Completed in 1884, the Catonsville Short Line Railroad once ran seven trains daily to downtown Baltimore. Passenger service ended in 1898 when electric streetcars offered better options for travelers. By 1972, local institutions had stopped using coal and goods were being transported by trucks, and the railroad ceased operations. A century-old cast iron railroad crossbuck sign from the line was preserved in 1980 by the Catonsville Historical Society at 1824 Frederick Road, donated to CRTT in 2021 after the sale of the Townsend House and Museum, and moved to this park in August 2023.