2014 CTA Holiday Bus

[sw4400]

Last weekend was employee appreciation day. The holiday bus was stationed at Rosemont and the holiday train was stationed at O'Hare.

employee appreciation day.jpg ea day.jpg ea2.jpg

I saw the Holiday Bus heading south on Milwaukee from work a few days ago, but won't be able to ride it this year, either... I do hope it'll come back next year, but that all depends on cost of wrapping, lights, decorations and employees to operate inside the bus, not to mention the second Santa(they don't work for candy canes, you know...). The train is done by CTA volunteers except for the Rail Operator driving the train... he/she gets regular pay for their work. I don't know if the Santa on the flatcar gets paid or if he, too, is a volunteer.

I know many years ago they had a "Free Santa Claus Bus" back in the '70's(they adorned a GM Fishbowl with a Santa cutout over the roll sign). I don't how if it was decorated much more than that, but that stopped running(probably costs more likely than not) and just started again almost 40 years later more elaborate than it's predecessor.