All Aboard for The Polar Express!!!

[Kooljock1]

Hey all, I got to play the role of Mr. Conductor on seven runs of The Polar Express on behalf of the Vermont Childrens Trust Fund. Rolling stock was provided by The Green Mountain Railroad, motive power by The Clarendon & Pittsford, and right of way on The Vermont Railway. All are part of The Vermont Rail System. Your friendly conductor: Right this way folks! THIS is The Polar Express! "Wave at the elves!!!" This is trainman Harry. He actually works for the railroad, unlike the geek on the right who lives in a small white shack with a red roof and a crossbuck outside! Jon

[RR Redneck]

Not once did I see Tom Hanks! LOL

[csxt30]

Very nice pictures Jon & looks like you were having a great time !!  Thanks for sharing that with us !!

Thanks, John 

[Kooljock1]

Thanks! It was a ton of fun, but after the 7th trainload of families and after seven times through the 12 Days of Christmas, Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Jingle Bells, and Ive Been Working on the Railroad, I was beat! Scary thought: everything I'm wearing came out of my closet or the trainroom! Jon

[Jumijo]

You sure looked the part, Jon. And you did your part to make the holidays brighter for others!

Jim 

[Joe Hohmann]

Jon, Your uniform looks great. Is that the one you had posted you were looking for a few months ago? Joe

[Kooljock1]

Yes it is Joe. But after some research, I found a company in Pennsylvania that sells complete conductor's uniforms, replete with customized tailoring. All this comes at a price: around $650!!! So I sprang for their hat, which comes plain, but you can purchase "CONDUCTOR", "TRAINMAN", or "BRAKEMAN" badges for it. I bought the hat as a starter and added a Long Island Rail Road keystone to it. The pants are just regular dress pants. The vest I borrowed from the local tux shop. The jacket is a Navy blazer from my closet. The watch is a 100th Anniversary of Lionel pocketwatch. The lantern is an original Adlake PRR lantern with original glass(has PRR keystone in the glass). Jon

[cnw1995]

Boy, you look great!

[MartyE]

Jon

 

That looks like a lot of fun!  And everyone else looks like they are having a fun of ton too!  I would love to do somethink like that!  I love to play the part!  GREAT JOB! 

[tapstrains]

What a nice way to celebrate the holiday season Jon. This experience is got to be a memory you'll cherish for a long time. And to do so for a good cause is just icing on the cake.

By the way, you did a great job with the conductor outfit and it sure beat spending $650!

Tapstrains