F.A.Q.

Q: Where do you run in New York State?
A: Operation Toy Train operates a toy collection train in southern Orange County, New York between Warwick and Port Jervis, and operates a second toy collection train in Saratoga County, New York between Greenfield Center and Hadley. In the past, there was a separate toy distribution train operated by the Capital Region Toys for Tots campaign in the Capital District around Albany. Operation Toy Train is not affiliated with this distribution train. For up-to-date information on the future of the Albany distribution train, please visit the Capital Region Toys for Tots page on Facebook.

Q: How do I get tickets to ride the train?
A: Unfortunately, you can’t. Operation Toy Train is NOT a train ride. It is a working freight train that collects toys for less-fortunate children. The only riders on the train are the volunteer staff and the train crew.

Q: Can I volunteer to work on the train?
A: Operation Toy Train is always accepting new volunteers to work on the train! In particular, we are looking for new volunteers to help staff our new runs in new geographic regions. That being said, space constraints, logistics, and railroad safety regulations require us to keep the number of staff on each train as low as possible, so we cannot guarantee space on any particular run. We are also looking for volunteers for other tasks, such as ground crew to help organize people and donations at each stop. To get involved, visit our Volunteer page or email Carolyn Hoffman at choffman@operationtoytrain.org.

Q: What is the record number of toys Operation Toy Train has collected in a single year?
A: The number of toys has steadily increased since we started operating in 2009, collecting 6,884 toys in our first year. Our 2024 season holds the record so far; we collected 36,462 toys in eight days of train operations, plus about 4,000 additional toys that were collected by truck (rather than by train). Our single-day record is Saturday, December 11, 2021, when we collected 21,034 toys on the train in just under nine hours!

Q: I can’t make it to one of the scheduled train stops, but I still want to donate a toy. Where can I bring it or drop it off?
A: Operation Toy Train works with many sponsors throughout our collection areas that maintain Toys for Tots collection boxes at their business offices for several weeks before the train runs. You can bring your donation to any of these drop-off locations, and they will be delivered to our train when we make our scheduled stop.

Q: My business wants to get involved and become a sponsor. What can we do?
A: Several of Operation Toy Train’s corporate sponsors simply make financial contributions to offset the costs of operating our train (see the next question). Other companies volunteer to become collection points, placing collection boxes at their place of business for employees and visitors to drop off toys. The sponsor then transports the collected toys to the train when the train makes its nearest stop. (Please note that we cannot come to the sponsor to pick up the boxes - we’ll be busy running the train!) For information on becoming a sponsor, please visit our How to Get Involved page.

Q: I don’t have time to shop for toys, but I’d still like to make a donation. What can I do?
A: Running a full-size train costs a lot of money every year, especially since we maintain our own railcars to use on several of our runs. TOYX, Inc. (the organization that runs Operation Toy Train) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and your financial donations towards our train’s operation are tax-deductible. We accept donations online by clicking here, or you can mail us a check at:

Operation Toy Train
146 Hillside Drive
Dingmans Ferry, PA 18328