Holiday Train Gallery 1


Holiday Train Gallery 01 | Holiday Train Gallery 02
Holiday Train Gallery 03 | Holiday Train Gallery 04
Holiday Train Gallery 05


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This view of the CTA's Holiday Train looks east at 2600-series car 2894 in the north pocket track at the Ashland/63rd terminal on December 16, 2000. The CTA sent the six cars normally used on the Holiday Train to Alstom out of sequence for rehab so they'd be ready for use in the 2000 train. (Photo by Sean Gash)

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Car 2898 leads one end of the 2000 Holiday Train, looking west at Ashland/63rd on December 16th. That year, the Holiday Train was made up entirely of rebuilt 2600s, whose unpainted metal exterior made for a cleaner, less cluttered background to the holiday decorations on the cars. (Photo by Sean Gash)

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The CTA's Holiday Train visits the Green Line on December 16, 2000, looking east on the outbound platform at Cottage Grove-East 63rd. The Holiday Train consists of a CTA flat car decorated with a Santa sleigh, elf workshop, and copious amounts of lights, between sets of decorated rehabbed 2600-series cars. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Wrapped in special holiday decorations, car 2895 is behind the "sleigh" on the 2001 Santa's Express train, stopped at 95th/Dan Ryan between runs on December 9, 2001. (Photo by Mike Farrell)

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Car 2894 is at the front of the 2001 CTA Holiday Train at 95th/Dan Ryan on December 9, 2001. (Photo by Mike Farrell)

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2600-series car 2898 will be at the head of the CTA Santa's Express holiday train when it leaves 95th/Dan Ryan for its trip north on the Red Line, looking northeast on December 9, 2001. (Photo by Mike Farrell)

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The Holiday Train, led by car 2895, is decorated with 35,000 lights and seasons greetings from the CTA at Linden on November 23, 2002. The decal under the windows changes each year with a different design. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The interior of Holiday Train car 2896 is decorated with garlands, lights, decals, and other decorations, seen on November 23, 2002. Because of how Christmas fell and the weekends were arranged in 2002, the CTA had to begin operation of the Holiday Train before Thanksgiving in order to have enough weekends to hit every line before December 25. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Santa's sleigh is usually occupied by Jolly Ol' Saint Nick himself, but here one of Santa's CTA helpers is having a rest while the train is on a layover at East 63rd terminal on December 14, 2002. In addition to uniformed and plainclothes CTA crewpersons and volunteers, the train also has a staff of CTA elves! (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The Holiday Train is on a 15-minute layover at Cottage Grove-East 63rd in the middle of its first roundtrip on the Green Line on December 14, 2002. The full length of the train can be seen here -- "wreath" wrapping below the windows, vinyl snowflakes, lights and all -- with the gap between the fourth and fifth passenger cars for the flat car. The "Santa's Express" destination sign occasionally causes some confusion among riders, who wonder if the train will make all regular stops on the line. (Photo by Graham Garfield)