Large crowds greet Santa Train

Some of the largest crowds in history greeted the 69^th running of the Santa Train Saturday. Organizers said attendance appeared up at most of 14 stops across Eastern Kentucky, Southwest Virginia and Kingsport, Tenn., with crowds ranging from a few hundred to more than 1,000 at St. Paul and Kingsport. 

CSX officials credited sunny weather and the longstanding tradition of generations attending the train stops for the increase. Many attendees said that struggling economic conditions also played a role.

Riding along the 110-mile route offers a unique perspective. Here is a timeline of some of the people, places and events that comprised this year’s journey.

4:20 a.m.

The morning wakeup call provides a jarring start to a long day. For anyone not normally conscious at this hour, it was just as dark and just as cold as when the two charter buses arrived five scant hours before.

A fatal tanker fire Friday blocked U.S. Route 23 and forced the Santa Train caravan to take a 75-minute detour from Coeburn to Pound and delayed arrival at the Pikeville Hampton Inn until 11 p.m. – nearly two hours behind schedule.

5:10 a.m.

“Santa Train” is the rallying shout of CSX personnel and heard regularly throughout the day. The first one greets those assembled in the hotel lobby. Twenty minutes later, the charter buses roll away toward the Shelby rail yard just south of Pikeville.

6:10 a.m.

The train lurches forward at the Shelby yard where a group of eager fans gathered allowing Santa and a small army of volunteers to begin tossing items from the platform of the West Virginia car – Santa’s “sleigh” for the day. It’s actually 15 minutes ahead of schedule as continuous cries of “Santa, Santa” erupt from the darkness. Santa really arrives early here.

6:30 a.m.

Despite the early hour, Santa Train Coordinator Jamie Horton of Food City is already enthusiastic after the first stop.

“I’m Santa’s little helper. I work on the back car all day and hand him toys to pass out because it’s hard for him to turn around,” Horton said. “I collect this stuff all year, but today is the day for me, seeing the smiles on all those kids faces. I want to give each one of them a toy.”

This year, Horton collected about 20 tons of toys, food and other gift items, worth an estimated $1 million.

7:22 a.m.

With Patty Loveless’ song “Santa Train” blaring over the loudspeakers, the train stops makes its final Kentucky stop, just beside the Elkhorn City Railroad Museum, a collection that includes a rusting Chessie System car, a flatbed, red caboose and a small building that houses relics of days gone by.

7:45 a.m.

Fresh from their third stint tossing gifts from the rear platform, Keifer and Shawna Thompson – country duo Thompson Square – said they’ve never experienced anything comparable to the Santa Train.

“We didn’t really know what it was, we’d never heard of it but they told us what it was and we jumped on it,” Keifer Thompson said.

“Just to see the kids faces when you’re throwing stuff off the back of the train with Santa, it’s great. And it’s our first time on a train,” his wife added.

The group performed Friday night in Georgia, drove all night to Pikeville, worked all day aboard the train, performed three songs in Kingsport and is scheduled to record a Christmas TV special today.

“We don’t get much sleep,” Keifer Thompson said.

7:50 a.m.

Anna Lanzatella, executive director of Kids Wish Network, announced her nonprofit organization will likely double its donation and contribute $1 million worth of toys to the 2012 Santa Train.

“We’re thrilled to be part of it. Our relationship with CSX is wonderful and we see the need for the toys. We’d love to double it next year,” Lanzatella said.

While her Florida-based organization has supported the train for three years, it was Lanzatella’s first opportunity to ride and see the events firsthand.

“I’m not aware of anything else like it,” Lanzatella said.

8:05 a.m.

The train pulls into the first Virginia stop at Toms Bottom, after crossing through the Breaks Interstate Park. A modest crowd is jammed between the tracks and Bartlick Road. Cars are lined up on both sides of adjacent two-lane roads a half-mile n both directions from the stopping point.

8:35 a.m.

Sue Rose was making her 60^th visit to the Santa Train, accompanying family members, including her sister and her three grandchildren at Haysi.

“I used to live at the Breaks and go to Elkhorn City [stop],” Rose said. “I just love the Santa Train. I used to love that black locomotive that pulled it.”

Her sister Pauline Stanley brought grandchildren Leah, Logan and Haley Sutherland of Haysi.

Nearby, Etta Robinson of Elkhorn City, Ky., and her great-grandson reached Haysi shortly before the train pulled through the Haysi tunnel.

“We missed it in Elkhorn City, so we came down here,” Robinson said. “It’s wonderful.”

9 a.m.

Food City’s corporate trainer Ed Moore, who was making his 19^th consecutive trip, pronounced the early morning crowds the largest he’s seen, despite temperatures hovering near 30 degrees.

“It never gets old,” Moore said. “Every year is different. Every year is rewarding to see the kids and see the smiles on their faces. For me, this kicks off my Christmas season.”

9:20

Tori Kaplan, the CSX associate vice president of corporate responsibility, told the news media the company continues to place greater emphasis on its ground crew volunteers distributing age-specific bags of gifts in the crowd as part of its focus on safety.

9:40 a.m.

The train’s now three-year-old policy of having volunteers carry bags from the train prompted many at Fremont to avoid the crush around the Santa car and seek the ground crew members. In addition to being one of the day’s longest stops at 25 minutes, Fremont offered up the largest crowds to that point.

It was there that Bo Deel of Haysi became an instant hero to great niece Allison Nicole Deel when he snagged a stuffed reindeer tossed from the train car platform.

“I’m 40 years old and I’ve been coming for as long as I can remember,” Deel said clutching his grand niece in his arms and a small, pink gift bag in his right hand.

10:35 a.m.

Two-year-old Emily Taylor of Dante was all smiles the moment ground crew volunteer Karen Pelle, president of the board of directors of Kids Wish Network, handed her a “baby doll” during the Dante stop.

“They’re really sweet,” Pelle said later. “This is a lot of fun for an adult.”

10:50 a.m.

The train rolls away from the Dante stop on schedule, while a small caravan of about a half-dozen motorists follow the train down state Route 63.

11:15 a.m.

Stacey and Bobby Love of Coeburn said they were “blessed” to receive one of the 27 baby strollers given out Saturday for their 1-year-old daughter Keeley. During the jammed St. Paul stop, they also netted bags for their other daughters Alexis and Lyndsi and some wrapping paper.

“Santa has really blessed us, this is a very nice stroller,” Stacey Love said. “We’re very excited. This is the first time I’ve brought them [children]. I used to bring my church group.”

Noon.

Rolling along at about 35 mph through the countryside between St. Paul and Dungannon, dozens of people stopped alongside the adjacent state Route 65 to catch a glimpse of the train, wave at Santa as he stood on the rear platform and took photos. One group of enterprising shutterbugs climbed a nearby hillside while the backseat passenger of one car shot video as it paced the train.

12:10 p.m.

The crowds at Dungannon, like most, appeared to be larger than last year, according to CSX officials. With the sun out, temperatures climbed past 50 degrees.

12:50

The backseat filmmaker continued following the train.

12:55 p.m.

Chaos ensued inside the West Virginia car – just as it has throughout the day – as a small army of volunteers shove dozens of plastic totes out the backdoor and into the hands of Santa, train Coordinator Jamie Horton, Thompson Square and other enthusiastic volunteer “throwers.” Miles Burdine of the Kingsport chamber and Mark Hubbard of Food City did much of the heavy lifting.

1:30 p.m.

Officials from CSX, the chamber and Food City make presentations to Thompson Square, its label Stoney Creek Records and publicists Dashboard Media.

1:40 p.m.

About two dozen cars are parked along U.S. Route 23 as fans watched and photographed the Santa Train as it crossed the 1,160-foot Copper Creek trestle, 185 feet above the Clinch River near Duffield, Va.

2:15 p.m.

The train pulls away from one of the largest-ever Kermit crowds and lumbers toward Waycross on the Tennessee-Virginia line.

2:40 p.m.

A massive crowd at the Waycross stop received a bonus, an extra 10 minutes of handout time, as the ground crew emptied out the pre-packed bags that once filled the Illinois and Michigan cars to overflowing.

3 p.m.

Right on schedule, thousands greeted the train as it rolled into Kingsport. Thompson Square performed three songs on the stage and then headed for their bus and a show in Chattanooga and Santa Claus climbed onto the back of a city fire truck to participate in the city’s annual Christmas parade.

dmcgee@bristolnews.com
(276) 645-2532