Holiday train derails; Santa, passengers unhurt
The CTA's Holiday Train derailed Saturday night. No one was injured. Santa and other passengers were evacuated.
There were announcements on the CTA Web site about the derailment last night, as well as on our CTA wireless alert network. But no acknowledgment that it was the CTA's Holiday Train.
Thanks to Andrew at Gapersblock.com for his tip about the derailment. And be sure to check out pictures by Wendy McClure of poundy.com fame at her Flickr account.
In the adjacent photo by Wendy, a CTA worker in the bottom right corner helps Santa's Elf and other passengers evacuate the train.
Wendy reported in comments to her Flickr photo set: "We were told the train had jumped the track--something having to do with the flatbed Santa car, the unusual length of the train, and maybe the speed. They were sending a northbound train to pick us up."
In addition, two commenters on Wendy's site reported the Holiday Train had derailed at the same spot in the past.
The only other mention of the incident Sunday on the CTA's Web site was that "CTA’s Holiday Train will not operate on the Brown Line today, Sunday, December 18, 2005."
Guess not.
I'm pretty sure the Holiday Train derailed in just about the same spot last year. I rode it yesterday afternoon, too bad I didn't go back to get some pictures in the dark like I wanted to.
Posted by: Matt | December 18, 2005 at 05:05 PM
Funny, Carole Brown's blog has scarcely been updated over the past 2 months, and she's responded to virtually no comments or complaints from riders. Then, last week, she finally posts an entry on the holiday train and what a wonderful thing it is.
Now, I think the holiday train is a positive public relations tool for the CTA, especially since employees are donating time for it and other CTA holiday activities. CTA can use all the goodwill that it can get.
That said though, it's ultimately a trivial matter compared to questions posed concerning the propriety of real estate transactions, safety issues, customer communications, and lackadasical employees. The irony in her being completely unresponsive to a public forum that SHE set up while taking time to promote a holiday train which subsequently derails, is just too rich...
Posted by: jk1 | December 18, 2005 at 06:30 PM
Carole posts on her blog about as often as she rides the CTA.
Posted by: m | December 19, 2005 at 09:43 AM