Riding the Rails for Charity

Photographs by Bob Kennell

For the past two years, the Canadian Pacific Railway’s “Holiday Train” has helped to raise money for charities by trekking across Canada from Montreal to Vancouver, British Columbia. But this year the train began its journey from the Fresh Pond Junction Rail Yard in Queens, N.Y., to commemorate the New York firefighters and police who gave their lives rescuing people from the World Trade Center.

The 1,200-foot freight train left the rail yard last week after the Canadian Pacific Railway donated Christmas trees to the families of uniformed victims of the terrorist attack and handmade wreaths to the police and fire chiefs of New York. The train is covered from front to back with 8,000 multicolored Christmas lights supplied by General Electric, and for the first time will fly both the U.S. and Canadian flags on top.

The train is traveling through New York State to Montreal, where a second train began its trip to Vancouver. A third train is traveling from Chicago, marking the first time the company has had three trains crossing the continent for charity.

The Holiday Trains, which will operate until December 19, plan to stop in 79 cities and towns, where they will be the main attraction at special events to raise money and generate food gifts for local antihunger groups. The events will also feature performances by church choirs and other artists. The Canadian Pacific Railway plans to give $2,500 to the food banks in each city where it stops. Last year a single Holiday Train generated $50,000 in donations and 18 tons of food contributions.