Holiday train adds Christmas to schedule

RICHARDSON, Texas, Dec. 25 (UPI) -- A Texas man says he has expanded the schedule of the holiday train he has run in his backyard the past eight years to keep the ride open Christmas Day.

Joel Occhiuzzo, 76, said in previous years he has operated the train, which seats 22 people, in his Richardson backyard from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day, shutting down only for Christmas. But this year he decided to keep the train running even on Christmas, The Dallas Morning News reported Thursday.

"A lady asked me if I'd do it -- things have been so bad this year, so why not do something a little special for people?" Occhiuzzo said.

Occhiuzzo said it typically takes him about two months to set up the train and the rest of the backyard decorations, including more than 30,000 lights, brightly-colored cartoon characters and a high-reaching arch of illuminated reindeer.

He said busy weekend nights for the train have seen as many as 400 riders.

"I've had churches and schools and Boy Scout groups," Occhiuzzo said. "This, I do for everybody. I ask for no money, no cans of food, nothing. Just come and enjoy it."