TOO LARGE TO PUT UNDER A TREE, TOO SMALL FOR THE C.P. The local news is not all bad weather and threats to students. The Waterman and Western Railroad is running its own Holiday Train, and, as is the case with the Canadian Pacific's Holiday Train, it's on a donation basis.

In the first year of the holiday train, he charged riders $2, the same rate as the rest of the year, [locomotive owner Pete] Robinson said. But when he saw a woman with only $4 negotiating with her four children over who would ride and who would watch, he decided to make the ride free. There is a donation jar for anyone who cares to give money, he said.

“No parent should be in that situation at Christmastime,” he said. “If you can make a donation, and you want to, that's great. If you can't, that's OK. Just come have fun.”

This weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings.

Next weekend, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings.