The Scene In Sparta. A pile of "Toys For Tots" boxes and a sizable crowd greet the arrival of Operation Toy Train in Sparta, Jersey. "Every year since 2009 (except for 2020), special trains have operated on the first two weekends of December in northern New Jersey and southern New York to collect donated toys for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation" explains Operation Toy Train website about the organization's mission to travel across New York and New Jersey during the holiday season. On Saturday, December 9, 2023, New York, Susquehanna, and Western Railway 3024 (ex-NS 3553, exx-HLCX 7200, née-BN 7200, SD40-2, EMD, 10/1979, "Silver and Maroon") made its Toys For Tots Train debut. Perhaps the most sought after leader on the NYS&W, this unit was repainted earlier in 2023 into an older paint scheme of the railroad. As with last year's train, the Erie Turntable/Port Jervis Transportation Museum and Dining Car Society participated. At the end of the day, the group announced that they had collected over 20,000 toys, which is the real purpose of the train.
