Plains students experience magic of the Polar Express

The Polar Express once again made a stop at Plains last week and it looks like it's staying for about a month.

Plains resident Bill Beck and Plains High School Superintendent Thom Chisholm set up the Polar Express train set and an accompanying village in the "Opportunity Room" of the new multipurpose building last Wednesday. Beck had purchased the Polar Express in 2017 and set up the Polar Express Village for three consecutive years at the school. However, this is the first time since the COVID era that Beck has erected the display, though he couldn't put it in the library as he did before because it was reconfigured for a better learning environment and safety glass was installed, said Chisholm.

"The little kids really love this. The big kids love it, too, but they act like they don't. But when it goes on, they stand there mesmerized," said Chisholm, the self proclaimed Polar Express conductor. In December 2019, he played the Tom Hanks conductor character in the elementary school's Polar Express extravaganza.

The 81-year-old Beck initially bought the train to go with his train collection at home, where he has a large Lionel train township, along with more than 100 trains in his basement. Beck's Polar Express includes an engine, a coal car and three passenger cars. For the school display, he bought a hotel, church, grocery store, tavern, train station, bridge, tunnel, and homes. It has two figures in a snowball fight, a horse and buggy, and ice skaters. The village is on a four-foot wide, eight-foot long piece of plywood that Beck made, including the drilling of holes in the plywood for the electrical cords. He first loaned the train village to the school, but three years ago he decided to donate the entire set to them.

"First, I love the setup. Trains are a quintessential part of Christmas in America, and one with the holiday theme is extra special," said the superintendent. "This book, movie, and theme quickly became an American classic and will remain so for generations. For our school to have a permanent example means we will provide students with memories for years to come," Chisholm added.

Beck said he hadn't even seen the 2004 movie "Polar Express" until after he bought the train set, but once he saw it he loved it. He has been a serious train enthusiast for 54 years. The retired Navy senior chief said he's always had a fascination with trains and still has a Lionel Pennsylvania steam engine he received when he was 6 years old while living in Illinois. He likes to boast that he has trains in every room of his Plains home, except the bathroom, although he said that room, too, might get one.

"Bill Beck is a kind soul that truly enjoys sharing his experiences," said Chisholm. "He is the biggest Polar Express kid in the building. His generosity is sincere and succinct, truly a gift for others and not himself," he added. He also said that they hadn't set up the train set because of COVID and 2021 was a hectic year with limited administrative staff.

The superintendent said the display is in a better location because all the elementary students use the new facility for physical education every day. "Also, the little students couldn't see the train as well in the library when it was elevated on the racks and now that the library is encased in glass they will have much better and closer exposure in the Opportunity Room," Chisholm said.