March 9, 1887, ushered in a Short Line railroad service that many people wish were still around, connecting Annapolis to Baltimore.
Maryland's state capital and its largest city were first linked by a 6:40 a.m. train carrying 25 passengers, which left Annapolis for Baltimore and arrived at 8 a.m.
The zippy thrill of that first ride was not completely conveyed in newspaper reports. But one historian, Elihu S. Riley, noted, "There was a number of citizens out to give the venture a good send-off."
The service lasted until 1952.
Today, 13 miles of the railroad trail remain as part of the East Coast Greenway, a hiking trail that runs from Maine to Key West, Fla.
[ Sources: Elihu S. Riley, the Maryland Gazette and Paul McCardell, Sun library researcher]