Some of my pictures from yesterday. Wow, was it well attended, and crowds lined up into the street with people and children anxious to ride the steam trains to meet Santa! Every restoration railroad should be as fortunate and well thought out as these people! Over the day, I'm going to guess 2,000 visitors or more. The railroad was set up to look like any day in the early 1900's. Yes, they did run a Diesel too, but the crowds demanded it. The draft horses were almost as popular as the trains - as were Santa and Mrs. Santa. A nice wood fire at the Alna station kept people happy and cheerful. Lots of activities for children, model trains, free fares, free food and drink - donation cans being stuffed.
Carole Ann and I stayed about three hours, and when we left, people were arriving. We heard one young women saying, "I didn't want to come last year, now I will never miss it again!" Yes, tons of railfans, but not terribly obstructive for most pictures. A ground coating of snow might have been pretty, but I am not complaining about this weather!
Everyone was talking about the "miracle locomotive", brought back to life as she belongs, where she belongs.
