Photos: Alaska holiday train a delight for youngsters with Christmas on the brain

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Railroad "reindeer" wave as the train departs Anchorage for a trip down Turnagain Arm. The Alaska Railroad has been running the holiday train every year since 2003. Dec 7, 2013

If you've got Santa and his elves, a magician and some hot chocolate, what else could you add to possibly make a little child's holiday even more special? Take all of that and put it on a train, of course!

This year's marks the 10th anniversary of the holiday train, put on by the Alaska Railroad. Starting in Anchorage, the train makes its way down Turnagain Arm to Indian, where it stops briefly before heading back to Anchorage.

More than 100 little boys and girls, and their parents, got to sing Christmas songs and color pictures of Santa while they waited for the big man to make his way through the six train cars. Meanwhile, magician Don Russell was making his way through the cars in the opposite direction.

Even though the ride was mostly shrouded in fog, train riders were treated to a glimpse of a moose in full gallop and a few Dall sheep along the cliffs south of Anchorage. And on the return trip, the clouds parted and a calm, semi-frozen Turnagain Arm came into view.

Both the Dec. 7 and Dec. 14 departures on this year's holiday train sold out, but you can find out more about the trip and plan for next year on the Alaska Railroad website.