Artifact Showcase: 1915 Pennsylvania Railroad Timetable

In keeping with our promise to show another artifact this week, here is another unique item from the collection of our Social Media Admin.

1915 Pennsylvania Railroad Timetable

Most timetables from the Pennsylvania Railroad are fairly "common" by collector standards. This one, however, is unique in that it shows service "to" Annapolis, Maryland.

The Pennsylvania Railroad was one of the largest railroads in the country - known as the "Standard Railroad of the World"; at its peak, the railroad owned almost 12,000 miles of track.

However, the Pennsylvania Railroad did not directly serve Annapolis Maryland - at least without a connection.

This timetable advertises trips to Annapolis Maryland via a connection with the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad (more info here) at Odenton Maryland (Odenton is named after Oden Bowie, former President of Baltimore City Passenger Railway and the Baltimore and Potomac Railway.)

Notice the W. B. & A. R. R. in parentheses next to Odenton and Annapolis.

Additionally, a close examination of the inside of the timetable reveals several important distinctions.

1) The Baltimore station is referred to as "Union Station" - this station is today known as Baltimore Penn Station - the name was changed from "Union" to "Penn" in 1928 (Penn is short for Pennsylvania, referring to the Pennsylvania Railroad.)

2) The second station when leaving Baltimore and/or leaving Washington is Pennsylvania Avenue. Although the remains of the station survive today, historians know very little about the station's history. It remains largely a mystery to this day, and perhaps permanently, due to the obscurity of the station and potential lack of adequate documentation.

 

Pennsylvania Avenue station - image via kilduffs.net - link here.

Pennsylvania Avenue Station as it remains today - image via kilduffs.net - link here.

To learn more about the Pennsylvania Railroad, visit the Pennsylvania Railroad Historical and Technical Society's website: prrths.com

To learn more about the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad, we encourage you to do research online. Additionally, look for John Merriken's book "Every Hour On The Hour: A Chronicle of the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railroad." Although long out of print, this book can occasionally be found on eBay and Amazon from $20 - $100+. We highly recommend the book to anyone interested in the WB&A or local history.