Holiday Train to stop in Schenectady, 3 other communities

PHOTOGRAPHER: Michael Lamendola

Canadian Pacific’s 11th annual Holiday Train will stop for the first time in Schenectady on Sunday, bringing along free music and cheer and collecting donations for the local food pantry.

The train will stop at the road-level railroad crossing on Maxon Road Extension at approximately 9:20 p.m. It will remain there until 10 p.m.

Police will block off Maxon Road Extension at Erie Boulevard and at Alexander Street starting at 9 p.m. Parking will be allowed at a siding near the crossing, according to Canadian Pacific spokeswoman Breanne Feigel.

The train also will stop in Cobleskill and Delanson on Sunday, and Saratoga Springs on Monday.

Led by a red locomotive, the 11-car Holiday Train features more than 100,000 LED lights displayed along its 1,000-foot length, Feigel said. The lights portray reindeer, Christmas bells and other holiday scenes. They remain lighted during the train’s 20-day journey across the United States, “We keep the lights on permanently throughout the trip. We make sure we stay nice and bright,” Feigel said.

During the train’s stop, Mayor Brian U. Stratton and a representative of the local Salvation Army will speak. Canadian Pacific officials will present a check to the Salvation Army’s food pantry.

Santa Claus will then kick off the show, which includes a mix of country blues, rock and Christmas songs, Feigel said. Scheduled entertainers include Prescott and Adam Puddington and special guests Shaun Verreault and Willy Porter. Helpers will distribute candy to the crowd.

As part of the event, people are asked to bring a donation of food or make a cash contribution for the local food pantry, Feigel said. “It is a unique way to give back to the community and a great opportunity for kids to learn about giving,” she said.

Since it began its run, the Holiday Train has helped raise $4 million and 2 million pounds of food for local food banks.

Feigel said city officials requested the train stop in Schenectady this year, rather than pass through as it has in the past. The train runs through Schenectady on its way to Saratoga Springs.

“We recognized it as an opportunity to bring the train here,” Feigel said.

The train will conclude its journey in North Dakota on Dec. 19. By then it and its sister train, which visits communities in Canada, will have traveled some 8,000 miles and visited 140 communities. The U.S. train started Thursday from Montreal.

The Holiday Train on Sunday also will make visits at the Cobleskill Fire Department, 610 Main St., from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m.; and at the Main Street railroad crossing in Delanson from 8 to 8:30 p.m. On Monday, it will stop at the Amtrak station in Saratoga Springs from noon to 12:30 p.m. For additional information and other stops, visit www.cpr.ca.