Since 1992, the CTA Holiday Train has been a Chicago Christmas tradition. Now people don't need to ride it to appreciate its splendor. Daniel Moreno, a photographer from Venezuela who now lives in Chicago, has spent several years capturing the decorated 'L' train.
Moreno, who has been fascinated by film and audiovisual media from a young age, compiled all of his work into the book "Chicago’s Holiday Train," which is coming out this month. Streetsblog Chicago talked with Moreno about his work and the enduring appeal of the Holiday Train. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. All images are taken from the book.
Cameron Bolton: What made you want to take photos of the Holiday Train?
Daniel Moreno: After I moved to Chicago, I found out about the Holiday Train, and it was just a natural thing to photograph it to capture life in Chicago. I really enjoyed the process, so I wanted to expand it. It's a good activity to do during the winter, and it really reflects the Christmas spirit.
CB: Can you tell me a little bit about how you captured those pictures?
DM: There's a lot of planning in these photos, because you have to time where the train is going to be, on what line and at which station. You only have one chance, because the train only runs once a day. After planning where you're gonna get the shot, it's about trying to get this nice interaction between the train and the city to get an interesting photo. The starting point should always be about planning and trying to find an interesting composition.
CB: In the intro of your book, you mentioned discovering countless corners of the city by doing this project. Can you tell me a little bit more about that?
DM: The train runs live for around three weeks through all the 'L' lines of the CTA. So I end up visiting every station of the system. In my regular life I don't go to every corner of the CTA system, but [when photographing the Holiday Train] I try to figure it out, where to take different photos of it with different backgrounds. I end up going to lots of communities, like riding all the way to the Far South Side to 95th Street, or taking the yellow line and Purple Line to the suburbs.
CB: How'd it feel going to all these new places?
DM: Oh, it's great. It simply shows the impact of the CTA and how it shapes the city. But it's also a perfect excuse to get to know the city better, to see how it changes from corner to corner, and to visit these new neighborhoods. It's always a great way to explore and discover, basically, what Chicago is.
CB: Why do you think the Holiday Train means so much to people?
DM: Chicago is a very well-known place for Winter. When first moved there, I came during the summer, and everybody was just warning me about the cold winter, and we experience that every year. But like, I feel like the Holiday Train is an excuse to be outside, even with the cold – something very attractive to see. It brings the holiday spirit, especially the kids, it's super fun just to ride it. It becomes a great activity during the wintertime. And it's something special about Chicago. There aren't many holiday trains like the one in Chicago anywhere else in the world.
Learn more about "Chicago’s Holiday Train" here.
Check out the Holiday Train schedule here.
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