(The following report appeared on the Shreveport Times website on September 23.)
SHREVEPORT, La. — Kansas City Southern Railway again will begin the Christmas holiday season run of its Holiday Express train with stops in Shreveport, with a family day for Kansas City Southern employees the day after Thanksgiving, and its first public showing Nov. 24 in Festival Plaza for Rockets Over the Red.
This year’s holiday run, the company’s seventh, will cover 28 stops in 26 communities in eight states.
At each stop last year, Kansas City Southern gave Wal-Mart gift cards to the local Salvation Army to provide clothing for needy children. Kansas City Southern employees and supporters volunteer time for train preparation, operations and playing the roles of Santa Claus and his elves.
Led by Kansas City Southern’s Southern Belle, the six-car Holiday Express includes a smiling tank car named “Rudy” and a flatcar carrying Santa’s sleigh, reindeer and a miniature village. It also has a gingerbread boxcar, the elves’ workshop, the reindeers’ stable and a red caboose.
At each stop, children can visit with Santa Claus in the caboose before touring three cars full of holiday displays. There also are festive music and lights.
Changes each year are becoming a tradition. Last year, Santa’s caboose was frosted in cool tones of blue and sparkling white lights and encrusted with ornaments.
There also are changes to the O-scale model train layouts as well as new murals and lighting changes. This year’s theme will be Santa Claus.
Holiday Express is based on Santa Train, which was operated by Gateway Western Railway and made stops in small towns in Illinois and Missouri. Kansas City Southern bought Gateway Western in 1997.
Kansas City Southern employees decided to revive the train after noticing it was often the only Christmas cheer many needy children in their communities enjoyed.
Following is the schedule after Shreveport, with all start times being 4 p.m. unless otherwise noted:
Nov. 25: KCS Yard, 901 S. Third St., Leesville.
Nov. 26: KCS Yard, 548 Fourth St., Port Arthur, Texas.
Nov. 27: KCS Yard, 4095 S. MLK Jr. Parkway, Beaumont, Texas.
Nov. 28: Railroad Museum, 400 Lake Charles Ave., DeQuincy.
Nov. 29: 111 N. Washington Ave., DeRidder.
Nov. 30: KCS Yard, 206 W. Railroad Ave., Ruston.
Dec. 1: KCS Yard, 2206 A St., Meridian, Miss.
Dec. 2: KCS Yard, 101 Wallace St., Tupelo, Miss.
Dec. 3: KCS Yard, 650 Childre Road, Jackson, Miss.
Dec. 4: 3900 Block of S. Washington Street, Vicksburg, Miss.
Dec. 5: KCS Yard, 600 Desiard St., Monroe.
Dec. 7: Adjacent to DQ&E Railyard, Ashdown, Ark.
Dec. 8: 124 N. Port Arthur St., DeQueen, Ark.
Dec. 9: KCS Yard, 403 W. First St., Heavener, Okla.
Dec. 10: Old KCS Depot, Stilwell, Okla.
Dec. 11: North County Road, south of Pebble Street, Lanagan, Mo.
Dec. 12: 1600 N. Taylor Ave., Pittsburg, Kan.
Dec. 13: West Main Street, Drexel, Mo.
Dec. 15: 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Union Station, Kansas City, Mo.
Dec. 16: noon-5:30 p.m., Union Station, Kansas City, Mo.
Dec. 17: 326 S. Jefferson St., Mexico, Mo.
Dec. 18: Pearl Street, Godfrey, Ill.
Dec. 19: The Old Depot, Roodhouse, Ill.
Dec. 20: The Depot, Slater, Mo.
Dec. 21: east of Main Street, Grain Valley, Mo.
Dec. 22: Main Street, Blue Springs, Mo.