BusHunter Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 I got to ride the holiday train just by pure luck tonight at Washington/Dearborn blue line and the platform was packed. i saw the train coming and felt a bah humbug coming on cause I knew it would be packed. I felt like maybe I could become a sardine for a few minutes and boarded. The train was crazy packed, I was laughing at some guy who was pinned in the center of the doors, I was pinned pretty good myself. That's about the tightest quarters I've been in, good thing I'm not claustrophobic. So I rode on it, it was pretty wild until Western where it cleared out a hair, it mostly cleared out at Logan Square, but got crowded again at Belmont. It was pretty crowded all the way out to Harlem. I noted Sprint has put full length (standard card size) card cards advertising it's product. 2 per car section on the ends, 4 per car section in the car middle. I noticed alot of crew photos were missing and the hokey advertising was too, but there was a few, I saw one crew person photo in #2896 and a few hokey advertisements like half what was there before. I noticed they put rope lights around the inside door and tops of the windows. i don't remember that before. There were droves/hoardes of people waiting on the platforms some couldn't get on. They really need a 2nd train following the first. It was kind of comical watching these people who were running around with their cell phones, it was pandemonium. I was thinking damn, it's not like this is the #7000 series!! I had one question for Santa I would have liked to ask before he left us. Is Forest Glen getting the #8200 series? But jolly old Saint Nick would probably say "Ho!! Ho!! Ho!!, well sonny, if you believe it will happen then it will, you see it's belief that gets us there, it is why I am here. Ho!! Ho!! Ho!! And away he flew on the CTA Blue!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 1 hour ago, chicagopcclcar said: " Is Forest Glen getting the #8200 series? But jolly old Saint Nick would probably say "Ho!! Ho!! Ho!!, well sonny, if you believe it will happen then it will, you see it's belief that gets us there." Usually Santa is a rail service/ shop crew person so I doubt he would know what a "#8200" is......I sure don't, LOL. DH Santa knows everything, What you talkin' about Willis? (just kidding) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinny Posted December 15, 2015 Report Share Posted December 15, 2015 On 11/17/2015 at 4:17 PM, chicagopcclcar said: Suggestions that people look at riding the Holiday Train on days when its not crowed is good thinking. The Hoilday Train is run as an extra. Two routes can only accept a six-train.....the Yellow line can only accept two-car trains. EDIT...... Thinking it over, of the eight routes, six can accept the Holiday Train, and two cannot...Purple and Yellow. To run in the Purple north of Howard, crew cuts out the rear car. Remember, the Holiday Train is really a seven train consist with Santa and his sleigh aboard the flat car. Rail control has the ability when the Holiday Trains backs up the normal schedule the run trains around the Holiday Train between Fullerton and Belmont. Those battleship sized strollers are still a problem. I remember even a Radio Flyer wagon on one trip. OK, I'll bite. They're running the holiday train on the Yellow Line on 12/23. Two car consist (one passenger and one flat car) or three cars (two passenger and the flat car)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juniorz Posted December 15, 2015 Report Share Posted December 15, 2015 Three deuce sets for the Yellow Line, the flat bed sleigh will recharge for Santa's round-trip to the North Pole (via Skokie Shops) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pace831 Posted December 15, 2015 Report Share Posted December 15, 2015 5 minutes ago, Vinny said: OK, I'll bite. They're running the holiday train on the Yellow Line on 12/23. Two car consist (one passenger and one flat car) or three cars (two passenger and the flat car)? Three two-car trains with no flatcar. In other words, the normal in-service trains between approximately 3-7 PM will be run with the holiday train pairs. Last year's schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted December 15, 2015 Report Share Posted December 15, 2015 1 hour ago, Vinny said: OK, I'll bite. They're running the holiday train on the Yellow Line on 12/23. Two car consist (one passenger and one flat car) or three cars (two passenger and the flat car)? Juniorz and Pace831 are correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juniorz Posted December 16, 2015 Report Share Posted December 16, 2015 It's always been like that. All 3 Santa's used during the season are featured with Santa's helpers aboard each duece set (1 Santa per duece) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R36BoxMotor Posted December 20, 2015 Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 On 12/12/2015 at 0:54 AM, BusHunter said: I got to ride the holiday train just by pure luck tonight at Washington/Dearborn blue line and the platform was packed. i saw the train coming and felt a bah humbug coming on cause I knew it would be packed. I felt like maybe I could become a sardine for a few minutes and boarded. The train was crazy packed, I was laughing at some guy who was pinned in the center of the doors, I was pinned pretty good myself. That's about the tightest quarters I've been in, good thing I'm not claustrophobic.There were droves/hoardes of people waiting on the platforms some couldn't get on. They really need a 2nd train following the first. If the demand/interest for the holiday train is there, I would suggest perhaps having three or four 2400 work motor pairs be wired with the exterior holiday lighting features as 2893-98 and be used so that two holiday trains could tour the system, doubling opportunities to ride or view the holiday train. (After all, they do have a "candy cane" stripe...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted December 20, 2015 Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 32 minutes ago, R36BoxMotor said: If the demand/interest for the holiday train is there, I would suggest perhaps having three or four 2400 work motor pairs be wired with the exterior holiday lighting features as 2893-98 and be used so that two holiday trains could tour the system, doubling opportunities to ride or view the holiday train. (After all, they do have a "candy cane" stripe...) Maybe they can get some phone company to pay for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 6 hours ago, R36BoxMotor said: If the demand/interest for the holiday train is there, I would suggest perhaps having three or four 2400 work motor pairs be wired with the exterior holiday lighting features as 2893-98 and be used so that two holiday trains could tour the system, doubling opportunities to ride or view the holiday train. (After all, they do have a "candy cane" stripe...) Now if they only thought to use #5000's, they could fit more people on per car thanks to the longitudinal seats!! Seriously, they should do a #5000 set in addition to a #2600 set because they will be exploring this anyway in 5 years. If it fails it is the backup right. Having back to back Xmas trains would be able to handle the bigger crowds and maybe they could decide to run either train on the smaller lines. They wouldn't be relying on one old train to get the job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 6 hours ago, R36BoxMotor said: If the demand/interest for the holiday train is there, I would suggest perhaps having three or four 2400 work motor pairs be wired with the exterior holiday lighting features as 2893-98 and be used so that two holiday trains could tour the system, doubling opportunities to ride or view the holiday train. (After all, they do have a "candy cane" stripe...) The question is how they're going to handle the trains if they're both in the same area. "Mom, why are there two Santas at Clark/Lake?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 11 hours ago, MTRSP1900-CTA3200 said: The question is how they're going to handle the trains if they're both in the same area. "Mom, why are there two Santas at Clark/Lake?" I would assume different lines, at least keep the intersections down. At least it isn't like the old days when Santa was simultaneously at Marshall Fields, Carsons, Goldblatts, and Montgomery Ward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted November 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2016 Coming soon...... about 2 and a half weeks from now...... the 2016 Santa's Express Train returns from it's Long-Term Hold. Who's ready to see it decked out??? Schedules will be posted as they come out on my Rail Rosters here 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm522 Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 Read online that the holiday train begins this weekend with a start on the Red Line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted November 20, 2017 Report Share Posted November 20, 2017 2017 Jewel Osco CTA Holiday Train schedule is up on the CTA website. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted November 21, 2017 Report Share Posted November 21, 2017 1 hour ago, MTRSP1900-CTA3200 said: 2017 Jewel Osco CTA Holiday Train schedule is up on the CTA website. I bet that Jojo, the cyclops cookie monster, will be riding. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garmon757 Posted November 21, 2017 Report Share Posted November 21, 2017 From this past Saturday. 2 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted November 21, 2017 Report Share Posted November 21, 2017 16 hours ago, Busjack said: I bet that Jojo, the cyclops cookie monster, will be riding. It's all part of the plan to reduce crowding. Children will see that thing and run away crying. 1 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted November 21, 2017 Report Share Posted November 21, 2017 19 minutes ago, Kevin said: It's all part of the plan to reduce crowding. Children will see that thing and run away crying. Must be a big draw for Mariano's. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted December 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 Got a chance to ride the Jewel-Osco CTA Holiday Train yesterday on the Brown Line. Crowded as always, but nice to do.... however, no "1225" run number or Candy Cane to mark it... thankfully it was slow loading and unloading, or I would've missed it. CTA might want to look into that. @Busjack & @Kevin, no Jojo sightings. I think he'll remain off the train. @garmon757, awesome shots on the Red Line! 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 10 hours ago, sw4400 said: @Busjack & @Kevin, no Jojo sightings. I think he'll remain off the train. If you're still employed by them, do you mean they didn't give you a suit and tell you to get to work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted December 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 5 hours ago, Busjack said: If you're still employed by them, do you mean they didn't give you a suit and tell you to get to work? Nope. Just enjoy the ride. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 54 minutes ago, sw4400 said: Nope. Just enjoy the ride. Also, plenty of car cards, but not one for local Lucerne Dairy Farms egg nog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Stclair Posted June 30, 2018 Report Share Posted June 30, 2018 Saw the 2017 Holiday Train at the Skokie Swift great place for photographing the train as I was able to get close and talk to some of the CTA employees who were on hand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted November 16, 2018 Report Share Posted November 16, 2018 The initial schedule and dates for each route for the 2018 Holiday Train is up on the CTA website. The link is below. https://www.transitchicago.com/holidayfleet/ This year the train is sponsored by Allstate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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