For my 3-year-old son, few things come closer to nirvana than a ride on a century-old train. The only thing better would be if the train were going to the North Pole, of course!

And there's just one such train in Heber City headed that way. Now in its 11th year, the historic Heber Valley Railroad transports "The Polar Express" from the pages of the award-winning Chris Van Allsburg children's book to the railways of Utah.

It's one of the railroad's most popular events, and proceeds from it and the "Thomas the Tank Engine" summer event provide much of the funds for the railroad to operate, said Nate McDonald, a railroad publicist.

Last year, the "The Polar Express" sold out its 24,000 tickets. This year, the railroad has added a few dates -- rides began Nov. 21 and will run through Dec. 23 -- and could sell more than 25,000 tickets. Weekends sell out quickly, so if you'd like to attend, get your tickets now, suggests Craig Lacey, executive director of the Heber Valley Railroad.

"I think what it does is it allows people to celebrate Christmas in a different sort of a way," said Lacey. "It's a very participatory thing. People can come onboard the train, they can sing Christmas carols and kind of let their hair down a little bit," he said.

"The Polar Express" tells of a magical train that takes children to the North Pole on Christmas Eve to meet Santa Claus and his elves. Published in 1985, the book was later made into a 2004 animated film of the same name starring Tom Hanks. My 3-year-old son, Joshua, has watched the movie at least a dozen times.

One day after he finished the movie, I told him that the two of us were going to ride a real Polar Express. From the look in his eyes, you would have thought Christmas had arrived early.

The Heber Valley Railroad has done a commendable job of bringing the book and movie to life. It takes more than 200 local volunteers to help run the event, who play everything from elves to hot-cocoa chefs.

Families, many with children dressed in pajamas, board passenger cars, some that date back nearly a century. A diesel electric engine -- one of 13 built for the U.S. Army during the Cold War and the only one in the world in operation -- pulls the cars along the tracks.

Elves serve passengers hot chocolate and cookies and hand out copies of Allsburg's "The Polar Express." Each car has a "reader" who takes passengers through the story as they chug toward the North Pole. Our reader, Peter Sorensen of Heber City, recited each line of the long book verbatim, relating it without even glancing down at the page. It's his fourth or fifth year volunteering -- he can't remember exactly -- and his favorite part is simple: "I love to see the looks on the children's faces when they see Santa," he said.

As the story ended, we arrived at the North Pole, a tiny village on a hill lit up with twinkle lights. Santa and Mrs. Claus boarded the train and began greeting the children, one by one by one. I was prepped for the experience by Bob Donahue, president of the Heber Valley Arts Council and the person charged with organizing the event's considerable volunteer force. He said the reason he does it every year is to see the excitement of the children. "It's magical. It is magical," he said. "When Santa comes into the car, oh my, they just go ballistic."

He was right. When Santa made his appearance, our passenger car burst into a giddy version of the song "Here Comes Santa Claus." Santa waded his way through the throngs of children, pausing to take pictures and to distribute his gift -- a single sleigh bell, tied with a ribbon.

In "The Polar Express" book, Santa gives a bell from a reindeer's harness to a young boy as the first gift of Christmas. It is symbolic of the spirit of the season, and only those who believe can hear its jingle. Many adults, consumed by the cares of the world, find that they simply can't.

After distributing gifts and hugs, Santa left our car, presumably headed back to the North Pole. We sang Christmas carols and watched as the small city of Heber came back into view. The whole experience took less than 90 minutes. All the while, Josh never loosened his grip on the bell.

Like so many struggling in a time of stock market meltdowns, falling home values and rising food prices, I've been feeling awfully grown up lately. In many ways, Christmas this year has been more about purchasing gifts and finding a way to pay for them than it has about the holiday's wonderful message of love and thanksgiving.

If there is one thing I loved most about the Polar Express, it was that it forced me to slow down and to experience a little bit of pure Christmas magic with my son.

We got in my minivan to drive home, and Josh began quietly shaking his bell. Its faint ringing was more beautiful than any Christmas carol of the season -- for the simple reason that I could still hear it.

IF YOU GO

The Polar Express

What: A magical train ride from Heber City to the North Pole with elves, cookies and Santa Claus

Where: Train departs at the Heber Valley Railroad Depot, 450 S. 600 West, Heber City

When: 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. through Dec. 23 (no trains on Thanksgiving and Sundays)

Tickets: $32 adults, $21 children 3-12, $29 seniors; discounted fares available Dec. 2 and 4. Children 2 and younger may ride on a adult's lap for free. Tickets are available at Smith's Tix at 1-800-888-8499, at the Heber Valley Railroad Depot, or online at www.hebervalleyrailroad.org.