WELLINGTON — While the Polar Express is often thought about when it comes to Christmas trains, the city of Wellington has its own exciting equivalent in its Santa Train rides.

Provided by Lake Shore Railway Association, the popular attraction welcomes passengers onto its authentic 1950s-style passenger locomotive for a ride through a winter wonderland. Part of that excitement includes a very special passenger as well, Santa.

“About nine years ago now I was at a meeting for Lake Shore when I thought about the idea of having a themed train ride for kids around the holidays,” said conductor and board member David Flood. “We knew we wanted it to be something fun but not real long, just long enough to capture the kids' attention, and that’s when the idea for the Santa train was born.”

Each ride lasts around 40 minutes, traveling a mile and a half up the track and back while kids get a chance to visit with Santa, take pictures and receive a genuine reindeer sleigh bell. For kids like Bradyn McGregor of Amherst, the experience is entirely worth it.

“How long will it take to get the North Pole?” he excitedly asked the director.

“Oh at this speed, it will take months,” Flood joked back. “But why go to the North Pole when Santa is coming on the train?”

McGregor’s eyes lit up at the notion, and he became even more excited when the jolly man came aboard, chuckling heartily and asking kids what they wanted for Christmas.

Lake Shore Railway operates on the former Lorain and West Virginia line hosting various events like the Santa train throughout the year. Flood said its two most popular rides are the pumpkin train rides and the Santa train.

“We started doing the rides eight years ago with Santa, and we continued them during COVID-19 as well,” he said. “We were the only railway to do so, but it worked perfectly and no one got sick, so it was something that I felt was truly needed to help brighten spirits.”

The railway hosts wine rides and Easter train ride to a field full of eggs, pumpkin patch train rides and fall foliage rides. And the events aren’t just for kids.

“I had a couple on here the other day that told me how they had never been on a train before,” Flood said. “He told me that when he heard that we had a train ride with lights and Santa his age didn’t matter at that point and that he was excited to ride.”

The train, and railway itself also have a rich history.

“While the engine and the cars are not from the same train, they are the same time period, so it flows well together,” Flood said. “Our locomotive was originally under Chicago with the Northwestern Railroad where it was used as a commuter passenger train.”

After changing hands two other times, Flood and a few other investors purchased the locomotive from Wisconsin Southern in 2001. As for the railcars, they came from Long Island. Flood said that the board plans to continue to expand the events and services and is looking forward to the Easter train event this spring.

For more information on events or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.lwvry.org/.

Contact Lauren Hoffman at (440) 328 6902 or Lhoffman@chroniclet.com.