Railroad Museum of New England — Attraction in Thomaston

Sent this email over a week ago and am yet to hear back from anyone.

I just wanted to send an email to express disappointment in how an issue was handled this evening. My husband and I had attended the northern lights express in 2022 with our daughter and enjoyed ourselves so much that we decided to elevate our experience this year and purchase a ticket alongside friends as part of the tavern lounge experience.

As being two full-time working parents, we knew that attending the 5pm ride would be a challenge given that we both are front line workers, but left work early in hopes of avoiding traffic, as our commute from Glastonbury was to be a potential challenge.

We arrived at 4:55 and were greeted by a very nice woman who understood our sense of urgency as we were arriving with minutes to spare. She graciously provided us with a parking spot up front so we could quickly escort our 4 year old and 9 month old onto the train to join our friends.

Upon arrival to the train platform at 5:00, my four year old daughter had to witness the conductor stating "nope, sorry we're leaving" when attempts were made by the support staff to ensure our ride was secure.

My four year old daughter whom had been looking forward to this day for so long, was left in tears as the train pulled out of the station without her. As a mother, this was devastating to witness. I understand that time commitments should be adhered to,and we made every effort to arrive on time. However, we were disappointed in the way the situation was handled as we were quite literally left standing out in the cold.

The Northern lights express had been a representation of fun, and the foundation for christmas memories for our family, but after spending over $250 dollars to be turned away like we had been, and to have to witness the magic of Christmas ripped away from our daughter... we sadly will not be planning to return.

If you were to ask any family on that train this evening, I'm sure they would have graciously spared the extra few minutes to allow my family to board the train, had they known the circumstances of our arrival time.

My rationale for this email is not to complain, but to ask for more compassion and understanding during this holiday season, as many families with young children are trying very hard to "Show up" for there kids and to create unforgettable memories during the holiday season. I hope that if a similar situation arises in the near future, you will have empathy for those individuals and provide them the opportunity to board that train, knowing the positive impact it would have on their family.

....No response was provided by any staff of northern lights. No attempt to rectify the situation, and no other option suggested, other than to exit the venue and drive back home...awful experience, please do not...

Beware! This entity is a scam! Horrible customer service, mostly Ellen, who lets an issue go on for over 2 months, states a refund will be given, then does not issue the refund, nor return any emails or phone calls. Then, to top it off, states false accusations, almost 2 months later, of a consumer. This is a result of a December 1, 2018 Christmas train ride. We were a party of 12 (3 children under age 3 & 9 adults) and assigned to train 4. Upon our turn to board, the train was completely full (ALL children were sitting in seats, regardless of their “under 3 on laps” rule) and there were only 2 seats for the 12 of us. The conductors were kind enough to try to find room for us on another train, and, after standing out in the cold for 15-20, they finally did. The new seats, however, were 8 seats for 12 of us. We were squished and someone was forced to stand. So the same person did not stand the entire time, ALL 9 of us stood at one point. This ride was very uncomfortable and unpleasant—much different than previous years. Further, it seems that their “under 3 on laps” rule was enforced for my family ONLY (I will share pics of this if needed). I called and emailed to complain on 12/4 and request a refund since none of us was guaranteed a seat, all stood at one point, and the entire night was unpleasant and uncomfortable from the start. Ellen and I had been emailing back and forth until 1/26 when she abandoned all further correspondences. In my 12/4 email, I explained the situation and asked for a full refund. Ellen rambled nonsense that clearly showed she did not read or comprehend my email. Finally, after 2 weeks of emailing the SAME content, she refunded 2 adult and 3 children under 3 tickets, not my full request. I continued to express my dissatisfaction in writing, but, to no avail, Ellen proved she did not read or comprehend. Then, on 1/26, she accused me of taking over 1 month to “demand a full refund” and she was unaware of the ride being unpleasant. She stated that she would issue a full refund on Monday, 1/28. I am still waiting for that refund, as well as a response to my 2 emails and 2 phone calls to Ellen regarding her accusations and the whereabouts of my refund. This entity (or Ellen) is a scam. Please beware! I have contacted the Department of Consumer Protection and Department of Transportation (for safety of stuffing 12 people in 8 seats and telling “1 will need to stand”). I will post email correspondences between Ellen and me in...

This was, unfortunately, one of the most disappointing Christmas experiences I’ve ever had. The seating description was misleading and fell far short of expectations. The price list uses terms like “premium,” which suggest an elevated, top-tier experience. However, upon arrival, it became clear this was not the case. The “Santa’s Lounge”—which is apparently the real premium option—offers far better decorations, atmosphere, and seating arrangements. And yet, the price for this so-called “premium” Jersey Transit experience was the same, leaving us feeling completely misled.

The onboard experience was equally underwhelming. The music and stories played over the intercom were barely audible, and there was zero entertainment to engage passengers during the trip to “Santa’s Workshop.” Instead, we were treated to views of graffiti along the route—not exactly the magical scenery one would hope for. Upon arrival at “Santa’s Workshop,” the first two train cars were so far from the action that it was impossible to see much of anything.

Then there was Santa. He looked more like a young grandpa with a peppery stubble rather than the iconic figure children envision—far from the version portrayed in the railway’s advertisements. His appearance, complete with a G-Shock watch, lacked the magic and authenticity you’d expect for an event like this. The elves handed out gifts from his toy bag, but there were no offers for pictures. On the bright side, Mrs. Claus was far more in character, spending time with the children and genuinely embodying the role. She was the only highlight of the experience.

The advertised “freshly baked cookies” turned out to be prepackaged, and the “premier gift bags” for kids were underwhelming. The brass ornament—advertised as part of the ticket—was limited to one per family, which was disappointing and felt misleading, especially when you’re required to buy tickets in sets of two. As an odd numbered we were forced to pay extra, only to receive a single ornament.

Overall, this was poorly executed, severely overpriced, and utterly disappointing. The lack of attention to detail and misleading marketing left us feeling let down and frustrated. I would not recommend this experience to anyone expecting a magical...