A brother and sister duo from Indianapolis created a Nickel Plate Express Christmas story to commemorate the non-profit’s inaugural year.
Nickel Plate Nick Saves Christmas, written by David Hoffman with illustrations by older sibling Sara Hoffman, tells the story of Nick, a hedgehog conductor, and his sidekick, a spunky girl named Maggie. After Santa accidentally drops one of his present bags, the pair race against the clock to deliver those presents to residents of Cicero, Atlanta and Arcadia before Christmas morning.
“I learned a lot about trains while writing the book,” said author David Hoffman. “Since the main character Nick is a conductor, the Nickel Plate Express operations manager Bret Davis helped me brush up on my train terminology. It was especially rewarding to do this project with my sister, Sara. She’s been naturally good at drawing ever since we were little, but I was blown away when she showed me the finished illustrations.”
The Hoffmans hope that the residents of Cicero, Atlanta and Arcadia enjoy seeing their towns featured in the book.
The 2018 Nickel Plate Nick Saves Christmas is a coloring book edition, with a full color edition to be made available in fall of 2019. Families are encouraged to share their Nickel Plate Nick art work by tagging Nickel Plate Express on Facebook or emailing info@nickelplateexpress.net.
Nickel Plate Nick Saves Christmas is available for purchase at Cicero Market and the Nickel Plate Express ticket booth in Atlanta. Customers can reserve copies by emailing Nickel Plate Express at info@nickelplateexpress.net.
About the Nickel Plate Express
The Nickel Plate Express is managed by non-profit Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad Inc. The organization provides themed, year-round train excursions in northern Hamilton County. Nickel Plate Express seeks to educate and entertain all ages through moving historical experiences.