Every year, Metra partners with Operation North Pole and the Village of Rosemont to take children with serious illnesses and their families on a magical trip to see Santa at his workshop. A huge part of the event features a train that is wrapped front to back in a unique, holiday-themed design.
We visited the crew from Daxam Inc. at Union Pacific’s diesel shop as they wrapped Locomotive 133 to get a peek at what goes into spreading holiday cheer this season.
The process for wrapping the cars and locomotives involves several donated materials and services, including an original design by the Village of Rosemont, a custom printed vinyl wrap by Flexcon, and professional installation by Daxam Inc. Installers routinely refer to the design as they apply the wrap to the train.
The wrap design has been completely reimagined every year since 2012, when the first wrapped train hit the rails to the North Pole. This year’s design is comprised of 13 vinyl panels for each side of the locomotive.
Once the panels are aligned, a paper backing is removed to expose the sticky surface, which is carefully placed into position.
A team of two work together to make sure each panel is precisely aligned.
Air bubbles are forced out from underneath the vinyl with a squeegee.
Installers pieced together the design from the front of the locomotive to the back, where five equally festive passenger cars will be attached.
Excess vinyl along edges and around nuts and bolts is cut off with a blade.
Just like a real snowman, this vinyl one will melt under the heat of the torch this installer quickly passes over him. Not to worry, melting the vinyl with a flame of 120 to 140 degrees and patting it with a gloved thumb or felt pad are the last steps in perfectly forming the wrap to the locomotive’s frame.
Applying the wrap can take up to six hours for a locomotive alone.
Today, Dec. 10, 2016, the train is running between the Pingree Road and Des Plaines stations on the Union Pacific Northwest line for the Operation North Pole event. If you’re unable to see it on the rails today, the train will remain wrapped for the entire holiday season and run on Metra’s Union Pacific lines.