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Caltrain "Trains for Tots" will Come Steaming into Town
A special Caltrain will be dispatched from the North Pole to brighten the holidays,
powered by a steam locomotive and sparkling with more than 15,000 twinkling lights.
The Trains for Tots Special will bring the magic and music of the season to nine
San Francisco and Peninsula train stations over the Nov. 30-Dec. 1 weekend.
During the train's 25-minute station stops, families can join in singing with
carolers and a Salvation Army brass band. Santa and his friends will get off the
train to greet kids and pose for pictures.
For the second year, Caltrain and the Golden Gate Railroad Museum are joining with
other partners to sponsor the special train to help generate toy donations for the
United States Marine Corps Reserves' Toys for Tots Program.
Last year, more than 4,400 toys were brought to Caltrain stations, and people are
again encouraged to help make the holidays brighter for needy Bay Area children by
bringing a new, unwrapped toy.
Adding to the excitement of this year's train will be the museum's 81-year-old
steam locomotive, former S.P. No. 2472, starring as "Rudolph" to lead the way.
On Saturday night, Nov. 30, the Cisco Singers, an employee choir directed by Mary
Beth Shields, will return to lead the caroling; on Sunday night it will be members of
Peninsula Cantare, directed by Caņada College's Janice Gunderson.
Volunteers are hard at work attaching life-sized, animated decorations and
hundreds of feet of garland to the train, which will include two old-fashioned
passenger cars and other rolling stock.
 Sponsorship support is being provided for Trains for Tots by Microsoft Corp., Ernst
Development Inc., Amtrak, Amelco Electric, Herzog Contracting Corp. and Stacy &
Witbeck, Inc.
Following is the schedule for the 2002 holiday train:
Saturday, Nov. 30
Caltrain Station |
Arrival |
Departure |
San Francisco Terminal
at 4th & King streets |
4:30 p.m.* |
5:00 p.m. |
Millbrae Caltrain Station
California Drive & Linden Avenue |
5:20 p.m. |
5:45 p.m. |
San Mateo Transit Center
First and Main streets |
6:00 p.m. |
6:25 p.m. |
Menlo Park Caltrain Station +
Santa Cruz Avenue & Merrill Street |
6:45 p.m. |
7:10 p.m. |
Santa Clara Caltrain Station +
Railroad Avenue and Palm Drive |
7:35 p.m. |
8:00 p.m. |
Sunday, Dec. 1
Caltrain Station |
Arrival |
Departure |
San Francisco Terminal
at 4th & King streets |
4:30 p.m.* |
5:00 p.m. |
Burlingame Caltrain Station
California Drive/Burlingame Avenue |
5:25 p.m. |
5:50 p.m. |
Redwood City Caltrain Station
James Avenue and Franklin Street |
6:10 p.m. |
6:35 p.m. |
Palo Alto Caltrain Station
University Avenue at Alma Street |
6:50 p.m. |
7:15 p.m. |
Mountain View Caltrain Station
Castro Street at W. Evelyn Avenue |
7:25 p.m. |
7:50 p.m. |
The train is for display only. Trains may arrive up to five minutes ahead of
schedule.
+ Model railroad exhibits will be open at Menlo Park from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
and at Santa Clara from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
* The holiday program in San Francisco begins at this time.
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