Around Christmas, Eaton's in Montreal, ( a large Department store with-then, still manually-operated elevators with those clock-face-and-hand floor annunciators above the door and red-for-down and green-for-up electric signal lights and a lone-remaining classic narrow wooden-slatted-stepped escalator ) installed their 'Eaton's Train'.
This was an approx 15 inch gauge electric train with a Built-at-CPR'S Angus Shops, Montreal, CPR Royal Hudson with several passenger cars and a caboose.
Santa was there, too.
Toronto also had a train, a CNR 6400 streamlined Northern and train.
Kids looked foreward to the train ride almost as much as the holiday itself, which included a small gift at the end.
Involved a special trip Downtown by streetcar and a walk thru all the stores looking at the goodies.
Model trains played a big part of the displays and covered what seemed to be acres of floors.
Everyone thought Lionel or American Flyer for Xmas. The latter did offer nice PAs and Bs!!
If there was time, we would sometimes go home on a real train, with steam up front, but, we liked the Eaton's train more, as it was not as intimidating as standing next to a real hissing, pounding engine at the depot.
Staybolt heads leaking were a worry, even then.
There was a Veteran from the War outside on the street,who had lost an arm who played a hand-crank wheeled 'organ' selling pencils from a cup, and he waved the stump of his arm around, scaring the small children.
Ugly rumours abounded he went home in his own Packard every nite and that he had lost his arm jumping trains.
In the Sixties they pulled up the steel on the Eaton's trains as Diesels, automobiles and progress changed the real Railways forever.
A memory for Christmas!
