2002-Event History

Events of September 11th, 2001 made it difficult to obtain both donations and the necessary security permissions for operating a train internationally. In the end, many volunteers from civic organizations, police departments, fire departments and private sector business came to assist. Security on both sides of the border was at an all time high. The volunteers were screened the same as if they were at an airport; names were run through the computer and custom declarations were filled out.

Description of the Day

In Tecate, México, thousands of children awaited the arrival of the Christmas Train, which was filled with gifts of toys, school supplies, apples and volunteers. The mayor of Tecate estimated that over 7,000 children benefited from this year's event.

According to the Tecate Police the children started to line up before dawn. By the time the train arrived, three thousand children filled the parking lot near the old Tecate Railroad Depot. Lines spilled off into the streets and sidewalks. Some children even put their ear to the rail on the siding, hoping they would be the first to know the train was coming. When they did hear the 12 mile whistle, they strained their necks to see the train. As the Christmas Train pulled into town, children and their parents were waving, and everyone was smiling. Those in the train were emotionally overcome by such a warm greeting, many of the volunteers held back tears of joy and many did not. One volunteer said, "to convey the spirit of the holidays to so many kids is amazing".

In Tecate the Christmas Train is a day anticipated for months. "Everybody talks about it." One mother with four children, said "they waited in line four hours for their gifts. For them, it is an important holiday and this will be the only gift they receive all year."

Collecting the gifts and donations has become a year round effort. Over 300 hundred volunteers participate with another 200 going on the day of the event. This one event on the Impossible Railroad, somehow makes the international border line invisible for a day. Communities, neighbors and families come together for one reason, children. The San Diego Railroad Museum's Train makes this all possible. More than five thousand children came to the train and received a gift bag filled with a toy, school supplies, candy and joy. The Tecate welfare department received additional gifts to take into the small communities away from town and held small festivals the next week.

Towards sunset, the children were gone. The volunteers were exhausted and the train whistle blew to announce its departure. As the trained pulled out of town, it had a police escort at every road intersection. Families walking home waved good bye to us as the volunteers quietly starred out the windows. The day was truly done, but the joy of giving will stay with them a life time.

The challenges of post-9/11 security were behind us for this year. The Christmas Train has endured many challenges over the years, but it always runs for the children, and the volunteers always look forward to the next time.