Carl Meyer shows his son, Quincy, almost two at the time, the "engine" of the Kansas City Southern Holiday Express Train during the train's 2006 stop in Slater. The Meyer family lives in Gower, near St. Joseph, and has family in this area, but they timed their visit to coincide with the Holiday Express stop, they said. The train is scheduled to stop in Slater Dec. 20 at 4 p.m. (Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge]

The Kansas City Southern Holiday Express -- known locally as "The Santa Train" -- will make a stop in Slater for the second consecutive year, according to Slater Mayor Stephen Allegri.

Allegri made the announcement at the city council meeting Tuesday, Nov. 6.

The train stopped in Slater Dec. 10 last year.

"Head elf" Willis Kilpatrick said at the time that often 2,000 to 3,000 children and parents visit the train during its stops.

"We'll stay until the last child gets on," he said.

According to the KCS Web site, the train will leave Shreveport, La., on Friday, Nov. 23, will make stops in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Illinois and Missouri before arriving in Slater at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20.

Last year, the six-car Holiday Express included a smiling tank car, a flat car carrying Santa's sleigh and reindeer, a ginger bread box car, the elves' workshop, the reindeer stable and a little red caboose.

Three of the cars were filled with holiday displays and were open for families to tour.

The train's tour is not only a chance to entertain children during the holidays but provides KCS employees an opportunity to distribute Wal-Mart gift cards to those in need, using money they raise throughout the year.

The cards generally are given to Salvation Army chapters and other charitable organizations along the route.

According to the schedule on the KCS Web site, the train will make a two-day stop at Union Station in Kansas City -- Dec. 15 and 16 -- before coming to Slater and will conclude this year's tour Dec. 22 in Blue Springs.

Contact Eric Crump at

marshalleditor@socket.net