Bertram Depot — Attraction in Bertram

We had a group of 15 on the North Pole Flyer. The overall experience was good, but there were some nice and not-so-nice attributes. On the good side, the hot chocolate was great. Santa, the carol singer, and balloon guys were all wonderful. It was also a nice surprise that they gave all the children train whistles (a little noisy, but the children loved them). Things that weren't very good include: The scenery was not good at all. The joy was inside the train, while outside there was virtually nothing pleasant to see. The website and the on-board announcement stated they would turn seats around if desired, but our attendant (John) would not do it. Indeed, our car attendant was quite grumpy, and we all agreed that he should not be working this ride. Lastly, the way the website depicts loading of the train was totally wrong. The doors did not open an hour before departure...instead, we stood outside until just a few minutes before the ride until they let us on the train. Once on the train, there were only a few minutes before it started to move, so there was essentially no time to get settled. One more thing, the train was stationary many times during the trip, with one stop lasting more than 15 minutes. Not what we expected on a train 'ride.' The experience was nice, especially for the children, but I would not...

We visited there Saturday for our first family Polar Express ride with our 4 grandsons, daughter her hubby and other grandparents. We boarded the train at 11:45 and started our adventure. Unfortunately, the train ride lasted 1 hour. The train ended up with mechanical problems. We were stranded in our coach with other families for about 3 hours. For some, it was a nightmare. For others, there was laughter and craziness. Staff did their best to assure us that there was a plan. We ended up walking the tracks for a few yards. Waited another hour for buses that were brought to Belton so we could arrive back in Bertram. The disappointing part of the trip to me was when families were stuck in the coaches for hours with children and no food or water( cookies were offered) The gift ship stayed open, and we made several trips to buy water and snacks for the children and adults. I would have at that point with families over an hour waiting in the coaches, would have given everyone free water and coffee, and offered the snacks for half off. We paid for items, but I wonder how many did not have the extra...

The North Pole Flyer is such a fun. Christmas event. You get to meet Mr and Mrs. Claus. Receive cookies from Mrs. Claus. Color on Christmas pages and write a letter to Santa. The elves tell the story of the North Pole Flyer. The lounge cars have tables and chairs. Perfect for littles to do their activities. Worth the price! You can bring your own activities, lunch, and snacks if needed. If you do not have any they have a concession car with snacks and items for sale. 2 hr train ride was so fun. I highly recommend it. Be sure to arrive 45 mins plus there was a long line to pick up tickets when we arrived at 11:15 and departure at noon. These tickets sell out quickly. I would start looking in the summer time to secure tickets. Love love...