Believe it or not, 2025 was our first full year of dedicated blogging. And what a journey it’s been.
Over the last 12 months, regular blogging has become part of our DNA, and it’s given us a chance to swap our favorite stories, discuss railroad history, and attract thousands of new readers to our website.
But that leaves an important question: Did you miss any?
Top Blogs of 2025: What Our Readers Loved
Here’s what our readers loved most in 2025, sorted by popularity:
1. The Horseshoe Curve FAQ: Everything You Should Know About This Beloved Destination
This article was a joy to write. The Station Inn is only 15 minutes from the historic Horseshoe Curve, and the tracks that run along the Curve are the same ones that sit in front of our front porch.
We’re frequently peppered with questions about The Horseshoe Curve by our guests (and we love answering them), so we decided to pull the most common questions into a handy FAQ guide.
It covers the Curve’s history in both engineering and WWII, its live camera feed, the train schedule, and much more.
2. 27 Gifts For Train Lovers: Ideas They’ll Absolutely Love
To be fair, we actually published this article right at the end of 2024—but it still earned thousands of reads in the last 12 months.
So, we’ve decided to add it to the series.
In this roundup of awesome gift ideas for train lovers (written by genuine train lovers), we cover options on topics such as:
- Train-Themed Magazines
- Train Photography Gear
- Train-Themed Board Games
- Train-Themed Books
- Railroad Memorabilia
- And more
3. Top 10 Pennsylvania Road Trip Ideas: Our Favorite Destinations
We’re lucky to live in such a beautiful, historic state (though you can call it a “commonwealth” if you’d like to be precise). From the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia to the steel mills in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has helped shape the culture and trajectory of the United States over the last 250 years.
And that means there’s plenty to see within these borders.
Love the outdoors? Head north to the PA Grand Canyon.
Love thrills? Travel east to Hershey Park.
Love sights? Climb up Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington for one of the best city vistas in the country.
You’ll find an exciting list of destinations for your next road trip in our blog.
4. History of the Pennsylvania Railroad
More than 100 years before massive companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon became household names, the most powerful corporation in the world was the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
At its peak, the “Pennsy” controlled more than 11,000 miles of track and moved three times as much cargo as any other railroad.
But even the PRR wasn’t immune to technological evolutions. As highways emerged and pricing regulations cut into the industry’s accounting, the corporation eventually toppled.
Read all about it in our blog.
5. Steam Locomotive Train Rides In Pennsylvania: 8 Can’t-Miss Destinations
There’s something truly magical about steam locomotives. Here’s the proof: Our article on where to ride steam trains in Pennsylvania was our fifth most popular blog in 2025!
We’ve listed eight of them, and three of those are less than 2.5 hours from The Station Inn.
Hint: That means you can stay here in our railroad-themed B&B and spend the day enjoying steam trains around Pennsylvania!
Learn more in our full article:
6. Horseshoe Curve Train Log: What You Can Expect to See
It’s time for a round of applause! The Horseshoe Curve is the only topic to appear twice on this list.
If you’re a railfan, this is likely no surprise: People love The Horseshoe Curve.
For this article, we focused on the Curve’s train log. It’s a topic that’s frequently discussed, but no one really knows what’s coming next down the pike.
Well, we can help. Check it out:
7. The 5 Best Model Train Shows To Attend Soon
Every year, we travel to Amherst, NY, for the Railroad Hobby Show for 350,000 square feet of model trains, railroad art, photography, and much more.
But the Railroad Hobby Show isn’t the only annual event to pick from.
In this blog, we’ve outlined the top five model train shows to check out each year:
8. Photography of Trains: History, Techniques, And Must-Follow Pros
The fine art of train photography is almost as old as trains themselves. Interestingly, both technologies enjoyed a meteoric rise during the 19th century. And, if you ask us, they still make a wonderful pair.
In this article, we’ve focused on offering a wide overview of must-know topics, such as:
- Train Photography Techniques
- Train Photography Locations
- Drones
- Photography Etiquette
- And More
Dive in:
9. Railroad Slang: 43 Railfan Terms to Know
Like any subculture, railfans have developed their own slang. How much do you know?
Let’s do a quick check of the Bs:
- Basher – UK slang for someone who takes a train ride purely for the love of it.
- Bandit – A locomotive that still wears the paint scheme of its former owner, usually hastily remarked with the new owner’s identification.
- Bean Counter – A tongue-in-cheek term for railroad executives and accountants who prioritize profits.
Get the rest of the alphabet in our blog:
10. 12 Places to Stay Near Penn State
State College is a fascinating place. If you’ve never been there before, nearly everything is influenced by Penn State.
And it’s not just the population. Sure, many of the people who live there during the year are either students or employees for the university, but Penn State has helped shape the culture of Pennsylvanians even more than 100 miles away.
And nothing at Penn State is quite as influential as the football team. When there’s a home game at Beaver Stadium, look out—the hotel rooms fill up quickly.
To help, we’ve rounded up some of the coolest spots to stay when visiting Penn State:
Never Miss Another Article
If you’ve missed more articles than you would have liked, subscribe to our newsletter. We’ll update you when we have a new batch of articles ready to read!
Or, better yet, live some of the railroading fun yourself. Book a room at The Station Inn to spend some time with us in Cresson.