The 73rd Santa Train rolls by the S.E. Trammel Siding and into Sandy Ridge Tunnel. Ron Flanary photo.
Going into Santa Train weekend, many fans and hobbyists were calling the 73rd running “bittersweet”, ahead of what they speculated to be the final running of the CSX Santa Train. This following the railroad’s decision in October to close its Erwin, Tenn. terminal, affecting 300 jobs and diverting all run-through train traffic away from the Clinchfield route. Saturday’s Santa Train was the first train to operate on a section of mothballed mainline in more than a month.
As a result, crowds were bigger than usual. Dozens of photographers gathered at iconic locations such as Pool Point, Osborne’s Curve, and Copper Creek viaduct. The magnitude of fans was so great that even CSX’s Michael Ward noticed.
“Have you noticed the people taking pictures? There’s a whole community of rail people. They’ll be at one crossing and then 3-4 crossings down the road,” Ward said to members of the media in CSX business car Tennessee on Saturday.
While there’s no definitive future for the Santa Train set-in-stone, comments on Saturday, as published on the News Wire suggested the train would remain a tradition.
The Santa Train has a significant impact on the region. Supporters such as Food City, Dignity-U-Wear, and the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with CSX all collaborate with one common goal: “Its for the children.”
The Santa Train is a well-oiled machine as many called it. Everyone had a set of responsibilities, a schedule, and they knew their place on the train. Whether it was tossing gifts off the platform, handing backpacks to children, or bags of food and wrapping paper to families, every single person played a role in the success of Saturday’s train. And they did it with the utmost pride and respect.
In the past, I have only followed the train. I’m preoccupied with navigating the route and moving from location to location. This year was quite humbling. Seeing the hundreds of smiling faces, children shouting, and hearing the parents say, “Thank you – this means a lot” to the volunteers in the crowd was heartwarming in the very least.
Santa Claus hands a quilt down to a mother in the crowd during a stop in St. Paul, Va. Chase Gunnoe.
Coal may not be what it used to be, and there are devastating consequences as a result of the industry, a theme we’ve grown accustomed to this year as fans of this industry, but for many, and especially for the children, Saturday was a break from reality, a glimpse into some type of surreal dimension that will generate memories for a lifetime. And in today’s day and age, you can’t buy that kind of publicity.
I asked some friends and contributors to share their observations and thoughts from Saturday.
“I think it’s summed up best by saying that as the chase went on and as stops were made, I realize more and more that it’s not about me. I already knew the Santa Train was meant for the locals, but really witnessing the giving, the smiling faces, and the crowds who all know and love the train was special. – Chip Allen - Atlanta, Ga.
"The first time I was engineer on The Santa Train was the most emotional day of my life. You knew thousands were waiting on you and you had to be on time and keep everyone safe… At Elkhorn City I was looking down right into the big brown eyes of a little girl who I knew was seeing the amazement of Christmas. – Alf Peoples – Retired Clinchfield Engineer – Johnson City, Tenn. (Story submitted by Hunter Richardson)
"During the 73rd Annual Santa Train, I observed a lot of railfans and railroad employees with mixed feelings: Happy about the Santa Train itself, and the atmosphere surrounding it; and worried about (at the time) the uncertainty of the 74th Run and beyond. I grew up railfanning on the former Clinchfield, and have been following special tradtion ever since my father and I started chasing it when I was only 5 years old. It was great to see the happiness and joy the train brings to the communities along the route of the former Clinchfield. - Hunter Richardson - Elizabethton, Tenn.
Stacked from floor to ceiling, crates of plush toys (left) and other gifts and wrapping paper (right) occupy much of CSX's business car fleet as the train departs from Shelby Yard in Pikeville, Ky. Chase Gunnoe.
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