December 6, 2025: On Saturday, the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society hosted the Polar Express, an annual event at the Chatsworth Train Depot. This was the day that going out in public with your pajamas on was especially encouraged!
The typical visitor could find themselves selecting from a number of activities at any given time. Some of those activities were at the Depot itself, where the festive Christmas decorations included a few running model trains. While there, visitors could also enjoy cookies and a cup of cocoa. Of course, the highlight attraction was the presentation of a dramatic reading of the book 'The Polar Express'.
Even as one group of guests enjoyed the depot, others could be found outside, climbing aboard the Big Blue Train, a street train that rolled through Chatsworth City Park (where many trees are decorated and waiting to be admired) before arriving at the Wright Hotel.
Inside the Wright Hotel, Santa awaited visits from guests. Here, they could pose for a free picture with the big guy while parents could appreciate a free tour of the historic structure. After this, it was back on the train for the final ride back to the depot.
After the event, I checked in with the depot committee to ask about some statistics. Here is what they had to say:
"We recorded 416 official sign-ins, though we know not everyone checks in, so our real attendance was closer to 450. According to conversations with the guests and the visitors' log, we learned that in addition to Murray County locals, we welcomed guests from Ellijay, Cartersville, Calhoun, Dalton, Ringgold, Cleveland, and several other communities. For context, our Polar Express, Thomas Day, and Model Train Expo events typically draw 300–350 attendees, making this one of our biggest turnouts yet—possibly our most attended event to date."
The Whitfield-Murray Historical Society would like to thank all those who came out for the event. If you enjoy trains, click on either the calendar or current events tab at this website to be informed of future events taking place at the Depot!