My preschooler, Max, excitedly approached the Polar Express Train. From the station in Heber, Utah, we were bound for the "North Pole," where Santa would board our train. Max's eyes widened as steam billowed from the train's 101-year-old engine. He smiled as one of Santa's elves helped him board the rustic train for a magical recreation of Chris Van Allsburg's award-winning best seller, The Polar Express (Houghton Mifflin, 1985).

We walked through several train cars, all decorated with Christmas lights and warmed by pot-bellied stoves. Good-natured elves bustled around, helping passengers find seats on the sold-out train. Train Conductor Ken McConnell tapped the microphone in the front of our compartment. "We have one important rule here – nobody rides this train without a smile!" McConnell said. "And you have to laugh, too." His welcoming grin set a festive mood.

Here We Go
As the train started moving, Max, like dozens of other excited kids in our train car, pressed his hands and face to the window. As Jingle Bells started playing over the sound system, Max exclaimed, "I can't wait to see Santa!"

The train clickety-clacked across ice-choked rivers flanked by snow-covered pines and bypassed a frozen lake. As we traveled, the elves served Mrs. Claus' chocolate-chunk cookies and warm cocoa. "Oh yum!" Max said, sipping liquid chocolate. The elves, Candy Cane and Krissy Kringle, and our coach hostess, entertained us with jokes and train trivia. We enjoyed groaning and laughing at their jokes.

The elves soon produced copies of The Polar Express and handed the books out to passengers. The hostess read to us, her voice building with excitement. Kids looked from the book's pictures to the real-life train – amazed at how they were living the story.

As the train rushed through a channel between snowy mountains, the story ended, and the books were gathered. Suddenly an elf cried, "We're getting close!" We saw a lighted village, a huge Christmas tree and then Santa waving at us. Pandemonium rocked the train.

The Polar Express stopped to let Santa on board. Waiting for Santa to visit our coach, we sung Christmas carols. Kids were encouraged to sing around the mike or introduce themselves and tell everyone what they wanted for Christmas. We learned that passengers in our coach were from as far away as Olympia, Wash., and Maryland.

Mrs. Claus suddenly walked into our coach armed with recipes for the cookies we'd enjoyed. She posed for pictures and hugged the wide-eyed kids. And then Santa entered our train car. The kids surged forward. Santa took extra time with each child, chatting easily and beaming for dozens of pictures. As a parting gift, Santa handed each child a silver bell from his sleigh, just like in The Polar Express. When Santa exited our coach Max said, "This is ex-act-ly what I wished for in this train!"

Soon afterwards, the train pulled into the station. Max sighed with happiness as he stepped down from the train. "Mom, that was my favorite!" he raved.

How It All Started
"We went to a train convention in North Dakota, where another railroad had created a successful train based on The Polar Express," says McConnell, marketing director and train conductor for Heber Valley Historic Railroad. "There were several rough and tough railroad men that were misty-eyed after hearing stories about kids riding the Christmas train."

After creating a Utah version of Van Allsburg's Polar Express in 1998, three trains sold out in a week. "We added two more trains and they sold out in a day and a half so we added two more,” says McConnell, laughing. “The new trains sold out in four hours." This year all 30 holiday trains are sold out.

McConnell loves acting as conductor, breaking the ice at each journey's beginning with his mandatory smile rule. "I walk through the compartments a few times each trip and people laugh and smile. It makes me feel great," he says.

Other Train Adventures
Enthused by the Christmas train's success, McConnell hopes to create a summertime Hogworth Express based on the best-selling Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling.

Other Heber Valley trains feature murder mysteries or scenic tours. Trains are available for charter, and one couple booked the train for a wedding, where in lieu of wedding gifts, outlaws "robbed" the passengers, collecting donations for the couple's bed and breakfast dream.

To book a train ride, or for more information on the Heber Valley Historic Railroad, visit the Heber Valley Railroad Web site. Don't forget to make reservations well in advance; the trains are popular. And for good reason, as evidenced by my entertaining, magical Christmas train adventure. Max and I plan to board the Polar Express again next December.

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