By Chris Barber 
Contributing Writer

Crowds gathered along the rail tracks of southern Chester County to greet Santa Claus as he stepped off an East Penn locomotive to greet them on Dec. 14.

The Santa Train made its initial trip last year after Avondale Mayor Susan Rzucidlo responded to a suggestion by West Grove Mayor Stephen Black that she organize the project.

Rzucidlo then met with Regional Rail Vice President Don Craumer to present the idea, and they hastily worked out the details of a journey from Kennett Square to West Grove with stops at Toughkenamon and Avondale as well.

With only a week of preliminary public notification last year, the train was greeted with a large turnout that surprised everyone associated with it.

Craumer said it was much more than he expected.

“I was working my office and thought maybe four people would come. Then someone came in and said, ‘You better look outside.’ I saw the whole parking lot was full,” he explained.

As the train moved south, the crowds grew even larger. When it arrived at West Grove, hundreds were waiting beside the library and crowding both sides of the tracks.

The whole project was a simple one.

Santa Helper Avondale Borough Council President Paul Morgan, decked out as Santa Claus, rode into town standing on the front of the train. He waved to his audience, stepped down for about 20 minutes, posed for pictures, and then re-boarded to move on to the next stop.

Members of the crowds responded, “There he is!” when they saw the train coming and took plenty of pictures.

Throughout 2024, people were asking if the train would return this year, and indeed it did.

For 2024, the train also continued on to Oxford, where it made its final stop at Oxford Feed and Lumber hardware store.

Not only did the Santa Train pause for the same stops as last year, crew member George Pellissier and his fellow crew member Randy Miller also stopped briefly for pictures at the Boy Scout tree sale in New Garden and the third birthday of a child farther along in the trip.

Rzucidlo spoke enthusiastically about the project, and even from the beginning engaged scouts and Kennett High School students in decorating the train with wreaths, signs and ornaments.

By Saturday morning, it presented a festive appearance. 

Rzucidlo said she was thrilled with the turnout for this year’s event.

She said, “I’m sure I speak for the entire community when I say a heartfelt thank you to East Penn Railroad, their amazing staff, and Santa for creating such a delightful, free family event. It was truly heartwarming to see so many people come together, sharing joy and laughter in such a magical way.”

The East Penn Railroad runs from Chadds Ford to East Nottingham, making stops to deliver supplies along the way including propane, lumber, flour, and corn, among other things.

The parent company, Regional Rail LLC owns 17 other short line railroads throughout the United States. It is a freight railroad exclusively, not equipped for or permitted to carry passengers.