Eastern Railroad Discussion > ..when the "Polar Express".......

When the Polar Express could go no farther we had reached the North Pole. A line from the Polar Express story by Chris Van Allsburg.
Twenty to thirty times a season for the last 7 years my wife and I work/volunteer on Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s Polar Express.
CVSR runs 2 trains thirty some trains a season, mid November till about a week before Christmas. Each train has 8 to 9 coaches for
around 500 passengers a night, then each coach has a trainman/conductor for the two hour ride to assist the elves of the reading of the
story and punching golden Polar tickets. I’m one of two conductors who punches the kids whole name in the ticket and invariably I seem
to get the kids with the longest names, oh the other conductor who does the whole name is my wife see photo.
I couldn’t begin to tell you what it’s like to do that every other and every night on many occasions we look forward to everyone of those
Polars. This is a short video I shot from the trap in a passenger car vestibule. It takes over 250 to 300 volunteers a night for these Polars.
We work the Akron Polar that leaves Akron’s North Side Station with the North Pole, the kids see out the windows, is located in
Peninsula, Ohio and the other Cleveland Polar leaves from Rockside Road heading south to Peninsula and when the trains get to the
North Pole it’s lights out and the kids look out from a dark passenger car.

Thanks for looking
Alan, who will be leaving for the North Pole this afternoon.

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My wife outside the Cuyahoga passenger car with head Elf
Alan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/12 11:04 by agrafton.

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Alan, from the sounds of that video, you have a fan club. Great that you and your wife are able to get involved in something like this.
John

How'd you hold the camera and take a picture of you and Nancy? :)

Thanks, John. Jeff I used a stick between my toes.....:o)

I have an Aunt and Uncle that live at the North Pole just about a block from the station there. It is fun to see the looks on the faces of the people who come to the North pole.

quite the show