The Polar Express Traditional Cache

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Hidden : 10/11/2007
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

This cache commemorates the "Santa Train", which departs from the nearby CSX Railroad's Shelbiana Terminal.


Since 1943 the official arrival of the Christmas season to many of the residents of eastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia has been marked by the shrill scream of a train whistle as the "Santa Special" makes it way through the region stopping at designated places for Santa to throw out 15 tons of candy, gifts and other goodies to those waiting trackside.

It all started as a goodwill gesture to rural residents in eastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia, a way of thanking them for shopping in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Merchant's Bureau of Kingsport, (which later became the Greater Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce), and the Clinchfield Railroad put their collective heads together and came up with the idea. At the time they probably didn't realize it was going to become nationally known.

The arrival of the first Santa Train through the area must have been quite an event. The country was at war. Coal mining was the chief industry here, and workers were being paid low wages in script instead of currency. Therefore they were forced to shop only at company owned businesses which accepted the script. As a result the miners periodically went on strikes to express their displeasure with this system.

After the war, the high coal production continued and the bottom dropped out of the market. Times were hard for most families of the area during those years. So the first Santa Train provided the only Christmas presents some children received. But as the years went on and the economy improved the Santa Train continued to makes its annual trek and the running of the train became a treasured tradition in the hearts of many.



Today it's not unusual to see grandparents out by the train tracks with their grandchildren, continuing a tradition they have participated in for most of their lives, and young mothers holding infants, continuing the tradition their parents started when they themselves were children. You can also see many tourists these days along the route, cameras in hand, capturing a treasured moment in our history as Santa yells a cheery, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" as the train disappears on down the track.

The train has scheduled stops at Marrowbone, Elkhorn, Fremont, Dante, St. Paul, Dungannon, Speers Ferry, Waycross and Kingsport, but it often stops at other spots along the track where crowds of people are gathered anxiously trying to catch a glimpse of Old Saint Nick, who rides on the back of the train.

The late Charles Kuralt did a CBS-TV "On the Road" segment aboard the Santa Train some years back and worldwide attention has escalated since then.

Singer Patty Loveless recorded a song titled, "The Santa Train" which is about the running of the train that Loveless grew up seeing as a child in Kentucky. Loveless rode on the train in 1999 and 2002, thrilling audiences at stops along the route by getting off the train and singing her song. Other celebrities who have taken the train include Alison Krauss, Naomi Judd, Travis Tritt, and Rebecca Lynn Howard.


Santa & Alison

Each year, on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Santa Special begins its journey at 7:30 a.m. right here in Shelbiana, Kentucky, and ends its 110-mile trek in Kingsport, Tennessee, at 3:00 p.m., just in time for Santa to make his way off the train and onto a float for the annual Kingsport Christmas Parade.

Due to limited seating, passengers on the train are selected at the invitation of the Kingsport Chamber president and are usually individuals who have contributed a significant amount of time, effort and resources to the Kingsport Chamber and community during the year.

November 17, 2007, marked the 65th running of the Santa Train.

FTF Congrats to SpongeBob CachePants!!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Olr, fba. V'z tbvat gb tb trg n Puevfgznf gerr.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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