Train Station

Historic Annville Train Station

The first railroad station in Annville was built in the late 1850’s by the Lebanon Valley Railroad.  On October 30, 1891, the Reading Railroad constructed the current Annville Train Station on Railroad Street just to the east of Lebanon Valley College. This station was in operation for passenger service until 1963 and for freight service until 1976. In 1976, Mr. Ron Rabena purchased the Annville Station from the Reading Railroad, dismantled it entirely, and transported it to his property in the New Cumberland area. Rabena rebuilt the station, shortening its walls by 3-4 feet, and creating the Buck Ridge Model Railroad Station to house and display his model train exhibits.

After 22 years of running Buck Ridge, Rabena sold the station to Friends of Old Annville in 1998. Led by Blanche Schaeffer and Kathy Moe, FOOA raised the money to purchase, move, and reconstruct the Annville Train Station at 155 North Moyer Street in Annville on track-side land owned by Eagle Graphics Incorporated. FOOA, supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and by donations from local citizens, rebuilt and restored the station to its original height and original appearance.

View a Pictorial History of the Train Station in Annville: Historic Annville Train Station Slide Show.

The project was completed and the station was officially re-opened on June 17, 2000. The restored station does have a full basement that was not present in the original structure. A festive community work day on September 30, 2000 was used to lay a short section of track in front of the station, and a donated small railroad flat car was then placed on the track. The Kiwanis Club of Annville-Cleona rebuilt and restored the flat car in May, 2008.

Friends of Old Annville uses the train station as its official headquarters, for the regular meetings of both the FOOA and the Quittie Creek Nature Park Committee, and for some of the programs sponsored by FOOA. A local model train group uses the station periodically for building and displaying model train exhibits.