Polar Express runs out of gas !!

Interesting. Now that will be a costly mistake. I wonder if the Rr will be paying 911 and the taxi's?

It was nice to read that everyone pitched in to help. A pleasant reprieve from the TV type news.

Jim

 Thats not the real Polar Express anyway. Everyone knows the real Polar Express runs on coal......not gas

A gas powered Polar Express......... the nerve of some people....

Only in our home state, John. This has to be a first.

Our Condo community adjoins the northern end of the track where the Newport and Narragansett Bay run throughout the year, and this incident occurred about 2 miles to the south.  We heard the train on its outbound trip, then read about the incident in the paper this morning. 

Its a well run outfit, so running out of diesel on the return leg is surprising.  As is the fact that people on the train called 911 when they needed a ride.  The location of the incident is in a very nice residential area, so they were not in a remote location. 

The fact that they couldn't get a diesel engine to restart after runing out of fuel is hardly surprising, especially on a night in the upper 30's.

Thanks for the pic. My Lionel PE bell will be getting painted this evening.....

Gilly

Some people called 911.  Seriously 

I don't get that, either.  But I think it's a difference between folks who don't regularly ride excursion lines and those who do.  

For me, I'd love to be able to sit and hang out on a nicely restored train for a few hours!

My wife and I plus 13 of our grandchildren, aged 3 - 15 years of age, were booked on the 6:15 scheduled departure of this train. We arrived on time and waited in the Country Club dining area for the return of the 4:15 pm unit.  About 6:00 pm I walked up to the young lady handling the reservations.  I wanted to know which door we should move toward.  She was on a walkie talkie and when she looked up to help me I could see this stricken look in her face.  I asked my question and she said "I am so sorry to tell you we have to cancel the next train." 

Yikes!!!!  I asked what happened and she said the engine broke down.  I asked "Are you sure???"  "Can they fix it???"  Her polite and sorrowful response was "No, we are so sorry..."

For background information, this is the Newport Dinner train which has been around for years.  From Thanksgiving to Christmas they run the Polar Express Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.  Recently, the owner of the rail line sold the company to a new group.  The new company took over November 1st of this year.  Every year the Polar Express is completely sold out.  This would have been our third ride.  We went the first time in 2003 with two of our grandchildren. 

So, I walked over to my gang and announced the cancellation.  You can image the looks and disbelief.  I had to convince them that I was not kidding.  We moved on and while driving home did some detours to look at Christmas lights when all of sudden I got a text message from Santa who told me not to worry that he was going to my daughter's home..... 

You just have to believe...