On Saturday 11/18, the CSX Santa Train will run through Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. A tradition started by the Clinchfield Railroad in 1943 is still continued by CSX.
In 1992, for the 50th Run, the UP Challenger was temporarily modified to resemble a Clinchfield Challenger, as the Clinchfield had challengers built to, or at least very close to, UP specifications.
This year is the 75th Anniversary run and there are several reports from local news channels, railfan webpages and forums, Trains Newswire and others that for the 75th run, "historic Clinchfield Locomotives" will pull the train instead of the standard CSX freight locos.
A topic of speculation was the C&O F unit at the North Carolina Transportation Museum, an ex-Clinchfield engine and former CSX OCS engine, which is being repainted into the Clinchfield paint at CSX's Huntington shop. Anyone local to the Santa Train area have any further info?
....and no, CSX has not towed the Clinchfield #1 4-6-0, a former regular loco on the Santa Train out of the B&O Museum.....(hey, a guy can dream!)......
