(The following story by Bob Petrie appeared on the Sheboygan Press website on December 16.)
PLYMOUTH, Wisc. — When it’s cold and snowy, there’s nothing like the sight of a great steam engine —with its billowing smokestack — to warm the hearts of train lovers young and old.
More than 2,000 people braved chilly, wintry weather early Saturday to get a glimpse of the first steam engine to pull into the Plymouth train depot in 54 years, bringing not only tons of railroad history but also a visit from Santa Claus.
“I’m wearing my warmest shirt and my warmest jacket,” said Adam Hollister, 7, who came to the depot with his parents, Hugh and Terri Hollister of Plymouth, to see the train, pulled by Soo Line No. 1003, a restored 1913 steam locomotive.
Throughout Saturday’s stop, the train continued to pour smoke in the air and its whistle kept on blowing, thrilling the people who arrived as early as 5 a.m. to watch.
“Our youngest is into Thomas (the Tank Engine) so he’s very excited to see the steam engine,” said Julie Avery, 37, of Sheboygan Falls. Her 3-year-old son, Sebastian, even came wearing his little engineer’s hat.
The event was sponsored by the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad, the line that serves Plymouth, and dozens of volunteers helped out, by stoking the train with coal and water, shepherding the kids through a 1946 caboose from The Milwaukee Road for the Santa visit, and keeping the visitors warm with plenty of hot chocolate, coffee and cider.
Each of the 400 children who were given tickets to see Santa got a personal visit, a gift bag and his or her photo taken.
“Santa’s getting everybody to smile,” said Pearl Fischer of Plymouth, one of the volunteers assigned to the Santa car, warmed by a vintage coal-burning stove.
Jerry Thompson, 54, railroad services coordinator for the City of Plymouth, said he was overwhelmed by the turnout, which formed a line several hundred feet long, wrapping around the depot, decked out for the holiday with ribbons, bells and tree boughs. Dozens of people took photos and home videos of the massive jet black engine while they waited for Santa.
“It brings out not only youngsters that like trains because of ‘(The) Polar Express’ and ‘Thomas the Tank (Engine),’ but there’s a lot of people that remember riding the passenger trains pulled by these same engines and they want to come out and relive those memories,” Thompson said.
The train arrived at the depot late Friday night, about five hours past schedule because of numerous delays, Thompson said.
First, the original crew that was to load it with coal in Hartford failed to show. Several switchers along the tracks were frozen and had to be opened manually. The caboose brakes also locked up due to the cold weather. Then, just south of Saukville, another train ahead of the Soo Line No. 1003 was involved in a crash with a truck, causing another wait. When the locomotive reached Random Lake, the crew that started in Hartford had to stop working because it reached its 12-hour limit for the day.
“We actually had to call up and bring another crew up from Milwaukee to Random Lake and bring it the rest of the way,” Thompson said.
The unscheduled stop at Random Lake on Friday night drew about 500 onlookers, Thompson said, and several hundred were waiting in Plymouth at about 11:30 p.m., when the train finally pulled in.
People arrived from as far away as Anchorage, Alaska, for a chance to see the train, Thompson said, adding that the appearance probably brought many people to Plymouth who had never seen the city before.
“A steam engine is pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime event,” he said.
Bob Ristow, 63, of Baraboo, who rode the train to Plymouth and served as one of the conductors for the Santa visit, said the turnout was “tremendous” and was glad to see that the specter of a steam locomotive still holds a magical power over people of all ages.
“I’m not sure where it comes from, but there’s just something in all of us that a whistle and a train is something just totally interesting for people in this day and age,” said Ristow, who works with the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, just west of Baraboo.
Bill Smith, 76, of Plymouth, who came with his wife, Linda, and 5-year-old grandson, Donovan, said seeing the engine brought back fond memories of the steam engine trip he made from Eau Claire to Chicago in the early 1950s, en route to his Navy service in the Korean War.
“I grew up with trains,” Smith said.
Among those bundling up for the chill and the thrill of seeing the train was Michael Mersberger, 37, of Sheboygan Falls, who came with his wife, Kristin, 8-year-old daughter Emily, and son Bryce, who celebrated his second birthday Saturday.
“It’s pretty neat, seeing the history of it and waiting in line with the kids and having the snow at the same time,” Michael Mersberger said.