Holiday Train at Leaf River

The CP Holiday Train rolls through Leaf River. December 5, 2012

THE HOLIDAY TRAIN IS COOOOOOMING

The Chicago “Holiday Train” is a special train (there are also Holiday Buses) that runs only in December and only a few times a week, with pre-set schedules (linked above). The train is decorated outside with lots of lights, and inside with candy cane stripes on the poles and funny posters and such. It’s staffed with an “elf” in each car who hands out free mini candy canes, although I don’t know if that’s been discontinued since the pandemic. On the last or second-to-last car, they remove the actual car and replace it with a platform that has a sleigh with an actor playing Santa in it, so if your kids want to see Santa you can stand near the end of the platform and he’ll wave and say hello as the train stops for people to board.

If you aren’t expecting the Holiday Train and happen to catch it, which has happened to me before, it’s just kind of a delightful surprise. But since the schedule is posted ahead of time it’s also a popular event for parents to take kids on, and watching a kid watch the holiday train pull into the station is truly a remarkable experience. 

Chicago Holiday Train

Holiday Train

Day 12 of 25 days of Holiday Goodness

Ukrzaliznytsya launched in Lviv fairytale retro train

CTA Holiday Train, December 5, 2023

CN Railway Holiday Train. Transcona Shops in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (2023-11-24)

A cool thing to see even if you don't have little ones...

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Holiday Train in Minneapolis on December 11, 2023. The rail company says they’ve raised more than $22.5 million dollars and 5 million pounds of food for local food banks since the tradition began 25 years ago.

KCS 2012 Holiday Express Train at Drexel, MO by Zach Pumphery Via Flickr: For the first time since 2007 and only the second time ever, the KCS Holiday Train makes a stop in Drexel, home of the Bobcats.

Locomotives: KCS 1, KCS 3, KCS 2

12-13-12 Drexel, MO

KCS Holiday Express is seen at Mena, Arkansas on 10 December, 2009. (A. J. Pfieffer Jr.) by Kenneth G Williamson

CTA Holiday Train

Infinity Train - one of the first series Warner Brothers erased for tax write-offs, despite receiving critical acclaim

Scoob: Holiday Haunt - shut down for tax write-offs, even though it featured stars like Andre Braugher, Ming-Na Wen, and Mark Hamill and was said to be "practically finished"

Coyote vs Acme - looking to be shut down and getting a tax write-off, despite being a James Gunn movie (like him or hate him, his name is big in Hollywood) with amazing reviews from test audiences

Now, it's Rooster Teeth - shut down after over 20 years, with many like Casey Lee Williams (the woman in charge of the RWBY soundtrack) finding out the news via Twitter

I think it's safe to say that David Zaslav doesn't appreciate the art of animation.