Fourth Annual Caltrain Holiday Train Returns Dec. 4 & 5

Riding a super-sized toy train decorated with thousands of lights, Santa and his elves will come calling during the weekend of Dec. 4 and 5 aboard Caltrain’s fourth annual “Trains for Tots Special.”

Glowing with more than 40,000 lights and holiday decorations, the train will stop at nine train stations over the two nights, collecting toys for the area’s needy children.

At each of the train’s 20-minute station stops, people can share in a holiday sing-along led by a Salvation Army brass band and on-board carolers. Santa, Mrs. Claus, Frosty and the whole gang will get off the train to greet kids and pose for pictures.

Continuing a tradition begun in 2001, Caltrain and the Golden Gate Railroad Museum are joining with other partners to sponsor the special train to help generate toy donations for the Salvation Army and the United States Marine Corps Reserves’ Toys for Tots Program.

Since its inception, Trains for Tots has gathered more than 13,500 toys for distribution during the holiday season, and people are encouraged to drop a new, unwrapped toy in the barrels when they come to see the holiday train.

Two choruses will ride the train to lead the caroling. On Saturday night, it will be the Cisco Singers of Cisco Systems, directed by Mary Beth Shields; on Sunday night it will be the Peninsula Harmony Chorus, led by Paul Prochaska.

Pulled by a Caltrain locomotive, the train will include two old-fashioned passenger cars, a baggage car and a caboose. Volunteers put in hours attaching teddy bears, twinkling stars, animated drummers and snowmen to the train and creating a stage for the entertainers.

Even before the train arrives, families can get into the spirit of the holidays – and railroading. Model railroad displays will be open at the Menlo Park and Santa Clara stations before and after the train comes to town.

A half hour before the train is due, theatrical and musical groups will be at most stations to entertain: Pacifica’s Spindrift School of Performing Arts Players in San Bruno; the Hillsdale High School Chamber Singers in San Mateo; Redwood City's Citywide Children's Chorus in Redwood City; the Palo Alto High School Madrigals at the California Avenue station; and the Santa Clara Corps of the Salvation Army Band at Sunnyvale.

This holiday train would not be possible without the generous support of its sponsors, including Amtrak, IKEA Co., Peterson Power Systems, Rail Journeys West, the Port of Redwood City, VBN Architects and radio station KFRC. Debbie Lyn’s Costumes of Sunnyvale is donating most of the costumes for this year’s train, and the Midland, Texas company, TOMCAT USA, is providing a permanent stage structure.

Following is the schedule for the 2004 holiday train:

Saturday, Dec.4 Caltrain Station	Arrival	Departure
San Francisco Terminal at 4th & King streets	4:30 p.m.*	5:05 p.m.
Burlingame Caltrain Station California Drive and Burlingame Avenue	5:37 p.m.	5:57 p.m.
Redwood City Caltrain Station James Avenue and Franklin Street	6:15 p.m.	6:35 p.m.
Menlo Park Caltrain Station + Santa Cruz Avenue & Merrill Street	7:05 p.m.	7:25 p.m.
Santa Clara Caltrain Station + Railroad Avenue and Palm Drive	7:55 p.m.	8:15 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 5 Caltrain Station	Arrival	Departure
San Francisco Terminal at 4th & King streets	4:30 p.m.*	5:05 p.m.
San Bruno Caltrain Station Huntington at Sylvan avenues	5:28 p.m.	5:48 p.m.
San Mateo Transit Center First and Main streets	6:01 p.m.	6:21 p.m.
California Avenue Caltrain Station Park Boulevard and California Avenue	7:11 p.m.	7:31 p.m.
Sunnyvale Caltrain Station Evelyn Avenue and S. Francis Street	7:43 p.m.	8:03 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.

Caltrain is a tri-county partnership of the San Francisco Municipal Railway, the San Mateo County Transit District and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. Caltrain operates 86 weekday trains between San Francisco and San Jose, with commute-hour service to Gilroy. A total of 62 trains offer service on weekends.

11/1/04