Let North Pole Express entertain on Christmas-themed excursion
Steam engine Number 618, right, sits idle at the Heber Valley Railroad depot Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. MARK JOHNSTON/Daily Herald
If you are planning to take the Heber Valley Railroad to the North Pole this holiday season, be prepared for a slightly different ride than has been offered in years past. Billing its 2010 event as a new twist on an old tradition, the railroad has dropped its Polar Express theme and switched to the North Pole Express.
It’s a subtle distinction, for sure. But the change will be noticeable to anyone who has made the ride an annual tradition. Facing rising royalty rates from Warner Bros. Entertainment, the company that released the animated film “The Polar Express” in 2004, the Heber Valley Railroad dropped all references to the Polar Express from its event.
The holiday train still departs Heber City most evenings in December and winds south toward Provo Canyon and the North Pole. (Don’t worry about the geography. Santa is involved.) The ride still includes hot chocolate (perfectly heated this year!) and delicious cookies, as well as a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. But missing from the ride is a reading from the beloved Chris Van Allsburg’s children’s book “The Polar Express,” on which the 2004 movie was based. And maybe, just a bit of the magic.
One can hardly fault the railroad for its decision to head “north” alone — it wasn’t economically viable for the nonprofit railroad to continue to pay royalties to Warner Bros., said Craig Lacey, executive director of the Heber Valley Railroad. And severing ties with the company has allowed the railroad more freedom to conduct the ride as directors would like to, he said. They can now better tailor the event to local families. “This gave us a little bit more flexibility to focus on the things that our Utah guests have always loved,” Lacey said.
Each car on the train has a “reader,” who instead of reading the “Polar Express” as in years past reads the much-shorter poem ” ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The reader spends the rest of the 90-minute train ride acting as the coach’s emcee, telling Christmas-themed knock-knock jokes and leading the car in caroling.
I took my kids to a North Pole Express dress rehearsal run Nov. 19. Our reader for the night was Charity Perry, a 20-year-old Brigham Young University student and Heber City resident. She did a commendable job of entertaining a train packed with young, pajama-clad children. (The railroad encourages kids to wear pajamas as part of the experience.)
Perry led singing and told jokes the entire way to Santa’s digs and back. She quizzed children on what they wanted for Christmas — I learned my older son wants Moon Sand, go figure — and joked with adults about their chances of Santa bringing a house in Hawaii or a flat-screen TV. She had such an infectious holiday spirit that it spread throughout our train. She says her favorite part of working for the North Pole Express is interacting with the children, and she did it well.
Still, the 90-minute ride seemed a bit long without the reading from “The Polar Express” eating up some of the time. If you are planning to board with little ones, consider bringing a small book, drawing pad or toys to keep them occupied. (An iPhone works great in a pinch as well.) And be sure to book tickets as soon as you can. Train rides continue through Dec. 24, but popular times sell out quickly. It seems that no matter the name of the train to the North Pole, everyone wants a ticket to ride.
North Pole Express
When: Departs every Monday through Saturdaythrough Dec. 24, at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Matinee excursions (Dec.23-24 only) depart at 2 p.m.
Where: Heber Valley Depot, 450 S. 600 West,Heber City
Tickets: Coach (standard) fares $32 adults, $29seniors, $21 children ages 3-12, first class, discounted familynight and matinee tickets available as well. For a completebreakdown of fares, visit www.hebervalleyrr.org. Tickets can bepurchased by calling SmithsTix at (800) 888-TIXX, by calling therailroad at (435) 654-5601, online at www.hebervalleyrr.org, or atthe Heber Valley Depot.
