For the 82nd year, CSX’s Santa Train made its journey over the former Clinchfield Railroad on Saturday, Nov. 23, traveling from Shelby, Ky., to Kingsport, Tenn., in an approximately 9-hour, 110-mile trip featuring a dozen intermediate stops in which Santa Claus and volunteers distributed gifts to those visiting the train at trackside.
The train, operating for the third straight year after two years of cancellations because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year featured recently unveiled Clinchfield heritage locomotive No. 1902 leading the railroad’s three executive F40s and a lengthy passenger consist capped with Santa Claus aboard former Pan Am Railways office car No. 100. The car, rebuilt for Santa Train service, made its debut a year ago [see “CSX Santa Train returns with new life, new equipment,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 19, 2023].
This year’s train had been preceded by a special “Holiday Express” visit to Erwin, Tenn., on Thursday, Nov. 21, featuring the same set of locomotives, four specially decorated boxcars, and the Santa car [see “CSX brings Holiday Express event to Erwin …,” News Wire, Nov. 23, 2024].
After the Erwin event ended Thursday at 8:30 p.m., the special returned to Kingsport. On Friday, Nov. 22, the train was loaded with the usual “tonnage” of gifts of all kinds to be distributed a between Shelby and Kingsport. After an annual dinner with all the volunteers and guests who work the Santa Train, riders for the next day were bused to Pikeville, Ky., for “short” rest. They boarded the buses again for the ride to board the train at Shelby at 5:30 a.m.
Heritage unit No. 1902 (numbered for the year George L. Carter purchased the assets of two predecessor companies that had been unable to complete the line through the heart of the Appalachians) was aa hit as the usual entourage of photographers leap-frogged from one scenic spot to the next. The “World’s Longest Santa Claus Parade” was back with a flourish.
— Ron Flanary contributed to this report.
