Kathy Mattea to be special guest aboard Santa Train

Now in its 66th year, the Santa Train is an annual train journey through Appalachia where volunteers from Kingsport take 15 tons of gifts, candies and toys to children in Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. Thousands of families in rural communities turn out to welcome the Santa Train to their hometowns each year. The Santa Train is co-sponsored by CSX Transportation, Food City and the Kingsport Tennessee Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Santa Train will make 14 stops on its annual toy run through Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee on Nov. 22. "The annual project is cosponsored by CSX Transportation (CSXT), Food City and the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce. It ushers in the holiday season for many families in the region, often attended by several generations as a holiday traditions. To quote Kathy, "Riding on the Santa Train gives me the opportunity to participate in the lives of the people I have been singing about on 'Coal. There is a sense of community here, and a sense of place like nowhere else; riding a train through the mountains and visiting with the folks will be the highlight of my Christmas this year." Others that have 'ridden" the rails to throw candy, etc. to the kids include Patty Loveless, Alison Krauss, Naomi Judd, Travis Tritt and Rebecca Lynn Howard. Thanks to the Kingsport Times-News for their reporting. For more information see www.kingsportchamber.org and please support the effort. At least here taxpayers are not being "railroaded" and they do something good for those that need it.

Naomi Judd to be special guest on Santa Train in 2005

KINGSPORT - Naomi Judd is remaking "Working in the Coal Mine" as a solo called "Riding Through the Coalfields for Christmas." In other words, the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter will return to her native Kentucky to ride the rails on the 63rd annual Santa Special, known as the Santa Train. "Yes Virginia - and Kentucky and Tennessee - there is a Santa Train, and I am very excited to be a part of its 15 city stops to share Christmas cheer," Ashland, Ky., native Judd said in an e-mailed statement Monday afternoon...

Judd is the author of her third children's book, "Gertie the Goldfish and the Christmas Surprise," which will be distributed at the train stops. Her new show, "Naomi's New Morning," will premiere on the Hallmark Channel Sunday, Nov. 27...

For 13 years, Food City's parent company, the Abingdon-based K-VA-T Food Stores, has solicited donations of toys, candy, clothes and money, and at least 50 employees work on the project each year...The train trip will begin in Shelby, Ky., with Kentucky stops in Marrowbone and Elkhorn and the Virginia communities of Toms Bottom, Haysi, Clinchco, Fremont, Dante, St. Paul, Dungannon, Fort Blackmore, Speers Ferry, Kermit and Waycross before crossing the Tennessee line at Kingsport. Kingsport Times-News October 25, 2005 (extract)

Santa Train set for 62nd journey

A single pair of mittens, handmade by a "special student" and mailed by a Minnesota teacher, arrived on Karen Jobe's desk Thursday. It made her day. "It just warmed my heart," Jobe said. "I thought it was very sweet." By Saturday afternoon the mittens should be in, if not on, the hands of a child somewhere between Shelby, Ky., and downtown Kingsport. Those are the beginning and ending points of the 62nd running of the Santa Train, which makes the 110-mile trek each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

For Jobe the mittens - among more than 15 tons of toys, clothes, foodstuffs and other items to be distributed along the route - were a perfect example of a spirit of giving she says she sees almost daily this time of year. It's what makes opening mail by far the best part of her job as receptionist for the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce. Her duties, you see, include opening the hundreds of packages shipped to the chamber each year bearing gifts for the Santa Train. "It's like Christmas all year for me," said Jobe. "I get to open all the packages as they come in."

...Santa's special guest on the train this year will be country star Rebecca Lynn Howard. A Kentucky native and Arista Nashville recording artist, Howard was nominated for the 2003 Academy of Country Music's Song of the Year award for "Forgive," which she co-wrote, and for the Top New Female Vocalist award.

Santa will take his place at the back of the train early Saturday, and the Santa Train will depart Shelby, Ky., at 7:30 a.m. for the trip back to Kingsport. Gifts are only distributed at 15 stops, including Shelby and Kingsport - not while the train is in motion. Other stops in Kentucky are Marrowbone, Elkhorn and Toms Bottom. Stops in Virginia are Haysi, Clinchco, Fremont, Dante Station, St. Paul, Dungannon, Fort Blackmore, Speers Ferry, Kermit and Waycross. Kingsport Times-News November 19, 2004 (extract)

Santa Train a family affair

And thousands of children of all ages turned out Saturday to watch him ride the rails through the region (has)become a tradition for many families and individuals along its 110-mile trek. Along the way, Santa and about 135 "elves" stopped to spread the spirit of giving at spots in three states. And at most of those spots, one thing stood out - families. Brothers and sisters of the Mann family grew up going to the train near their then home at Dungannon, Va.

Several of the siblings, along with children and grandchildren, gathered Saturday to await the Santa Train's 2004 stop at Dungannon. For many in the area, the train's annual Saturday-before-Thanksgiving showing has become a sort of "homecoming," Mann sibling Ruth Collins said. "Here's my brother," Collins said. "And over there is one of our sisters. And I have nieces and nephews ... well they're all over."

But it wasn't just her own family - members of which now live throughout several states - who were drawn back to the Santa Train and memories of their childhoods Saturday. "There are people here today who were here 50 years ago that I remember," said Collins. "The Santa Train brings them home just about every year. Thanksgiving is good to bring people home, but this draws more people back to the area, back home." And for most of those people, not just at Dungannon but up and down the Santa Train's tracks, just being present was as - or more - important than getting a present...

"We of course hope the children get a little something," Collins said. "But for us grownups, watching the children, and knowing that the Santa Train tradition continues, is what makes us smile." Kingsport Fire Chief Craig Dye was among the "elves" on the train this year - and he spent as much time off the train as he did on it at its 15 gift-giving stops. And families and the sense of tradition were evident everywhere, said Dye, who had never ridden the train before. "I've been really impressed by it," Dye said... Ref. November 21, 2004 Kingsport Times-News (extract)

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