The Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad’s special Christmas holiday season excursion trains begin this weekend.
As the railroad joins Abilene’s “Cowtown Christmas” celebration, holiday excursions are scheduled November 26th and running through Christmas Eve.
Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad president and general manager Ross Boelling said “as the song says, ‘we need a little Christmas,’ and we want to help Kansans celebrate the holiday season in a special way.” He added that the railroad has aptly named its holiday train “The Cowtown Santa Express.”
Volunteers have decorated the train’s interior and exterior, and the railroad’s historic Rock Island Depot, for the holiday season.
The railroad will run two trains daily at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. on November 26, and on December 10 and 17, with special runs on Christmas Eve at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The Express will travel the A&SV’s normal Abilene-Enterprise round trip, and will feature hot chocolate, cookies, and a visit from Santa.
Boelling said each train is limited to 100 passengers. The railroad is offering special holiday fares: $15 for adults, $10 for children ages 3-11 and children under three can ride for free.
The A&SV will also run two holiday season dinner trains, the “Christmas Dining Express,” which will run on December 3 and on New Year’s Eve. The December 3 train will be catered by Lucinda’s Katering of Abilene, who will serve a lasagna dinner. The price of that train is $75 per person. The New Year’s Eve Express will feature wood grilled pork loin and chicken breast, prepared by Kite’s Draft House of Manhattan. Tickets for the New Year’s Eve train are $100.
Tickets for the Cowtown Santa Express and dinner train reservations may be made at the railroad’s website, www.asvrr.org. Some excursions are already sold out.
Boelling added that the A&SV will once again run the annual Abilene Parks and Recreation Commission Santa Train on December 3. That train will run at 1:00 p.m. for a 45 minute trip, and those tickets are $12, which can be purchased thru the Commission.
Photos via Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad