BLET Division 781 member and 2024 CSX Santa Train locomotive engineer Scott Steffey (right) shakes hands with CSX road foreman of engines Wesley Stewart during a stop at Dante, Va. This year’s Santa Train was led by CSX’s Clinchfield Railroad heritage locomotive No. 1902. Hunter Levi photo.
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BLET Division 781 (Erwin, Tenn.) member Scott Steffey made his Last Run for CSX Transportation on November 23, 2024, working as locomotive engineer of the annual Santa Train from Shelby Yard in Pikeville, Ky., to downtown Kingsport, Tenn. The train made 13 stops along CSXT’s Clinchfield route to help spread Christmas cheer in small rural communities in eastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia, and Tennessee.
Steffey was born in St. Paul, Va., which is coincidentally along the Santa Train’s route. He hired out with CSX in Erwin, Tenn., on July 11, 1994, learning the ropes of railroading, before certifying as a conductor six months later in January 1995. Steffey moved on to engine school in Cumberland, Md., about 10 months after getting his conductor certification. Once promoted to engineer, Steffey returned to his home terminal at Erwin where he remained for most of his career, before relocating to Kingsport.
Getting to shepherd the Santa Train south was the perfect capstone to Steffey’s career, but it wasn’t his first time on the head-end of the holiday train. He operated it previously in 2004, 2009, and 2016.
With an eye towards retirement, Steffey threw his hat into the ring earlier this year to guide the Santa Train. He told his friends and co-workers: “I want to run (the Santa Train) one more time and I want to make it my Last Run.”
With Santa Train’s run complete, Steffey is looking forward to using the last of his vacation days to round out 2024. But with railroading in his blood, he says it’ll take some getting used to not having to check the phone in the middle of the night to see how soon he is being called to work.
Steffey was positive as he reflected on his 30-year railroad career. He said working with a great group of railroaders made a big difference.