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A New York Christmas Train Ride In Milford!

Published: November 5, 2025

By: Adam Burns

In the heart of New York’s Leatherstocking Country, where the Susquehanna River curls through snow-dusted fields and quiet hamlets, the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad keeps a proud piece of regional history rolling.

Operated by dedicated volunteers and preservationists, this heritage railroad offers seasonal excursions that reconnect riders with the romance of rail travel.

Each winter, its signature Santa Claus Express turns the line into a moving holiday celebration, marrying small-town warmth with vintage railroading charm. For families, railfans, and anyone who loves traditions that feel hand-made and heartfelt, it’s a memorable way to usher in the season.

A brief history of the line

The origins of the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad trace back to the late nineteenth century, when communities in and around Cooperstown needed a reliable link to broader markets and passenger connections.

The line was built to connect Cooperstown and nearby villages to the national rail network, ferrying local products—dairy, hops, timber, and manufactured goods—along the Susquehanna’s corridor.

Over time, as highways grew and freight patterns changed, the line’s commercial purpose faded. What didn’t fade was the railroad’s presence in community memory: depots, mileposts, and stretches of track remained as reminders of an era when the railroad was the lifeline of rural New York.

Rather than letting the rails fall silent, local enthusiasts stepped in. Volunteers and historians organized to preserve the track, equipment, and know-how that give historic railroading its distinct character.

Today, the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley Railroad operates as a living museum and excursion line, most often boarding in Milford, a few miles south of Cooperstown.

The experience is as much about storytelling as it is about scenery: the sounds of vintage diesel power, the gentle sway of classic coaches, and the presence of people who know the line’s past because they’ve dedicated themselves to keeping it running in the present.

The Santa Claus Express

When late autumn yields to winter, the railroad transforms. Garlands and lights adorn the coaches, wreaths brighten the depot, and the schedule fills with Santa Claus Express departures. The name fits. This is not a theme-park contrivance; it’s a nostalgic, community-rooted ride that blends old-fashioned rail travel with the rituals of a small-town Christmas.

Passengers typically board at the Milford Depot, where volunteers bustle between ticketing, decorating, and greeting. The depot itself sets the tone—think polished wood, historical displays, and the muffled thrum of a warming locomotive outside.

Families arrive in festive sweaters and puffy coats, children clutching lists and letters, parents quietly hoping for that perfect, candid photo that will outshine any commercial portrait.

Once aboard, riders settle into classic, heated coaches decorated for the season. The route rolls south along the river and rural byways—fields, barns, forests, and occasional glimpses of water framed by winter trees.

It’s a landscape that encourages a slower pace, perfect for looking out the window with a cookie and hot cocoa in hand. Holiday music plays softly, and volunteers move through the cars to answer questions, offer treats, and keep the mood merry.

And then there’s the moment everyone waits for. Santa makes his way from car to car, greeting each child, listening carefully, and posing for photos. The interactions feel unhurried; the train’s steady tempo lends its own sense of time.

Often Mrs. Claus or cheerful elves accompany him, making sure no one gets missed. Many rides include small gifts or candy canes for children, and families bring letters to hand to Santa in person. It’s that direct connection—no lines snaking past velvet ropes, no rushed “next!”—that makes the Santa Claus Express so beloved.

What sets it apart

Several qualities distinguish this holiday ride from more commercial experiences.

Authenticity. You’re traveling in real, vintage equipment on a historic line. Every creak and whistle is the real thing, not a soundtrack.

Scenery. The route offers a gentle winter panorama—snow-frosted fields, farmsteads, and the Susquehanna’s curves. Even without snowfall, the austere beauty of upstate New York in November and December is striking.

Volunteers. The Santa Claus Express is powered by people who care deeply about preservation. Their pride and hospitality show in the details, from spotless windows to thoughtfully staged decorations.

Space and pace. The ride encourages conversation, looking out the window, and being present—an antidote to hurried holiday schedules.

Community impact and preservation

The railroad acts as a living classroom. Children who may never have ridden a train before learn what makes railroading special—steel rails, coupling up, signals, timetables. Adults reconnect with their own childhood train memories.

The depot often features historical displays, and volunteers are generous with stories: how freight used to move, what a caboose was for, why the line hugs the river, which industries it once served. In a region best known for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the railroad broadens the story of Cooperstown, reminding visitors that America’s pastime grew alongside America’s railroads.

Why traditions like this matter

In an age of on-demand everything, the Santa Claus Express is refreshingly analog. You wait for the whistle. You feel the train tug into motion. You share space with neighbors and strangers as the countryside slides by.

This shared ritual binds generations: grandparents recount their own train rides, parents relax into the moment, children experience wonder that no algorithm can choreograph.

At the same time, the ride is a quiet act of stewardship. Heritage railroads conserve skills—car repair, signaling, track work—that are vanishing elsewhere.

They keep alive the material culture of a technology that transformed America, and they do it not in glass cases, but in motion.

By climbing aboard, you help ensure that the line still hums in spring, that summer’s open-window excursions catch the scent of hayfields, and that autumn’s pumpkin rides and foliage trips return as the leaves turn again.

Closing thoughts

The Santa Claus Express isn’t flashy, and that’s exactly its magic. It’s a simple, well-loved holiday tradition delivered with care, craft, and community spirit along a river that has watched trains come and go for more than a century.

Whether you’re a railfan, a parent planning a seasonal outing, or a traveler seeking the soul of upstate New York beyond its famous ballfields, this ride offers something enduring: the chance to slow down, look out the window, and believe—if only for an hour—that time can run on gentler rails.

For current schedules, fares, and special-event details, check the railroad’s official website before you go. Then bundle up, bring your list, and listen for the whistle. The Santa Claus Express is ready to carry your holiday season down the line.