choo

train engineer and then I'd retire and work on the Heber Creeper," Lloyd said. "Well, I just skipped right to my retirement."

Lloyd describes his job as living out a childhood dream. "I'm working with stuff I've been fascinated with my whole life."

Many of the locomotives and train cars are from the early 1900s, and it is time-consuming to work with them.

"It's labour-intensive just keeping things running sometimes," engineer Bryan Morris said. But the historic equipment is what attracted many of the railroad's crew.

"I fired up my first steam engine here when I was 17," Morris said with a grin. Since then, he has spent 15 seasons on and off working on the railroad.

While the Heber Valley Railroad runs all year, The North Pole Express, based on the children's book The Polar Express, is one of the most popular attractions. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the train runs twice a day during the week and three times on Saturdays, ferrying more than 430 passengers per trip to the North Pole. Santa boards the train for the ride back, stopping to greet all the children and present them with one of the magical bells from his sleigh.

The ride is a festive affair for the passengers in the train cars, but for the crew, the job of keeping everybody safe is serious business. Like any railroad company, the Heber Valley Railroad exists in an industry of tight regulations. Tests, inspection logs, and precise schedules are a staple of the job.

"We're in the entertainment business, but we're operating in the regulated railroad environment," Lacey said.

Balancing more than 400 passengers, entertainers, and turn-of-the-century railroad equipment all at the same time is not easy.

"There's never a dull moment," Lacey said. "We all wear different hats. Sometimes I'm driving a truck, shovelling coal, doing paperwork, or driving the train. We have to be very versatile and ready to respond at any moment."

The work is physically demanding and stressful, but the reward is worth it for everyone involved.

"When you see the kids' faces when they see Santa, that's a big part of the payoff," Lacey said.