the_traveler
Engineer
(With apologies to the Beverly Hillbilies)
THIS HERE’S A STORY ABOUT A MAN NAMED (THE_TRAVELER) …
SO HE (TOOK A TRAIN) AND HEADED TO BEV-ER-LY … HILLS – THAT IS …
(Or at least as close as the resTRAINing order would let me get! :lol: )
Using some of my AGR points I took a trip from KIN-LAX for the Gathering, via a “detour" or two. (Some planned, others not – more to follow.) Instead of going directly to LAX (and using a 3-zone award), I chose to purchase a ticket to go to BOS first (to earn more AGR points – and double points didn’t hurt either!), get a 1-zone coach award to ATL (hey I’m cheap :lol: ), purchase a ticket to BHM (to earn even more points!) and then take the 2 zone loophole award BHM-LAX!
Besides getting more train time and included meals, this also results in less points being used for the award. By doing the award this way, instead of spending 35K/50K for 3 zones, it costs 25.5K/35.5K for 4+ zones!
KIN-BOS # 66
I paid $16 for this segment to add another 140 miles to my travels and earn another 200 points. The train departing BOS (#99) is the same as I would have departed KIN 3 hours later, and the “cost” of the award is the same – still only 1-zone!
#66 arrived on schedule at 6:32 AM, and consisted of an HHP, baggage car, café/BC and 4 coaches (numbers unknown). Arrival into BOS was 4 minutes early at 7:48 AM
BOS-WAS # 99
#99 departed on schedule at 8:40 AM, and consisted of an HHP, full BC (with 2x2 seats), a full café and 6 coaches (numbers unknown), Using an AGR award, I chose BC!
Up to KIN, # 99 was on time. But we stopped and sat on the tracks just outside of WLY for over 15 minutes waiting for a train going the opposite direction. (Even the crew was upset about this!) Arrival into WAS was 37 minutes late. I had hoped to see some of the WUS anniversary exhibits during my layover, but they ran only from 10-4, and I arrived after 5 PM!
WAS-BHM # 19
I used a 1 zone BC award to go from BOS-ATL (coach WAS-ATL) and paid $27.90 for an ATL-BHM ticket. BHM is a good turnaround point between # 19 and # 20 with a 3 hour layover.
#19 consisted of 2 P-42’s (#154 and #91), baggage car #1735, 2 Viewliners (Wayside View and Bay View), heritage diner #8505, café/lounge #28016 and 4 coaches (#25082, #25048, #25056 and #25019). Both Viewliners were placed with bedrooms first.
When I boarded in WAS, I was given a card which had a seat number on it. This was the very first time that I was assigned a specific seat to sit in Oh sure, when I boarded in SLC at 3:30 AM, I was assisted by the CA to find a seat, but I was not TOLD to sit in seat #__. However in WAS, I was TOLD to sit in seat #26 before I even got on the train! The good thing was that seat 26 was at the very center of the car, but the bad thing is that it is an aisle and there is a light right above the seat that stays on all night!
Departure from WAS was 5 minutes late at 6:35 PM. NS must be doing a good job as far as helping Amtrak’s OTR. Between ATL and ATN I saw at least 3 occasions where (LONG) NS freights were stopped to allow # 19 to pass! However, arrival into BHM was 25 minutes late!
(The BOS-ATL segment had a value of $217.00 and “cost” 6,500 AGR points. The ¢/point value was 3.34¢/point. I also earned another 400 AGR points for the paid portions. :lol: )
http://picasaweb.google.com/railfan51/KINBHM# (Edited to fix link)
NEXT: The 2 zone loophole trip! B)
THIS HERE’S A STORY ABOUT A MAN NAMED (THE_TRAVELER) …
SO HE (TOOK A TRAIN) AND HEADED TO BEV-ER-LY … HILLS – THAT IS …
(Or at least as close as the resTRAINing order would let me get! :lol: )
Using some of my AGR points I took a trip from KIN-LAX for the Gathering, via a “detour" or two. (Some planned, others not – more to follow.) Instead of going directly to LAX (and using a 3-zone award), I chose to purchase a ticket to go to BOS first (to earn more AGR points – and double points didn’t hurt either!), get a 1-zone coach award to ATL (hey I’m cheap :lol: ), purchase a ticket to BHM (to earn even more points!) and then take the 2 zone loophole award BHM-LAX!
Besides getting more train time and included meals, this also results in less points being used for the award. By doing the award this way, instead of spending 35K/50K for 3 zones, it costs 25.5K/35.5K for 4+ zones!
KIN-BOS # 66
I paid $16 for this segment to add another 140 miles to my travels and earn another 200 points. The train departing BOS (#99) is the same as I would have departed KIN 3 hours later, and the “cost” of the award is the same – still only 1-zone!
#66 arrived on schedule at 6:32 AM, and consisted of an HHP, baggage car, café/BC and 4 coaches (numbers unknown). Arrival into BOS was 4 minutes early at 7:48 AM
BOS-WAS # 99
#99 departed on schedule at 8:40 AM, and consisted of an HHP, full BC (with 2x2 seats), a full café and 6 coaches (numbers unknown), Using an AGR award, I chose BC!
Up to KIN, # 99 was on time. But we stopped and sat on the tracks just outside of WLY for over 15 minutes waiting for a train going the opposite direction. (Even the crew was upset about this!) Arrival into WAS was 37 minutes late. I had hoped to see some of the WUS anniversary exhibits during my layover, but they ran only from 10-4, and I arrived after 5 PM!
WAS-BHM # 19
I used a 1 zone BC award to go from BOS-ATL (coach WAS-ATL) and paid $27.90 for an ATL-BHM ticket. BHM is a good turnaround point between # 19 and # 20 with a 3 hour layover.
#19 consisted of 2 P-42’s (#154 and #91), baggage car #1735, 2 Viewliners (Wayside View and Bay View), heritage diner #8505, café/lounge #28016 and 4 coaches (#25082, #25048, #25056 and #25019). Both Viewliners were placed with bedrooms first.
When I boarded in WAS, I was given a card which had a seat number on it. This was the very first time that I was assigned a specific seat to sit in Oh sure, when I boarded in SLC at 3:30 AM, I was assisted by the CA to find a seat, but I was not TOLD to sit in seat #__. However in WAS, I was TOLD to sit in seat #26 before I even got on the train! The good thing was that seat 26 was at the very center of the car, but the bad thing is that it is an aisle and there is a light right above the seat that stays on all night!
Departure from WAS was 5 minutes late at 6:35 PM. NS must be doing a good job as far as helping Amtrak’s OTR. Between ATL and ATN I saw at least 3 occasions where (LONG) NS freights were stopped to allow # 19 to pass! However, arrival into BHM was 25 minutes late!
(The BOS-ATL segment had a value of $217.00 and “cost” 6,500 AGR points. The ¢/point value was 3.34¢/point. I also earned another 400 AGR points for the paid portions. :lol: )
http://picasaweb.google.com/railfan51/KINBHM# (Edited to fix link)
NEXT: The 2 zone loophole trip! B)
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