Santa came early for Abbie Parrish, 6, and her brother, Luke, 3, when they were whisked away aboard the North Pole Express.

Their mom said the trip to St. Nick’s home was “magical.”

“When we got to the North Pole, they turned out all the lights on the train and began playing live Christmas music,” Lesley Parrish said. “And suddenly, out of the middle of nowhere, there were lights and blowups outside the windows, and an elf jumps on the train, with Santa and Mrs. Santa. My kids went nuts. It was so larger than life for them.”

Abbie Parrish and her brother Luke aboard the North Pole Express joined by Santa and Mrs. Claus.

On Nov. 29, Lesley and Josh Parrish and their two children were among more than 360 passengers who rode the North Pole Express, sponsored by the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera. Throughout the holiday season, the museum hosts these nighttime train excursions, which take children and their families on a “whirlwind” journey to visit Santa and his elves.

The six-car train makes three runs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through Dec. 19.

During the ride from the Heart of Dixie depot to the North Pole, the children, dressed in their pajamas for the occasion, are captivated with a special holiday story, sing Christmas tunes, and enjoy chocolate milk and cookies. The first-class passengers are treated to hot cocoa in a souvenir mug, a muffin and premium service.

Upon arrival at their destination, the children are amazed to see Santa’s home come alive with thousands of brilliant lights. During their visit, the children can have their photo made with Santa and are each given a Christmas ornament as a keepsake of their holiday ride.

“We try to give everybody a good ride and give the kids a great Christmas event they will remember,” said Jim Garnett, president and CEO of the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum.

Nearly 19,000 passengers will board the North Pole Express this season.

The museum volunteers begin decorating about two weeks before the start of the annual event, Garnett said.

“It takes a lot of coordination to operate each ride,” he said. “Our volunteers are involved in running the train, serving food, collecting tickets, hosting the passengers and dressing as elves. Between rides, we have to completely restock the train so there will be enough food and gifts for all 363 passengers. It’s a big operation.”

In addition to the excursions under the stars, the museum sponsors the Santa Special, a daytime train ride that runs twice each Saturday through Dec. 19. Santa boards the train with the children, visiting with them and handing out gifts throughout the trip.

“Since our night trains sell out so fast, we decided to start the Santa Special for folks who are willing to do a daytime run,” Garnett said. “Our Christmas event, both the North Pole Express and the Santa Special, generates about 50 percent of our gross revenue. It’s our single biggest fundraiser.”

There are a limited number of tickets still available for the Santa Special on Dec. 13 and 19. The tickets are $17 and can be purchased by logging onto the Heart of Dixie website. The Saturday train rides leave the depot at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Garnett said the North Pole Express and the Santa Special will carry nearly 19,000 passengers this season.

“I think the reason this event has been such a success is due to a combination of two things – kids love to ride trains, and they get to see, meet and talk to Santa Claus,” said Garnett, noting that families have traveled from all over the Southeast, including Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia, for the holiday train excursion.

Anyone interested in riding the North Pole Express during the 2016 holiday season should purchase tickets early, Garnett said. They will go on sale through the Heart of Dixie website during July.

“It was a lot of fun and a great way to kick off Christmas,” Parrish said, of her family’s trip aboard the North Pole express. “Abbie and Luke truly enjoyed themselves. I think it made Christmas that much more magical.”

The North Pole Express, sponsored by the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera.