I have been a member of the Kansas City Union Station and recently (on October 29) received one of their emails announcing holiday activities at Union Station including the Kansas City Southern's Holiday Express train. The email says:

"Plus, look for new trains and even a train store, all this holiday season - only at Union Station!"

Ever since Hall's station closed just a short skywalk away from Union Station, I thought Union Station with all its train displays would make an excellent location for an O Gauge shop. Each holiday season they set up a huge G gauge display in the main hall and that display, combined with the railroad museum and other railroad themes around the station would seem to create a natural marketplace for O gauge items and railroad collectibles.

This is fantastic news. Hopefully this store will have lots of O gauge selection.

Yep, one would think. I love going to KC Union Station around Christmas--lots of trains to look at. Either last year or the year before I was there, and the rest of my family pretty much had to drag me out of there.

Found this info about the KC S Holiday train

KCS' 2009 Holiday Express

In its ninth annual run, Kansas City Southern’s (NYSE: KSU) (KCS) Holiday Express train will bring Santa Claus and his elves to visit 23 stops in 22 communities in eight states throughout The Kansas City Southern Railway Company’s (KCSR) service territory, including Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Illinois. In addition to being a free, public event, the Holiday Express has a charitable component.

At each stop, KCS will make a contribution of Walmart gift cards to the local Salvation Army to provide warm clothing for children in need. To make a tax-deductible contribution to the fundraising campaign, please write your check to "Greater Kansas City Community Foundation-KCS Fund" and mail the check to "2009 Holiday Express, Attn: Barbara Blevins, Kansas City Southern, PO Box 219335, Kansas City, MO 64121-9335" by October 31, 2009. Any donations received after that date will support the 2010 campaign.

Led by KCS’ Southern Belle business train, the six-car Holiday Express train includes a smiling tank car “Rudy”; a flat car carrying Santa’s sleigh, reindeer and a miniature village; a ginger bread box car; the elves’ workshop; the reindeer’s stable; and a little red caboose. The Holiday Express was created in 2001 after volunteers dedicated over 8,000 hours to the rigorous transformation of the retired freight train. Festive music and lights complete the package.

The Holiday Express train was built on the tradition of the former Gateway Western (GWWR) Santa Train, which made stops in small towns from East St. Louis, Ill. to Blue Springs, Mo. (GWWR was purchased by KCS in 1997.) In 2000, KCS employees noticed that the Santa Train was the only Christmas some kids had, and that some did not even have essential items like coats, hats and gloves. The employees were so touched that they committed to elevating the project to the experience that communities throughout KCSR's service area enjoy today

2009 Holiday Express Schedule

Date Time City Address
11/28 4PM Shreveport, LA Festival Plaza
11/29 4PM Wylie, TX Marble Street
11/30 4PM Jefferson, TX Downtown Between East Austin Street & Lafayette
12/01 4PM Leesville, LA KCS Yard, 901 South Third Street
12/02 4PM Port Arthur, TX Procter Street & Houston Avenue
12/03 4PM Kendleton, TX CenterPoint Intermodal Center-Houston Metro
11538 Gin Road, Beasley, TX
12/04 4PM Victoria, TX Business Highway 59 & Burroughsville Road
12/05 4PM Edna, TX Wells Street
12/06 4PM El Campo, TX Evans Park
12/07 4PM Wharton, TX Depot, 100 North Sunset Street
12/08 4PM DeQuincy, LA Railroad Museum, 400 Lake Charles Avenue
12/09 4PM Vicksburg, MS Levee Street Station
1000 Levee Street at the foot of Grove Street
12/10 4PM Mena, AR 524 Sherwood Avenue
12/11 4PM Heavener, OK KCS Yard, 403 West First Street
12/12 4PM Siloam Springs, AR Jefferson Street
12/13 4PM Pittsburg, KS Monroe & Elm Streets
12/14 4PM Blue Springs, MO Main Street
12/15 4PM Slater, MO Depot
12/16 4PM Roodhouse, IL Old Depot
12/17 4PM Mexico, MO 326 South Jefferson Street
12/18 4PM Grain Valley, MO East of Main Street
12/19 9:30AM-5:30PM Kansas City, MO Union Station
12/20 Noon-5:30PM Kansas City, MO Union Station