Courtesy of Premier Rail Collection

What is it that we love about a holiday train ride? The festivity? The community? The romance of it all?



Whatever it is, it seems to be widespread. Virtually every heritage railroad in the Pacific Northwest offers some kind of holiday-themed ride, from the coast to the Cascade Mountains and beyond.

Most are catered to young families, offering visits from Santa, trays of goodies and trips themed around popular Christmas stories.

Grab up the family, put on your favorite holiday sweater and hop aboard this season. Here are eight holiday trains you can ride around Oregon and southwest Washington.

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Courtesy of Chris L. Fussell

Holiday Express

Courtesy of the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, the Holiday Express train is decked out with lights and stationed at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland. The 45-minute ride along the Willamette River includes hot chocolate, coffee, tea and cider, as well as cookies. Santa will also be aboard each train for photo ops.



Nov. 29 through Dec. 19. Tickets are $22 for adults, $16 for kids or $70 for a family of four. Buy tickets online at orhf.org or call 503-233-1156.

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Courtesy of Premier Rail Collection

Train to Christmas Town

The Mt. Hood Railroad hosts the Train to Christmas Town every year, a festive experience that promises singing, dancing elves, a cuddly polar bear and a visit from Santa. The 90-minute train ride is based on a book by the same name, written by Peggy Ellis.



Nov. 16 to Dec. 29. Tickets are $47 to $67 per person for standard class, first class and diamond class. Buy tickets online at mthoodrr.com or call 800-872-4661.

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Courtesy of Bill Devlin

Candy Cane Express

You can soak up the views of the stunning Oregon coastline aboard the Candy Cane Express, run by the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad. The one-hour train ride runs from Garibaldi to Rockaway Beach and back, and includes hot chocolate, cookies and Santa.



Nov. 30 through Dec. 22. Tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and $18 for kids. Buy tickets online at oregoncoastscenic.org or call 888-718-4253.

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Foster Church/The Oregonian

Sumpter Valley Christmas Trains

For two days in December, the Sumpter Valley Railroad in eastern Oregon will run its Christmas Trains. The round-trip excursions allow visitors to visit Santa at the Sumpter Station and go shopping at the Sumpter Christmas Bazaar. Free cocoa, coffee and tea are provided.



Dec. 14 and 15. Tickets are $24 for adults, $20 for seniors and $14 for kids. Buy tickets online at sumptervalleyrailroad.org or call 541-894-2268.

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Stephanie Yao Long/The Oregonian

ZooLights Train

The train ride at the Oregon Zoo is closer to a toy train compared to the big steam engines of Oregon's heritage railroads, but it remains one of the most popular holiday train rides in the state. The six-minute ride goes through the Elephant Lands and Family Farm sections of the zoo, and during the annual ZooLights event, the whole scene is lit up with twinkling lights.



Nov. 29 to Jan. 5. Tickets are $5 per person, $4.50 for zoo members. Buy tickets at the event or in advance online at oregonzoo.org.

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Courtesy of Premier Rail Collection

Polar Express Train

Based on the popular kids' book by the same name, the Polar Express Train is run by the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad in southwest Washington. The one-hour train ride includes several elements from the story, and is one of many based on the book held on railroads around the country.



Nov. 22 to Dec. 22. Tickets are $38 per person. Buy tickets online at steamtrainride.com or call 360-748-9593.

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Courtesy of Premier Rail Collection

Santa Holiday Train Ride

A second holiday-themed train ride on the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad, the Santa Holiday Train Ride lasts 30 minutes and includes a visit from Santa himself. It's a shorter and more affordable option compared to the Polar Express train that the railroad operates at the same time.



Nov. 30 to Dec. 22. Tickets are $15 per person. Buy tickets online at steamtrainride.com or call 360-748-9593.

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Karly Imus/The Oregonian

Christmas Tree Train

The Chelatchie Prairie Railroad in north Clark County hosts two different holiday train experiences. The Christmas Tree Trains whisk passengers along the Lewis River, returning to the station to mingle with Santa, and enjoy hot chocolate, cider, coffee and cookies. The railroad also sells fresh-cut trees to riders. The Steam Winter Finale on Dec. 21 and 22 is the same ride, but with the railroad's steam engine.



Nov. 30 to Dec. 22. Tickets are $18 for adults, $17 for seniors and $12 for kids; Christmas tree packages with four tickets range from $85 to $105. Buy tickets online at tickets.bycx.org.

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--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB

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