Editor’s note: This article was written before the North Pole Adventure’s Dec. 21 train derailment. No injuries were reported, according to WKYC. The Federal Railroad Administration is investigating.

Eileen Strauss is spending her golden years meeting plenty of memorable travelers. 

During a recent holiday season, Strauss met a sweet young boy covered with scars after a recent surgery. She watched as he pressed his nose against a window. Elves danced and waved to him aboard the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s North Pole Adventure.  

During the seasonal voyage, children wrote letters to Santa and watched a North Pole Postmaster deliver the letters to Santa’s mail box. They also reveled at a Christmas Tree Forest and Candy Cane Farm. 

As the 286,000-pound steel train pulled into the station, he remarked for all to hear: This was the “best day of my life.” 

A tiny passenger on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad waves to a North Pole Adventure elf on Dec 17, 2024. (Christiana Cacciato / Signal Akron)
Akron in Christmas
Pressing her nose to the glass, a young passenger gazes into Christmas decorations along the North Pole Adventure’s train ride on Dec. 17, 2024. (Christiana Cacciato / Signal Akron)

Strauss, 76, has enjoyed her transformation from retired radiology manager to Christmas elf and trainman — yes, that’s what they call them, even for women. You can often find her standing tall, elegant and eloquent in a stunning uniform that invites compliments from all ages as she shouts out, “All aboard!”  

It all started a decade ago when she saw an advertisement in the Hudson Hub Times. The railroad was recruiting a volunteer workforce for the two-hour trip. 

For one year, she donned an elf costume, welcoming riders on to the holiday adventure.  

North Pole
Amina Kalyane (4) holds her hot chocolate and gets ready for a fresh cookie on the North Pole Adventure on Dec. 17. Parents Jaclyn Locigno (left) and Salum Kalyane helped Amina with a letter to Santa and played Tic-Tac-Toe on their way to the North Pole. (Christiana Cacciato / Signal Akron)
Santas
Eileen Strauss instructs Santa’s helpers during the North Pole Adventure on Dec. 17, 2024. Once the train reaches the North Pole, volunteer Santas board the train and Strauss organizes them to meet children. (Christiana Cacciato / Signal Akron)

After two months, she fast-tracked to her next volunteer role. To make the grade as a trainman, she had to compile 50 hours of training (about 10 train rides). To earn the coveted conductor’s hat, trainees must log 150 training hours. 

Volunteer trainmen buy their uniforms, often by shopping at second-hand stores. They do have the ability to earn a variety of apparel — a striking spring jacket or a comfy winter coat embellished with CVSR logoss as well as pins, jewelry and train-related items. 

Strauss has spent approximately a decade as a trainman. 

Part of the experience of riding the rails is interacting with trainmen, who serve as storytelling tour guides. 

Train volunteer
Eileen Strauss greets passengers on the North Pole Adventure on Dec. 17, 2024. (Christiana Cacciato / Signal Akron)
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s North Pole Adventure
Eileen Strauss, 76, has enjoyed her journey from retired radiology manager to Christmas elf and trainman on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s North Pole Adventure. (Christiana Cacciato / Signal Akron)

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad offers year-round trips across the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. 

Akron in 330

The jewel of Akron is its people. They’re vibrant and resilient. Flawed, yet thoughtful and nurturing. And all of them come with compelling stories. That’s why we launched “Akron in 330.” This series offers a glimpse into everyday folks’ journeys across our many neighborhoods — 330 words at a time. Know someone we should consider? Tell us here.

Patricia Sheahan is a professor, student teacher supervisor, installation artist, educational consultant for the integration of the arts across all disciplines and a freelance writer. Sheahan enjoys more than four decades of education experience at K-12 schools in New York and Pennsylvania and higher education at Seton Hill University, the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Penn State and most recently the University of Akron. Her favorite courses to teach are Social Justice Through the Arts, Ethics, Introduction to Critical Education, Classroom Management and Integrating the Arts K-12. Interests include visiting the Akron Art Museum, Akron Library, Civic Theatre, walking downtown to view murals and window light installations plus the stunning flower and plant arrangements, antiquing, especially from her own vendor space at The Brothers North Antiques in Medina. She also frequents Akron restaurants and local boutiques, travels and spends time with her family; a daughter and her newly blended family in North Canton, a son and his family in San Diego and a son in Dallas.