Christmas at the North Pole Flyer 2012
at Cedar Park, TX
By Austin Guest
Blogger, Momma’s Bacon
The North Pole
Flyer Train Returns Bringing the Train’s Own Christmas Story to Young and Old Alike!
The
North Pole Flyer train is back again for the month of December for the Austin-area’s
own train Christmas Story for the whole family to enjoy. If you are familiar with my blog, you know our
family is a little obsessive about trains and Christmas. Trains hold a special place in my heart
because they remind me of my dad’s father who spent his entire career (besides
a stint of being drafted in the Army) working on the railroad. He started working for the B&O Railroad
(the first passenger hauling railroad in the United States) out of the Newark,
Ohio, division in 1950 and retired there in 1989. I have lots of train products and for our
eight year wedding anniversary last year, Bob and I spent part of the day going
to Cedar Park, TX (1/2 hour from our home) for an anniversary date on the
Bertam Flyer passenger train. The fun
thing about the Bertram Flyer train (the same one used for the North Pole
Flyer) is that each passenger car is from a different era with its own
history. I’m adding some info at the end
about the Santa Fe car. It was a treat! We got some amazing seats in the Santa Fe car
and from start to finish you got a ‘feel’ for how those passenger trains really
worked. It is also an operation of love
since most of the players at the Austin Steam Train association are volunteers,
so their passion for trains is quite sincere and their special events
throughout the year like the Mystery Theater and the Christmas North Pole Flyer
are not only a huge hit in the area, they are also a whole lot of fun for the
whole family – and a way to meet both Mr. and
Mrs. Claus! We decided since this is
Brooke’s first real excitement for Santa and Christmas, this year would be the
perfect time to take our preschooler to the North Pole Flyer and see what
happens.
Christmas at the North Pole Flyer is through the Austin Steam Train Association which is a mostly volunteer organization from people who
LOVE trains. Their Christmas Flyer has
been a popular staple outside of Austin in Cedar Park for several years and
there are many reasons why. First, your
child gets to see both Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus on board the train! That’s exciting enough for a little child who
just started to appreciate Christmas so meeting the Claus family was quite the
event. Plus each child has an
opportunity for snacks (including cookies from Mrs. Claus), a special holiday
story time and a special gift (Brooke got a neat train whistle from Santa)
which is a wonderful way for kids to remember this special ride. The ride is approximately two hours and is
non-stop (yes, there are bathrooms although slightly crowded for any
diaper-changing parents) train that boards and de-boards at the same ‘train
station’ location in Cedar Park. Be sure
to show up at least a half hour early and there is a few shops and restaurants
(including a nice diner) right in the train station area. I did get a tip that a past rider said the
trip went over the two hour mark, so pack some extra toys if you have real
little ones. The older ones should stay
pretty entertained. Oh, and there is a
(small) gift shop (yes, it does take cards!), a giveaway and they honestly take
your ticket and stamp it. Heaven. We all wore comfortable clothes (Brooke had
on her reindeer jammies) and had an awesome time. Highly recommended although it was a special
treat since it is a little on the expensive side. We had a blast with lots of great memories,
which is what counts to us.
2012 North Pole Flyer Prices (Note: Child is Age 2+):
Adult Child Senior
Excursion
Coach $30 $30 $30
First
Class Coach $35 $35 $35
First
Class Lounge $40 $40 $40
Austin
Steam Train Association Information:
401 E. Whitestone Blvd., Suite A-103, Cedar
Park, TX, 78613
Tip! If you want to purchase your own compartment
(for a more expensive price) or have any special requests, please call their
Austin Steam Train office to reserve!
SOLD OUT FOR 2012! All 15 dates in December have already sold
out (oh no!), so remember you have to get your tickets early for next season!
About the Santa Fe Car (just one of the
passenger cars on the Betram Flyer):
This
car originally housed a barbershop, shower, passenger lounge and crew dormitory
on the Santa Fe’s famous Super Chief train, which operated between Chicago and Los
Angeles. It was built by Pullman-Standard in November 1950 as one of six
identical cars. The 1343 later became part of Amtrak’s fleet during the 1970s,
and was purchased by Charles and Lowell Turner in 1982. Today the car contains
a popular party room for up to 10 passengers, a kitchen and lounge area for
passenger seating. The car is fully climate controlled.
Guest Blog Author Bio:
I am a local working Austin Momma,
with a SAHD hubby and a preschooler, who writes a blog under the moniker ‘Momma’s
Bacon’ as an un-paid hobby. I
write kid’s product reviews with a focus on empowerment as a passion!
"MOM + ENTREPRENEUR = MOMMAPRENEUR"
All Train buffs: We thoroughly enjoyed reading Jeanna's blog. We liked Momma's bacon name. Trains have been my life, and still enjoy riding them, whenever we are on vacation. All of my working days were spent traveling the entire state of Ohio, on the Newark Division. I enjoyed working for the railroad. When I first made my student trips, back in March 1950, I couldn't believe a person got paid for this type of work. To me, it was more of a pleasure. I would love to see more trains, as the haul passengers and freight much more econonical than any other mode of transportation. Thanks for reading. Don
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