Train Jam 2020

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chakk

Engineer
Joined
May 26, 2011
Messages
2,562
Train Jam, the run of the California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville, with all 340 coach and sleeper berths (just two berths sold in each of the Family Bedrooms) sold only for travel over the entire route, returns with the March 12, 2020 departure from Chicago, arriving in Emeryville on March 14, 2020.

The train is designed to bring some of the attendees to the annual Game Developers Conference, which will be held at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, March 16-20, 2020.

Tickets for this train go on sale on the trainjam dot com website at 0700 Pacific Time (GMT-8) on December 3, 2019. Expect ALL tickets to sell out within a few hours on December 3.

More details at trainjam dot com
 
Unfortunately, due to pricing changes, we were unable to rent a second observation car as we had done in years past. We’ll still have the standard one observation car that comes on the California Zephyr, but it will definitely be a bit more cramped than years past. This means that our train will consist of three coach class cars, three sleeper cars, one restaurant car, and one observation car! Wow!

That stinks. They really couldn't find a way to throw them a bone in the middle of the winter? After last year, I'd give them anything they want.
 
That stinks. They really couldn't find a way to throw them a bone in the middle of the winter? After last year, I'd give them anything they want.

For those not aware, last year's train arrived more than 12 hours late into Emeryville due to major delays in the Midwest.
 
They should get the second lounge for free or at least at a deep discount especially if it’s unattended, they’re chartering the entire train. No good will for anyone, even people with $$$. Then again that’s the Anderson’s theme.
 
If Amtrak had used some creative planning, they could have included a second SSL at no cost, by using this train to move a SSL that had undergone heavy maintenance at Beech Grove, that may have otherwise been "deadheaded" to California...
 
Other than crew changes, would this train stop anyplace else?

I suppose in theory, no stops anyplace else would be required. For example, the regular westbound CZ will skip stops at Davis, Martinez, and Richmond if there are no passengers scheduled to detrain, since these stops are listed in the timetable as "alight only". But, in practice, BNSF and UP dispatchers might not let the train get too far ahead of its typical schedule, so as to not upset scheduling meets with opposing trains on single track or overtaking other trains on single or double track.
 
How did the "safety patrol train" operate? Did it skip station stops? Not sure, so just curious, as a comparison....
 
It's a real shame Amtrak, Congress, etc have let equipment inventory and maintenance dwindle so much that they couldn't put enough cars together to run a Special for this group...and also the regularly scheduled CZ. Of course the freight railroads' attitude toward Amtrak would make this a moot point.
 
It's a real shame Amtrak, Congress, etc have let equipment inventory and maintenance dwindle so much that they couldn't put enough cars together to run a Special for this group...and also the regularly scheduled CZ. Of course the freight railroads' attitude toward Amtrak would make this a moot point.

From what I’ve read in the past, the length of the the JAM train isn’t about adding enough equipment to satisfy the crowd. It’s about running the train as a sold out CZ. Being a sold out CZ the train needs to meet normal platform and max train lengths. Last year they ran 3 full sleepers, diner, lounge, 3 coaches, and lounge, and from what I read it was the max length train available. Personally I think this train is getting popular enough to run it as a full special train, as in with proper planning, to be able to run on any desired route and make stops as needed/desired. This would also allow normal CZ travel and the ability to fill as long of a train as TRAINJAM wishes.
 
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