His usual mode of transportation is a sleigh with eight tiny reindeer, led by one named Rudolph with a nose that glows. But before the big night itself, Santa Claus gets around another way: The Kansas City Southern Holiday Express Train!
This Kris Kringle special chugs its way through seven states and some 22 communities.
According to the Jolly Old Elf himself, when the train rolls into those place, especially the smaller towns, it is a big event.
For some of the stops, the Express is the one and only community-wide celebration.
For the next five days, the six-car Holiday Express with the smiling lead car named Rudy, will be at Union Station. You can walk through the displays and see Santa for free, like more than 28,000 folks did last year.
This happy traveler has been making the railway rounds for about 16 years now. At each stop, a charitable contribution is made to the local Salvation Army for warm clothes and other necessities for children in need.
This year, the Holiday Express will have distributed a total of $153, 290 all along the way!
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Joel Nichols can be reached at joel.nichols@kclive.tv.
