Bryan Eberly first stayed at The Station Inn at age ten, and he didn’t get much sleep.
At home in Leola, Pennsylvania, Bryan works in steel construction for a small, Amish-owned company in central PA. He’s a devoted Philadelphia Phillies fan, though he admits his tolerance for sports-inflicted torture waxes and wanes. When the Phillies cause too much grief, he turns to railroad history, centered largely on the Reading Company and other central Pennsylvania lines.
He’s a reader, too: railroad novels and biographies, Phillies history, and historical fiction like Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin series. With whatever time is left, he shoots photography, mostly on 35mm film.
First Trip: 1996
Bryan was ten. He, his dad, his brother, a family friend, and the friend’s son booked one night at the Inn for a single purpose: a 24-hour count.
They held down the front porch from noon one day until noon the next, logging every train movement, helpers included: direction, engine numbers, train type, and car count. Bryan admits he fell asleep in the room for a few hours.
Tom Davis was around, of course, but Bryan doesn’t remember much of him from that first visit. He chalks that up to being half asleep most of the night.
In Bryan’s Words
Why Trains?
“It all started with my dad taking my brother and me trackside at a young age. Once trackside, the horsepower and noise of EMD motors really pulled me in.”
Why We Come Back
“The cozy, laid-back feel of the Inn is the biggest draw. Tom Davis built the place, and the Langs have preserved it while selectively and tastefully adding their own flavor. There’s also the camaraderie with our group and meeting other railfans. The busyness of life makes it hard to get trackside more than a few times a year, so weekends at the Station Inn are a much-needed break to recharge and get back to the hobby.”
Standing Orders
“The one thing we can call a tradition is the Saturday visit to Bennington Curve. The sun works in both directions depending on the time of day, and the leaves are amazing in mid-October.”
Ask Bryan About
Shooting 35mm film · The Reading Company · Central PA rail history · The 1996 24-hour count · The Phillies (at your own risk)
