“Operation Toy Train” makes historic first visit in Susquehanna County

12-17-25

By Lauren Royce, Peter Baumann
SUSQUEHANNA — A locomotive pulling nine railroad cars arrived in Great Bend and Susquehanna on the cold morning of Dec. 7 carrying out a special mission. Local residents gathered at each stop, bearing armloads of toys that were given to cheerful volunteers wearing yellow vests. The gifts will soon be distributed to less fortunate kids in Susquehanna, Broome, Sullivan and Pike Counties. It was the first time the train made its stop at the Erie Railroad Station in Susquehanna.
“Toys for Tots have operated for many many years, not necessarily on the New York Susquehanna Washington Railroad, they’ve operated on class 1 railroads too, ” said Joe White, President of the Susquehanna Community Development Association (SCDA). Along the way from Binghamton down to Port Jarvis, “They said Susquehanna was much more well patronized,” he said. “I would say maybe 30, 35 people were there. And everyone had toys with them.” White retired about 10 years ago after 40 years as division manager with NYSW, so being at the event was a chance to reunite with old friends.
Every year since 2009 (except for 2020) Operation Toy Train has run special trains during
the holiday season to collect donated toys for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation and other
local civic organizations. This was their first Operation Toy Train venture into Susquehanna
County.

The operation was organized by TOYX, a nonprofit headquartered in Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania. The goal was to collect over 40,000 donated toys at 69 cities and towns across
five states. This year the organization is on track to collect over 60,000 toys, according to Rudy
Garbely, President of the organization.
“We are planning to hand over the toys collected in Great Bend and Susquehanna to the Susquehanna County campaign of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, based in Wyoming, PA,” Garbely said.
The train was powered by a diesel-electric locomotive, owned by the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway (NYSW). Three company officials participated in the day’s festivities: Alan Held, Vice President of Transportation; Ray Schloss, Manager of Sales and Marketing and Frank Eichelaub Southern Division Superintendent.
“This railroad here in Susquehanna is 400 miles total, so it was exciting for us that we finally got to run up north, North Division and then along the Susquehanna River, that was great,” Schloss said.
Schloss shared some interesting trivia about the train. He also was one of the tall helpers loading toys into the train.
“Some of the cars, the passenger cars on the train, are from the old Ringling Brothers circus,” Schloss said. “So, Toys for Tots grabbed a couple of them— and one of the cars is the horse car— This car, a lot of the performers were Ukrainian and they wrote in magic marker on the walls the names of the horses in Ukrainian.” Schloss, being half Ukrainian himself, said he has set to having a friend try and translate the names.
It’s true, the railroad cars that make up the Toys for Tots train have a remarkable history. Two of the cars were once owned by the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus and the gifts were stored in a modified baggage car that was once used to transport horses and elephants. A second car was used as a circus dormitory car, known colloquially as the “clown car.”
The operation was a success in Susquehanna County and plans call for the train to return next year.