., The railway also was the first in the York area to use a diesel locomotive. A diesel switching locomotive was retained in York by WM and used for switching purposes to and from industries on the Western Maryland line., Before bridging the Codorus Creek, the line terminated at Roosevelt Avenue, where the West York Station was built. The station still stands at 210 Roosevelt Avenue and is currently used for fruit storage.