SANTA TRAIN (AP) ON BOARD People in Appalachian Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee have been anticipating Santa’s visit since 1943. On a train, not on a sleigh on their rooftops.
This year’s 82nd voyage of the Santa Train brings gifts and happiness to little towns along a 110-mile section of the CSX rail line nestled into isolated river valleys in coal country. The third, fourth, or fifth generation of kids are among those who wait for Santa on the Saturday before Thanksgiving by lining the tracks.
Every year, I search for it. Sandra Owens of Haysi, Virginia, who was holding a pink pillowcase with a message written in black ink, said, “I count the days down.” We appreciate the volunteers and CSX for the Santa Train. 8.2.
After getting married and moving to Kentucky from Delaware 55 years ago, Owens had her first Santa Train experience a few years later, on her son’s third birthday. Now that he is forty-six, she brings her grandchildren. She aspires to have great-grandchildren in a few more years.
“What makes me happy are the faces of the children,” she remarked. There is nothing better to view.
Jay Stiltner, 7, waits for soft toys to be thrown by volunteers during the 82nd run of the CSX Santa Train, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Marrowbone, Ky. The train brings presents to small towns along a 110-mile portion of the railroad line in rural Appalachian Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Image courtesy of George Walker IV/Associated Press
Families wait in the early hours of the morning as the train arrives in Shelbiana, Kentucky. There are dozens to hundreds of people at each location. As Santa and his assistants hurl plush animals, a large crowd gathers at the back of the train. To ensure that every youngster returns home with a gift, teams of volunteer elves with bags full of presents spread out in the meantime. They provide about 15 tons of gifts annually, which include teddy bears, board games, skateboards, mittens, caps, and soft blankets.
As a child, Donna Doughetry of Snowflake, Virginia, recalls visiting neighboring Fort Blackmore to witness the Santa Train.
“We didn’t get much years ago,” she remarked. We were proud of this at the time since it was sort of what we had. It was really important to us.
The Santa Train has occasionally given her children handcrafted presents over the years, such as knitted hats, which they still treasure.
Dougherty and her niece traveled the short distance to Fort Blackmore on Saturday, continuing the family custom that she is happy to continue, despite the fact that it is now simpler for people in these remote, rural towns to purchase Christmas gifts.
She said, “It’s really nice that they do this.” It demonstrates the genuine spirit of Christmas.
Being selected as a volunteer to staff the Santa Train is an honor for CSX employees. When Jesse Hensley first met his wife, Angie, who grew up in St. Paul, Virginia, he had been attempting to get a space for 35 years.
She recalled how exciting it was to hear that whistle blast. You know, you have dreams as a little child. Riding that train was my dream. I never in my life imagined that I would be able to.
The two, who volunteer countless hours after Hurricane Helene ravaged their community of Erwin, Tennessee, where Jesse Hensley works as a machinist mechanic for CSX, were chosen to travel on the train this year.
This year, CSX added a special event to brighten up the neighborhood, even though the Santa Train doesn’t run to Erwin. In the Erwin rail yard, locals were invited to a holiday celebration complete with food, music, and presents. A train carrying lights in the shape of ornaments, jingling bells, marching toy troops, and the words Holiday Express in enormous red letters was used to welcome Santa.
On the Santa Train two days later, Angie Hensley was beaming and almost as happy as the kids she assisted in giving toys to, including her grandchildren and nephews in St. Paul. She claimed that the pleasure of assisting on the Santa Train exceeded her expectations.
Joe Hinrichs, the president and CEO of CSX, was one of her fellow volunteers. He got off at each stop, gave away toys, and spoke to those who had come to see the train. A couple of years ago, at a stop, Hinrich’s favorite recollection to date was of a family who brought a disabled child but hung back from the train to escape the crowds. The youngster was brought forward by helpers who made a path and presented him with a large teddy bear that they had preserved for a particular occasion.
Everyone managed to get around it when we brought it outside, and we handed it to him. Hinrichs added that there wasn’t a single dry eye in sight. It was a moment of magic.
The Associated Press, 2024. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. It is prohibited to publish, broadcast, rewrite, or redistribute this content without authorization.
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