The musicians have been chosen, the whistle stops selected and the lights soon will be hung on the boxcars with care for Canadian Pacific Railway's U.S. Holiday Train and its goodwill journey for food shelves across the U.S. Northeast, southern Ontario and Upper Midwest.
A second Holiday Train will stay entirely in Canada, leaving Beaconsfield near Montreal on Dec. 1 and ending in Port Moody outside of Vancouver, B.C., on Dec. 19, making 60 stops. This train's artists will be Wide Mouth Mason and Lisa Brokop.
The program has raised $2.4 million (Cdn) and collected 1.2 million pounds of food since the first Holiday Train ran in 1999.
Thousands of people gather trackside at depots, railroad crossings and other unusual venues along CPR's route to enjoy the arrival of the brightly decorated trains lighting up the winter nights. The musicians, who ride in private vintage cars at the end of the 12-car train, hop out and climb aboard a boxcar in the middle of the train that opens to reveal a stage where they perform live holiday concerts and invite crowds to sing along. Crowds donate money and nonperishable food, and the railroad presents a check at each stop. Food banks say the cash donations are especially appreciated because every dollar can distribute $9 worth of food.
About Canadian Pacific Railway
TIMES ARE TENTATIVE. Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before train arrives.
Northeast Holiday Train 2006 Schedule Friday, December 1 Scranton, Penn. - 5:30-6 p.m. - Steamtown National Historic Site, Lackawanna Ave. Binghamton, N.Y. - 8:45-9:15 p.m. - East Binghamton Rail Yard, Conklin Ave. Saturday, December 2 Oneota, N.Y. - 4:15-4:45 p.m. - Gas Avenue railroad crossing. Cobleskill, N.Y. - 7:15-7:45 p.m. - Cobleskill Fire Department, 610 Main Street. Delanson, N.Y. - 9-9:30 p.m. - Main Street railroad crossing. Sunday, December 3 Saratoga Springs, N.Y. - 12:45-1:15 p.m. - Amtrak Station. Fort Edward, N.Y. - 2:30-3 p.m. - Amtrak Station. Whitehall, N.Y. - 4-4:30 p.m. - Amtrak station. Ticonderoga, N.Y. - 5:45-6:15 p.m. - Pell's Crossing - Amtrak waiting area Route 74 (Fort Ti Road). Port Henry, N.Y. - 7:15-7:45 p.m. - Amtrak Station, West side stop. Plattsburgh, N.Y. - 10-10:30 p.m. - Amtrak Station. Rouses Point, N.Y. - 11:30-midnight - Rouses Point Station. Southern Ontario Holiday Train 2006 Schedule TIMES ARE TENTATIVE. Plan to arrive 15 minutes before train arrives. Monday, December 4 Hamilton, Ont. - 8-8:30 p.m. - Western approach to Kinnear Yard opposite Gage Park. Tuesday, December 5 Cambridge, Ont. - 5:30-6:30 p.m. - Former Galt station, 10 Malcolm St. Woodstock, Ont. - 7:45-8:45 p.m. - CPR main line, 199 Winnett St. London, Ont. - 9:30-10:15 p.m. - CPR yard on Central Avenue at Elizabeth St. Wednesday, December 6 Windsor, Ont. - 7-7:30 p.m.- CPR rail yard at Erie St.W & Janette St. TIMES ARE TENTATIVE. Plan to arrive 15 minutes before train arrives. Midwest Holiday Train 2006 Schedule Saturday, December 9 Gurnee, Ill. - 5-6 p.m. - North side of Grand Avenue underpass, east side of Depot Road across from Viking Middle School park, 4460 Old Grand Ave. Benefits Northern Illinois Food Bank. Sturtevant, Wis. - 6:45-7:45 p.m. - Amtrak depot, 9900 E. Exploration Ct. Benefits Racine County Food Bank. Pewaukee, Wis. - 9-10 p.m. - Village Park, 325 Capitol Dr. Benefits Food Pantry of Waukesha County. Sunday, December 10 Portage, Wis. - 4:15-5:15 p.m. - Amtrak depot, 400 W. Oneida St. Benefits St. Vincent De Paul Food Pantry. Wisconsin Dells, Wis. - 6:15-7:15 p.m. - Amtrak depot, 100 La Crosse St. Benefits Central Wisconsin Community Action Council. Mauston, Wis. - 7:45-8:45 p.m. - Industrial Park, West State Street. Benefits Mauston Community Sharing Pantry. Oakdale, Wis. - 9:30-10:30 p.m. - County Road N railroad crossing in the center of town. Benefits Neighbor for Neighbor Inc. Monday, December 11 La Crosse, Wis. - 3-4 p.m. - Amtrak depot, 601 Saint Andrew St. Benefits WAFER. Winona, Minn. - 5-6 p.m. - Amtrak depot, 65 E. Mark St. Benefits Winona Volunteer Services. Wabasha, Minn. - 7-8 p.m. - Gambia Avenue railroad crossing near Bruegger Park. Benefits Wabasha-Kellogg Food Shelf. Lake City, Minn. - 8:45-9:45 p.m. - Hearth Technologies, 800 W. Jefferson St. Benefits Lake City Food Shelf. Tuesday, December 12 Hastings, Minn. - 4-5 p.m. - CPR depot, 500 E. Second St. Benefits Hastings Family Service. Cottage Grove, Minn. - 5:30-6:30 p.m. - Belden Street railroad crossing behind new Holiday station on Hadley Avenue South (under the Sieben bridge on Highway 61). Benefits Friends in Need Food Shelf. St. Paul, Minn. - 7-8 p.m. - Upper level of Central Parking System ramp at Broadway & Kellogg under the Lafayette freeway bridge and east of old post office. Benefits Second Harvest Heartland. Minneapolis - 9-10 p.m. - Canadian Pacific Railway's Shoreham Yard, 2800 Central Ave. NE. Benefits Eastside Neighborhood Services. Wednesday, December 13 Loretto, Minn. - 4:15-5:15 p.m. - Hennepin County Road 19 railroad crossing/Chippewa Trail. Benefits Hanover Area Food Shelf. Buffalo, Minn. - 5:45-6:45 p.m. - 612 NE Third Ave., behind McDonald's on Highway 55. Benefits Buffalo Food Shelf. Annandale, Minn. - 7:30-8:30 p.m. - West side of downtown park over Oak Avenue railroad crossing. Benefits Annandale Community Food Shelf. Eden Valley, Minn. - 9:15-10:15 p.m. - Main Street railroad crossing (state Highway 22). Benefits Food Shelf. Thursday, December 14 Alexandria, Minn. - 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. - Eighth Avenue East railroad crossing by Hubbard Feed Mill at 8th & Nokomis. Benefits Outreach Food Shelf. Detroit Lakes, Minn. - 4:30-5:30 p.m. - Holmes Street railroad crossing near Detroit Lakes Community and Cultural Center, 826 Summit. Benefits Becker County Food Pantry. Thief River Falls, Minn. - 8-9 p.m. - Depot/City Hall, 2017 Highway 59 SE. Benefits Thief River Falls Area Food Shelf. Friday, December 15 Elbow Lake, Minn. - 4:30-5:30 p.m. - Main Street railroad crossing. Benefits Grant County Emergency Food Shelf. Hankinson, N.D. - 6:45-7:45 p.m. - Former depot site, 410 First St. SE. Benefits Richland-Wilkin Emergency Food Pantry. Enderlin, N.D.- 9:30-10:30 p.m. - CPR depot, 101 Harvest Lane. Benefits Ransom County Food Pantry. Saturday, December 16 Harvey, N.D. - 4:15-5:15 p.m. - CPR Depot, 600 Lincoln Ave. Benefits Central Dakota Ministerial Alliance. Minot, N.D. - 7:15-8:15 p.m. - Main Street railroad crossing. Benefits Minot Area Homeless Coalition. Carpio, N.D. - 9:10-10:15 p.m. - Main Street railroad crossing. Benefits Burlington Community Food Pantry. Sunday, December 17 North Portal, Sask. - 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. - Town center. Estevan, Sask. - 5-6 p.m. - East of CPR station at vacant lot off Seventh Street. Weyburn, Sask. - 7:30-8:30 p.m. - 512 Railway St.
Canadian Pacific Railway
