Timeline
| May 8, 1909 | Milton Hershey contracted with the Empire Track and Brake Company, Lancaster, PA, for the Miniature Railway at a cost of $3,150.00. Ernest Miller: Inventor. |
| April 9, 1910 | Miniature Railway arrives in Hershey. |
| Sept 9, 1910 | Work on the Miniature Railway is completed and those who were part of the first ride were Harry N. Herr, Civil Engineer for the project, Charles V. Glynn, master mechanic of the Chocolate Company, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Miller, and Joseph Hills, editor of the Hershey Press. |
| 1911 | Miniature Railway’s first operating season in Hersheypark. |
| 1957 | Ernest Miller visits Hersheypark the year before his death and rides the Miniature Train for the last time. |
| July 14, 1959 | Harrisburg Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society visit the train in Hershey to celebrate its 50th Anniversary. |
| ? 1971 | Miniature Train’s last operating season at Hersheypark. |
| Jan 20, 1972 | Miniature Railway Station behind Hershey Department Store is demolished. |
| Jan 2007 | Friends of the Hershey Trolley and Hershey Entertainment and Resorts announce they will be working together to restore and display the Miniature Train in the community. |
| Sept 13, 2007 | Passenger Car No1 is restored and on display for Milton Hershey’s 150th BirthdayCelebration. |
| May 30, 2011 | Motor Car and Passenger Car No1 are restored and displayed in the Hershey Memorial Day Parade. |
Photo courtesy of the Hershey Archives
| Photo -Train Volunteers – Hershey Car Barn – Bob Lawless, George Rentzel, Ron Sprenkle, Matt Loser, and Harold Sitler |
PRESS RELEASE 1/10/2007 A New Life for the Hersheypark Miniature Train
Volunteers Needed to Polish a Piece of History
| The Friends of the Hershey Trolley (FOHT) and Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Co. (HE&R), the parent company of Hersheypark, have announced that they will be working together to restore the Hershey Park Miniature Railroad train for display in the community.This little gem operated in Hershey Park * from 1910 until 1970. Brad Ginder and Jay Robertson are co-chairmen of the restoration project and are seeking volunteers to assist with woodworking and refinishing; volunteers also are needed to assist with research and with photo and history archiving. HE&R has made an initial donation for materials and is providing the workspace for the restoration.
FOHT is a committee of The Hershey-Derry Township Historical Society. Its mission is the education and preservation of the Hershey Transit trolley system that ran from 1904 to 1946. |
