But if not for a small army of volunteers, none of those gifts would make their way to the hundreds of people that flock trackside year after year on Santa Train day.
Now in its 76th year, CSX Transportation’s Santa Train, the railroad’s premiere public relations event, has grown into a Herculean effort. The event spans several states — not only in its scheduled run from Kentucky through Virginia, and on to Tennessee, but also in the preparation of the gifts for which the Santa Train is famous for tossing to hundreds of fans.
A packing party is held in Jacksonville, Fla., near CSX’s headquarters, where stuffed animals, clothing and other items are prepared for Santa Train day. More visible to the public, however, is the packing party in Kingsport, where food and treats are readied for Santa’s long journey across the north end of the former Clinchfield Railroad.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Santa Train sponsorship for regional grocery chain Food City, along with CSX, the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce, and others. And each year, one of Food City’s Kingsport locations hosts the packing party, held outside the store. This year’s packing party was held Nov. 14, the Wednesday before Santa Train.
Food City store Manager Raymond Stockard says that between 75 and 80 volunteers took part in this year’s packing party outside of his bustling store.
It’s a precision operation. Like the Santa Train, itself, the Kingsport packing party is controlled chaos, with constantly moving parts, and an operation in which everyone that is involved has a role to play.
Dozens of volunteers from local civic groups and school organizations, and even pageant princesses and queens, line either side of a long assembly line where packages of sweets, chips, crackers, and any other type of small, packaged food imaginable are opened and separated into individual totes. Volunteers then take those products and begin assembling small, individual bags full of food to be distributed to the Santa Train’s crowds. A bag of chips, some candy, a Little Debbie cake and even an iconic Moon Pie — the pièce de résistance of Santa Train day treats — can be found in the individual food bags.
Hundreds of empty boxes are broken down for recycling by a group of local high school students sitting under a Food City truck trailer parked adjacent to the conveyor. Helping make a festive atmosphere, the students pass the time by singing Christmas carols, or, as young high schoolers tend to do, talk and laugh loudly and cheerfully.
After being loaded onto the train, the food joins plush toys, clothing and other items, and travels 110 miles northbound to Shelby Yard outside of Pikeville, Ky., where Saturday’s Santa Train kicks off.
“None of what you’ll see with the Santa Train would be possible without our volunteers, our vendor sponsors, and the Santa Train’s sponsors … CSX, the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, Appalachian Power, and, of course, Food City,” Stockard says.
Stockard became emotional as he spoke about his predecessors, including his mentor, former Food City store manager Ed Moore, who were instrumental in getting Food City involved with the Santa Train. He said even with the minor disruption the packing party may cause for his busy store, the effort is worth it for the joy of children who may receive some of the items packed at the packing party.
Frank Waldo, a local volunteer in the Tri-cities area of eastern Tennessee, serves as Santa’s lead elf on the Santa Train. All of the food and gifts packed up for distribution from the rear platform of the train will eventually go through Waldo before they are tossed to the crowds at the train’s stops. A kind soul whose charitable heart has led him to help operate a free dental ministry in his daily life, Waldo is all business on Santa Train day, so the efforts of the volunteers at the packing party are not lost on him. Their hard work and efficiency help make the chaos of Santa Train day significantly more manageable.
“You don’t have time to do all of this on the Santa Train. It needs to be pre-staged,” Waldo says. “It thrills my heart to see the community show up and take part. It’s a labor of love for many of them.”
The 76th annual CSX Santa Train is set to run Saturday, Nov. 17.
And yet Amtrak torpedoed its Toys for Tots train in cooperation with the military! Go figure what Amtrak was/is thinking. Talk about a Grinch.
Regretfully, Century 21 will continue to see downsizing in all industries as well as civic organizations. Sadly, CSX has not remained untouched. Though I am thankful I never had to work under E.H. Hunter and still find it hard to forgive the man for all the damage he did during his career, I took it upon myself and forgave William N. Deramus III for the “Katy Klean-up” (*) that he performed on Miss Katy in the 60s.
With Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaching, the time has come for me to forgive Mr. Hunter too! My heart feels so much better now. Believe me, you’ll like yourself after you’ve forgiven those who have done you an injustice. Do it now and don’t carry it with you to the grave, because it’s too late then.
(*) I know of only two other Katy railfans besides myself who accepted the Deramus Red image, including the modernized KATY herald, as being COOL! Sadly, both of my dear friends have now joined Bill Deramus in the Roundhouse in the Sky that can be found just beyond the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
What the Santa Train started has spread to other railroads in North America who now also operate special trains during the holiday season. It’s more than just a PR move, but is a show of Love and Respect for all children, both young and old alike, and the railroads who operate these trains in Century 21 deserve the support of railfans as well as great publications like Trains, THE Magazine of Railroading!
To quote the late John Denver: FAR OUT!
PRAY FOR PEACE ON EARTH. We’ve never needed it more than we do today!
Moon Pie and an RC. Cant beat it!
I have had the privilege of serving as one of CSX’s shipper “elves” on three or four Santa Trains. I have found each trip to be immensely gratifying. Working one of these trains will absolutely put you into the spirit of the season.
There is a considerable amount of time, expense, planning and work put into making the annual Santa Trains happen and the sponsoring organizations are to be commended for doing this each year!
I was thinking the other day that for all the heartless things that Harrison did to folks, he still allowed the Christmas trains on the CP and CSX to run. A Grinch in disguise perhaps?