TEXT E You know Dasher and
Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, but how about an open subway car that pulls Santa
Claus and his sleigh through grimy, dark tunnels at 50 mph The
brave Santa is just one feature Of the Holiday Train, which zips through the
city’s subway and on top of its elevated tracks, surprising commuters and
delighting youngsters. Holiday music booms over the speakers,
the hand poles are wrapped in red and white paper to look like giant candy
canes, and jolly ol’ St. Nick -- wearing his seat belt, of course -- rides on a
sleigh placed on an open flatbed car in the middle of the train.
The train, which costs a regular $1.50 fare, alternates trips on six of
the city’s seven train lines on weekends and some Mondays between Thanksgiving
and Christmas. Three of the train’s cars derailed Saturday
evening, but no one was injured. The derailment disrupted service on the
subway’s Brown line for about six hours but wasn’t expected to change the
train’s schedule. The Holiday Train began in 1992 with a few
modest decorations on the outside. This year’s version is draped in garland and
twinkles with 50,000 lights inside and out. Although a schedule
is posted on the Internet, many riders end up on the train by chance. Along with
excited children whose parents planned the trip, plenty of sour-faced commuters
break into silly grins and laughs when they find their normally drab, beige
train car turned into a winter wonderland. "It’s beautiful!"
exclaimed Rochelle Sims as she boarded the train last week after work. Sims
looked overhead at the red and green bulbs that had replaced the normal
fluorescent glare. "This puts me in the Christmas mood. It makes commuting more
fun." Dave Kowalski, on board a recent trip as Santa’s "chief
elf", admits that the Holiday Train gets a "little extra TLC."
This year’s train took about six weeks to decorate. About a week after
Christmas, it will be stripped of its decorations and return to the regular
fleet. Who is "jolly o1’ St. Nick" in this passage
A.A saint in the history of Christianity. B.The dressed-up train driver. C.The dressed-up conductor. D.Santa Claus.