The Mount Rainier Railroad will host about 40,000 riders on its Polar Express excursion that runs throughout the holiday season.
A passenger cart sits in a workshop during the restoration phase of this project Friday afternoon in Mineral.
Steven Butler, Chief Mechanical Officer of the Mount Rainier Railroad, talks about steam trains while inside a passenger cart that is currently undergoing restoration, Friday afternoon in Mineral.
The North Pole of Mineral is seen bright with Christmas cheer Friday afternoon.
Steven Butler, Chief Mechanical Officer of the Mount Rainier Railroad, talks about the operations of the steam trains used in the annual Polar Express trips from Elbe, Friday afternoon in Mineral.
"Number 17" sits in a workshop awaiting to be used in the annual Polar Express trips from Elbe, Friday afternoon in Mineral.
Steven Butler, Chief Mechanical Officer of the Mount Rainier Railroad, talks about the operations of the steam trains used in the annual Polar Express trips from Elbe, Friday afternoon in Mineral.
A Rayonier Incorporated caboose sits in a workshop waiting to be restored Friday afternoon in Mineral.
Steven Butler, Chief Mechanical Officer of the Mount Rainier Railroad, talks on the phone while standing in a vintage Hammond Lumber Company steam train, Friday afternoon in Mineral.
Steven Butler, Chief Mechanical Officer of the Mount Rainier Railroad, talks about the Polar Express trips from Elbe, Friday afternoon in Mineral.
Steven Butler, Chief Mechanical Officer of the Mount Rainier Railroad, talks about the operations of the steam trains used in the annual Polar Express trips from Elbe, Friday afternoon in Mineral.
Steven Butler, Chief Mechanical Officer of the Mount Rainier Railroad, talks about the operations of the steam trains used in the annual Polar Express trips from Elbe, Friday afternoon in Mineral.
Steven Butler, Chief Mechanical Officer of the Mount Rainier Railroad, talks on the phone while standing in a vintage Hammond Lumber Company steam train, Friday afternoon in Mineral.
The Mount Rainier Railroad hires about 50 actors for its Polar Express excursion that runs throughout the holiday season.
The Mount Rainier Railroad will host about 40,000 riders on its Polar Express excursion that runs throughout the holiday season.
When children and children at heart step onto the Polar Express train at the Mount Rainier Railroad, they’ll be enjoying the culmination of months of preparation, the craft of dozens of actors and the constant work of keeping historic locomotives running smoothly.
For riders, though, it will simply be a night at the North Pole. And that’s the way the staff at the Mount Rainier Railroad like it.
“When folks get on board, it’s the authentic experience,” said Railroad general manager Bethan Maher.
The Polar Express starts in Elbe, where riders are greeted with Christmas music and singing. When they get their tickets punched and board the train, it’s filled with characters from the movie — and hot chocolate is on hand for the wintry nights. After 7 miles, the train reaches the North Pole (located surprisingly close to Mineral).
At the North Pole, the iconic golden tree, brick archways and sleigh from the film are on display, and the train stops to pick up the excursion’s most essential participant.
“Santa’s a pretty busy guy,” Maher said. “But I think the Polar Express is a pretty important part of his Christmas celebrations. We’re lucky to have him on board.”
Santa joins the train for the ride back to Elbe, greeting passengers and spreading cheer.
“When you see the little kids, and they see Santa Claus come onto the train car, their eyes just get like this big,” said Steven Butler, the railroad’s chief mechanical officer and assistant general manager. “You see the smiles, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Butler has made a career of working on historic railroad equipment, like the 1929 steam locomotive that is part of the Rainier Railroad’s fleet. Restoration and maintenance is “constant,” he said, and many historic railroad operators have formed a network to swap expertise and obscure parts.
“We make a lot of our own parts,” he said. “We can’t buy stuff off the shelf.”
While the mechanical side of the railroad is its own intense operation, the logistics of the holiday season are an equal challenge. Rainier Railroad will welcome 40,000 riders during the holiday season this year. To handle that, they’ve brought in 100 seasonal workers, half of whom will be acting out parts from the Polar Express. A director from Disney World has come in to oversee the event.
Though the railroad has only been putting on the Polar Express for three years, they take the event seriously because they’ve already seen many return customers boarding the train with high expectations.
“It’s a family tradition,” said Maher. “Families really get into it. They wear their pajamas or matching Christmas outfits or ugly sweaters.”
Though the kids are usually the focus of the ride, Maher said adults often get just as much enjoyment from watching the youngsters so entranced. Additionally, the ride offers families an hour and 15 minutes of just being on a train in the winter night, away from stresses and problems.
“It’s an experience that people of all ages enjoy, from the kids to the grandparents,” she said.
The event is so popular that the railroad began selling tickets in March, as families want to plan their holiday schedule around a ride. Many of the rides are already sold out, and the railroad expects all of 80-plus excursions will depart with a full slate of passengers.
“The most common feedback we have is that it’s a truly magical experience,” Maher said.
