Santa on the Road

Tradition # 3: THE SANTA CLAUS TRAIN

Some of you Richmonders reading may know this, and some may not, but The Science Museum of Virginia used to be the Broad Street train station. I can remember going there with my Daddy when I was a little girl to pick up my grandmother who was arriving from his hometown of Georgia. You could go right down on the landing right next to the tracks just like a picture out of those old movies where the lovers are parting ways, and they wave until the train is out of sight.
Just as my grandparents took us to see the REAL Santa Claus every year, they also took us on a Saturday in December down to the Broad Street Station to board the Santa Claus Train. It would depart the Broad Street Station, ride the rails up to Ashland and then back. I don't remember this as well as I do some of the other traditions we had because they stopped the yearly train ride when I was pretty young. During the trip we would have some kind of refreshment, and other performers would come by and perform in the aisle. Unfortunately, for me, there was usually a clown who did magic. I still remember his costume. It was black with multicolored polka dots, and he wore a bowler hat over a shoulder length yellow wig. The only tricks I remember  were a rope trick and he would make a lit cigarette disappear into a bandanna. Odd that I would remember that so clearly. I was always relieved when he passed through our car and moved on. And then just about the time we were to arrive back at Broad Street,  the REAL Santa, with his elf and his Snow Queen would come by and talk to us all about what we wanted for Christmas. It was another thing I looked forward to each year. I have no idea what it cost to ride the Santa Claus train. There were no photo ops for a fee. It was just a special train ride that added that "magic" to the season.