The 13th annual Holiday Train with Santa Claus aboard looked magical as it pulled into the Santa Clara Caltrain station from San Francisco at 8:10 p.m. December 5th, after prior stops in Burlingame, Redwood City and Mountain View. The train stood out against the black sky, aglow with thousands of red, yellow, green, blue, and white holiday lights.
Snow began falling—no matter that it was artificial—from an open train car where the Peninsula Harmony Chorus sang holiday songs for the crowd lining the walkway alongside the train. Parents hoisted their children onto their shoulders for a better view as Santa and Mrs. Claus, Rudolph and other holiday characters disembarked for 20 minutes—just long enough to walk the length of the train and greet the children.
Tatyana Mitchill and her four-year-old daughter, Aoife, had missed the Holiday Train on its Mountain View stop and drove to Santa Clara to catch up with it. Diana Hortin came with her two sons, their girlfriends and her mother.
“Mom has been here every year, but it’s our first time,” says Hortin. “She told us to bring presents to share with less fortunates. It’s a way of thanking for the blessings we always have.”
Caltrain partners with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army to collect toys for children in need. Sunday the Holiday Train, sponsored by Caltrain and The Silicon Valley Community Foundation, made a second trip south from San Francisco, stopping in Millbrae, San Mateo, Menlo Park and Sunnyvale, collecting more toys for Santa to deliver—and creating more magic.