Prior to 1930, the rail link between Sydney and Brisbane was known as the Great Northern Railway. This passed through the Upper Hunter Valley and New England regions until Tenterfield/ Wallangarra. Here passengers transferred to a Queensland service operating on a different gauge through to Brisbane. On the night of Thursday 10th June 1926, tragedy struck when the Brisbane Limited Express out of Sydney, derailed about half a kilometre north of Aberdeen Railway Station. Sadly, in that event four people lost their lives. A fifth fatality was recorded later in July, when another passenger passed away due to serious head injuries sustained in the derailment. Additionally, about forty other passengers and train crew were injured in varying degrees. On 7th June 2026 the town of Aberdeen is remembering the lives lost and commemorating the ‘heroic’ efforts of townsfolk, many of whom were at the scene of the crash within minutes. These people aided in the rescue and recovery of the injured and tended to their first-aid needs. Then and as is still currently the case, Aberdeen had no hospital. At the time, medical personnel had to travel from either Scone or Muswellbrook, a distance of 13km in either direction. The Commercial Hotel became a temporary casualty clearing station for the injured.