While Amtrak's Silver Star passes by each day, it doesn't stop at Union Station in the town of Aberdeen, North Carolina. This nicely maintained depot was built around 1900. The Victorian-style station served a number of railroads in its more-than-a-century existence (in no particular order): Aberdeen & Asheboro, Aberdeen Carolina & Western, Aberdeen & Rockfish, CSX, Norfolk Southern (not the NS of today, but the 900+ mile regional that existed until 1974), Seaboard Air Line, Seaboard Coast Line, Seaboard System. (In the later days, A&R's trains were motorcars.) SAL (and SCL) secondary trains stopped here, and service to nearby Pinehurst Resort (which today hosts golf's US Open and US Women's Open) was provided by NS, which would pick up Pullman cars from the SAL at Aberdeen and haul them up the hill to Pinehurst, which had 2 spurs adjacent to the clubhouse for Pullmans and private cars.
Oh the stories these special buildings could tell. Originally the brains of the rails they monitored, working to insure effecient rail service for our nation! A tribute!
