(The following story by Terry Hillig appeared on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website on December 10.)
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Santa Claus and his elves are headed for Godfrey on the Kansas City Southern Railway’s Holiday Express.
The train is scheduled to arrive at the Pearl Street station in Godfrey at 4 p.m. on Monday.
The Holiday Express is in its eighth year and visits 23 stops in communities in eight states served by Kansas City Southern. At each stop, the railway contributes Wal-Mart gift cards to the local Salvation Army to provide warm clothing for needy children. The gift cards this year will be worth more than $125,000.
The Holiday Express is supported by donations from the railway’s employees, vendors and friends and continues a tradition started by the former Gateway Western Railway’s Santa Train. Kansas City Southern purchased Gateway Western in 1997.
The six-car Holiday Express includes a smiling tank car called “Rudy;” a flat car carrying Santa’s sleigh, reindeer and a miniature village; a gingerbread box car; the elves’ workshop; the reindeers’ stable; and a little red caboose.
Other stops include Mexico, Mo., at 4 p.m. Saturday, Pearl, Ill., at 4 p.m. Sunday and Roodhouse, Ill., at 4 p.m. Tuesday.