Passenger Trains > Polar Express stopped by "caribou."

Fire cuts Polar Express trip short
WTEN
by Rachel Yonkunas
December 16, 2014

> SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Passengers aboard the Polar Express didn’t
> lose their Christmas spirit despite not completing the trip due to a
> fire.
>
> A trip to the North Pole was cut short Tuesday night after the Polar
> Express in Saratoga County caught fire.
>
> “There was a fire in the traction control box up by the engine,”
> Maple Avenue Deputy Fire Chief John King said.
>
> King said passengers were not in danger, no one was injured and no
> one needed to be evacuated. But crews had to shut everything down to
> put out the fire. As a result, the train came to a complete stop in
> Greenfield...But the Polar Express did make its way back to the
> station safely. As passengers left the train, they said the delay
> didn’t ruin the Christmas spirit.
>
> “The train broke down about halfway up the mountain, but they came
> around with extra cookies and hot chocolate,” passenger John Davis
> said.
>
> “Everybody kept calm and all the chefs were dancing around, singing
> Christmas carols,” Connelly said. “They were as entertaining as they
> could be and all the kids were playing and happy.”
>
> “I met some people going out the door, and they said, ‘Are you going
> back for a second round?’ and I said, ‘Why not!’” passenger Scarlett
> Mae Connelly said.
>
> But how was the delay explained to the children on the train? By
> caribou of course!
>
> Santa Claus made an appearance on the train and explained to the
> children that caribou were on the tracks, and the train had to stop
> while the crews moved all the animals away.

Link:

Fire cuts Polar Express trip short


Ed Ellis and his management have done well to train their staff on
handling passengers when things don't all go right!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/14 10:17 by GenePoon.

"... THAT"S the way things happen on the POLAR EXPRESS!"

Jim Montague
IRVINE, CA
Train and Nature photo Art

Hmmm, a caribou is basically a reindeer, so why didn't they just hitch them up to the lead drawbar?

Sure, last night was foggy, but the glow from that burning "traction control box" could take the place of Rudolph's red nose, (or is that considered a "classification light"?)

march_hare Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hmmm, a caribou is basically a reindeer, so why
> didn't they just hitch them up to the lead
> drawbar?
>
> Sure, last night was foggy, but the glow from that
> burning "traction control box" could take the
> place of Rudolph's red nose, (or is that
> considered a "classification light"?)

Well, are glowing noses FRA-approved signals? I imagine they're approved by the FAA, or else we wouldn't be getting any presents!

Tor in Eugene