by Harrison Smith/photos as noted
The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train is coming to town, and it’s far from quiet in the hamlet of Port Henry, N.Y. With just under 2,000 residents, Port Henry is one of many small communities along the CP system. “It helps bring everybody together,” said Peter J., a firefighter with the Moriah Fire Department. The department provided crowd control and assistance for the Port Henry event, which had not occurred since 2019. Despite the two-year gap, Peter isn’t skeptical of the train’s future or its importance for Port Henry. “It’s a great event, and hopefully our kids, and their future kids can get to see it too.”
It’s nearly 4:30, but the crowd remains loose enough for me to spot a couple I can’t help but talk to. Herb and Lisa, sporting iconic Santa caps, have traveled from Wilmington, near Lake Placid, simply to “See what it’s all about”. The Port Henry stop, in addition to attracting many locals, is an ideal place for residents of the Adirondacks to catch the train. I made my way to a position between other rail photographers for the prompt arrival of the train. Canadian Pacific formally calls it Train 02H, but the two-of-a-kind consists are usually spoken of as simply “Holiday Train.”
CP 2246, a GP20C-ECO, leads the U.S. edition of the train, as it has since 2014. Bells ringing, the crew pulls the first six boxcars and two generator cars of the train past the platform. The unique “stage car” comes to a stop at the center of the now-large crowd. While waiting for the stage to lower, I marvel at the true ingenuity of the car, built in the early 2000s and improved over the past 20 years. Initially using sliding boxcar doors, the car is now equipped with drawbridge-style doors on both sides. A young boy in front of me is taking it all in: this is likely the first train he’s seen. His mother shares that the family has been attending the Holiday Train event for several years, and is excited about the post-pandemic return…