Santa makes train stop in St Augustine

The Florida East Coast Railway notified Historic City News that Santa Claus took a ride on a special “Toys for Tots Christmas Train” as it traveled between Jacksonville and Miami today; including a brief stop, for the third year, in St Augustine at US-1 and San Sebastian View.

The train left Jacksonville at 7:30 a.m. this morning, stopped in St Augustine about an hour later, and is scheduled to pull in to the NE 87th Street crossing at about 5:10 p.m. this evening in North Miami.

“St Augustine has a special connection to the railroad started by Henry Morrison Flagler and headquartered here for generations,” St Johns County Airport Authority Chairman Carl Youman told Historic City News. Youman boarded the train in Jacksonville this morning and told reporters that he was honored to show his support for the event at the stop in our hometown.

This has become a favored tradition of FEC employees in support of the communities where they live. The Christmas Train offers employees, their families, customers and suppliers an opportunity to contribute to the “Toys for Tots” program in the communities along the east coast of Florida.

Santa Claus, who is riding on the Christmas Train, and representatives of the United States Marine Corps, will be on hand to receive the donated toys and distribute them to needy children in eight Florida cities.

Photo credits: © 2012 Historic City News contributed photograph by St Augustine Railway Historical Society