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West Coast Train Trip 2009: Lets Light This Sucker!
RCars2
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Greetings Fellow Traingoers!
What it is
Why the train?
How to get on the PAXTrain
Stuff You Need
PAXtrain Gear
The Rules
How to drink your vodka straight
The Hot Spots - I'm Going off the Rails on this Crazy PAXTrain
Events
It's that magical time of year to start planning the 2009 West Coast Train Trip: A kinder and gentler PAXtrain. Now with fluffy kitties and group hugs. This post exists as a placeholder for now with most of last years info on it but most of it still holds the same and I will update as we see fit. The train schedule with times and prices will be posted shortly, but hold off on buying tickets for now, we're trying to orchestrate a group purchase.
Soooooo, without further ado this is latest trip info.
Soooooo, without further ado this is latest trip info.
What it is
The West Coast Train Trip, or "PAXTrain" for short, is a coordinated effort for PAX-goers to ride the same train at the same time going up the western coast of the United States - both as an alternative to driving or flying, and to enjoy an intimate "mini-convention". It replaced the West Coast Supertrip in 2007.
Why the train?
Ask anyone who's flown, driven and taken the train up - the train was the best experience. We don't care if you're new - this ain't no private party, and all people going to PAX are welcome. We didn't even know anyone else in 2007 and have become fast friends. We invite you to join us!
How to get on the PAXTrain
We are riding Train #14 - Coast Starlight departing September 2nd, 2009. from California. If you are in Klamath Falls, OR or north, get on the same train, but on September 3rd, 2009. A group purchase is in the works this year. We need to purchase 20 tickets from Los Angeles at once to get group status with Amtrak, after that they allow us to add passengers as we need to. Deadlines and exactly how we're going to do this TBA. We're going back on Train #11 - Coast Starlight departing September 7th.
The following is a courtesy list of standard coach prices for the trip. We will attempt to negotiate a discounted rate.
The following is a courtesy list of standard coach prices for the trip. We will attempt to negotiate a discounted rate.
- Los Angeles, CA (LAX) - $196
- Van Nuys, CA (VNC) - $196
- Simi Valley, CA (SIM) - $196
- Oxnard, CA (OXN) - $196
- Santa Barbara, CA (SBA) - $196
- San Luis Obispo, CA (SLO) - $192
- Paso Robles, CA (PRB) - $192
- Salinas, CA (SNS) - $192
- San Jose, CA (SJC) - $190
- Oakland - Jack London Square, CA (OKJ) - $184
- Emeryville, CA (EMY) - $184
- Martinez, CA (MTZ) - $178
- Davis, CA (DAV) - $170
- Sacramento, CA (SAC) - $168
- Chico, CA (CIC) - $146
- Redding, CA (RDD) - $138
- Dunsmuir, CA (DUN) - $126
- Klamath Falls, OR (KFS) - $108
- Chemult, OR (CMO) - $94
- Eugene, OR (EUG) - $92
- Albany, OR (ALY) - $82
- Salem, OR (SLM) - $72
- Portland, OR (PDX) - $56
- Vancouver, WA (VAN) - $54
- Kelso, WA (KEL) - $46
- Centralia, WA (CTL) - $38
- Lacey - Olympia, WA (OLW) - $28
- Tacoma, WA (TAC) - $22
Stuff You Need
You'll need to be prepaired to survive on PAXTrain. Following is a list of stuff you probably should bring if you want to have a liveable experience on the rails.
We also recommend the following items:
- You are allowed to carry on two bags, and check three (if you board at a station that allows checked baggage). We suggest checking a suitcase for your PAX supplies and packing a seperate carryon bag / backpack. This pack should contain personal effects and clothing, as well as everything else you think you'll need on the train.
- Earbuds and an eye mask. It is considered PAXTrain courtesy to be quiet in all coach areas, where people may be sleeping - but still, be prepared. If you're upstairs people will be walking through at all hours.
- A toothbrush and toothpaste, mouthwash, a comb, and if you need them, shaving razors and cream. No showers are provided for coach passengers, so if you're on the train for two days bring wipes or a sponge or something to wash the stank off in the bathroom sink the second day. Ignoring basic hygene highlights a disregard for your fellow gamers, who are great people who don't need to know what you smell like after two days without cleaning yourself in a cramped environment.
- Snacks. There is a snack cart and a dining car, but it's not cheap. You can save some money if you bring some food and water with you.
- Your meds. Nobody needs to see you off them.
We also recommend the following items:
- A power strip. We plan on bringing power squids and some power strips, but there are never enough outlets.
- A handheld system - a Nintendo DS is the preferred item for wireless gaming. A PSP is welcome but has more of a personal role rather than multiplaying with the cool kids.
- A book for pleasure reading. We advise everyone to take a break from train festivities to "regroup", and read a book or listen to music.
- Headphones, preferrably a pair of earbuds rather than studio headphones, but to each his own.
- Cash. Dining with fellow PAXtrain goers is a good way to relax and get to know some people. Expect about one breakfast (from the snack cart), two lunches and two dinners with each trip (either from the snack cart or the dining car), each meal running about 10 dollars. The food in the private dining car isn't bad. Apart from that, bring spare cash for snacks or bring your own in your travel backpack.
PAXtrain Gear
People's willingness to bring their expensive toys to share is part of what makes PAXtrain such an awesome experience. Some of our needs are already met and addressed. Like last year, TNTrooper will provide a plethora of consoles to use, RCars2 will bring the networking equipment, and Transparent will bring his 26" television. Please understand that if you are joining up any later than San Jose, it may not be "worth it" for the train trip. We need supplies on the front as soon as we hit middle California, not before. If you want to assist us, here's what we need:
This is all the essentials - if you want to burden yourself with bringing more, that's fine, but it's also window dressing. If you're thinking about bringing more shit and saying "I'll hook it up in my hotel later after PAX closes", you're so wrong - you should either be sleeping or heading to a bar or party, not going back to the hotel to play some video games. You just did that all day.
TNTTrooper will be, as last year, providing a spread of classic games for use in Headquarters. There are not enough props in the world, but pass 'em to him anyways.
- Power strips and extension cords. Power management becomes a problem on the train. If you can, grab something from home before you go, or go buy a cheapie power strip for 15-20 bucks. This seems small and unimportant, but it's the foundation of all of our operations!
- Card games. Bring your Magic deck, your Fluxx deck, your Curses deck, your WoWTCG deck, your Pokemon deck, or shit, even a Sailor Moon TCG deck, I don't care. Bring it. If you have a silly game that's easy to learn bring it, We didn't Playtest This was a big train hit last year.
- Fans. We are going to need at least two. An electric fan can reduce the temperature of a room by up to 10 degrees, the arcade cars will need them. Small but powerful portable fans are a boon.
- Television sets (optional). Small, lightweight affairs. Don't bring anything you can't afford to replace if it breaks, but don't bring some ancient monolith because you were planning on giving it to Goodwill anyways. If you're BYOC and have a big monitor that can double as a TV, we'd apprectiate you offering it's use for the good of the Party. One 22" BYOC monitor covered, and the 26" Vizio television from last year will make a reappearance. The arcade car has a (small) television if we need it. Extra TVs and monitors are optional, not a necessity.
- Consoles, mainly two Wiis and two XBoxes. Seeing as how we may have at most three televisions, having a million consoles seem redundant, and let's face facts - people are going to be getting the most into Smash Bros. Brawl and Rock Band. So one Wii and one XBox360 with a Rock Band Kit (with the DLC ON THE HARD DRIVE IT WAS PURCHASED ON) are all we need. TNTrooper has the hookup with a classic gaming setup, and is coordinating our console efforts.
- The network will be taken care of by RCars2 again this year.
- You win 10,000 internets if you bring snacks to share with everyone during the trip. Whatever it is, we don't care, as long as it isn't hilariously messy or unsafe. Please do not bring home-cooked goods - we have no way of knowning what's in your killer brownies, duuuuuude.
This is all the essentials - if you want to burden yourself with bringing more, that's fine, but it's also window dressing. If you're thinking about bringing more shit and saying "I'll hook it up in my hotel later after PAX closes", you're so wrong - you should either be sleeping or heading to a bar or party, not going back to the hotel to play some video games. You just did that all day.
TNTTrooper will be, as last year, providing a spread of classic games for use in Headquarters. There are not enough props in the world, but pass 'em to him anyways.
The Rules
We now have some rules on PAXTrain. They're simple. Don't sweat it. But if you break them, again we will be miffed and we'll find appropriate punishment for you. These rules mainly apply in Headquarters (the Arcade cars or obs deck) as that's where most of the magic happens.
Again, we've never actually had to do that! Everyone's been cool and has watched each other's back, kept everyone else in check and been real champions, doing their duty to assist their fellow gamers when they are falling out of line. We work better as a loosely organized motley band than as a full regiment. We've done terrific! Just keep diligent - we have a legacy to consider, and we want to keep good relations with Amtrak.
- Don't be a dick
Just don't. Play nice, children. And if you don't like someone, don't start shit stirring and backtalk. - Don't be an asshole to the train staff
Train staffers are generally pretty cool and will let us do what we want with little explaination. Be nice to them, and if they tell you to do something, do it. - Don't be a loud prick
Other people may be sleeping in other cars. Or whatever. We usually sack the arcade car and half of the observation car as our Headquarters and keep it there - that muffles the sound pretty well, I've tested it, even when shouting. Still, noise discipline. Be quiet in the coach areas and sleeper cars, be polite in the dining cars and don't try to overrun the observation deck during the day if other people are using it. We try to keep the downstairs tables and the half with - Don't be a freak to kids
When kids are around, mind your tongue. Pretend Mommy's right behind you. Don't give anyone a reason to complain about PAXTrain. - Don't get too hammered
WE HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS SO FAR AND I WANT TO KEEP IT THIS WAY. I'M NOT POINTING FINGERS, THERE'S NOBODY TO POINT THEM AT! Let's just keep it that way.
Again, we've never actually had to do that! Everyone's been cool and has watched each other's back, kept everyone else in check and been real champions, doing their duty to assist their fellow gamers when they are falling out of line. We work better as a loosely organized motley band than as a full regiment. We've done terrific! Just keep diligent - we have a legacy to consider, and we want to keep good relations with Amtrak.
How to drink your vodka straight
Amtrak now has a policy against outside alcohol on the train. They probably just want to sell more of the overpriced stuff in the snack bar. We won't tell you what to bring or not bring, but know that the risks / consequences of bringing alcohol are your own, as we aren't condoning private stashes this year. Openly drinking your own stuff in public areas is discouraged.
The PAXTrain "staff" will be assessing the situation and reacting appropriately. We got some rookie drinkers on PAXTrain '07 (the only year Amtrak allowed outside booze). If you're new to drinking, we have some info for you right here to help you get in the swing of things - most vets already have some sort of system on how they handle the booze. Here are the four levels of inebriation as the apparatchiks will ID them:
Anyone who is really wasted will be asked to leave the festivities - sit in your coach seat for a while and maintain. You wanna drink on the PAXTrain? Fine. Just don't be a little newb about it.
Also remember:
- Not Drunk - You've had one, maybe two. You're not feeling it. Drink a little more, if you want, or not. Maybe you're just not a beer (or liquor) guy. You don't need to be drunk to enjoy PAXTrain. Most people weren't drunk at all last year. It's overblown how drunk we were. (Or I am cleaning our images up and rewriting history.)
- Buzzed - You've had a few and you're feeling pretty good. Bit of a headrush. Congrats - you're buzzed! Now slow down and enjoy it. Drink a bit after an hour to keep the buzz going. Don't feel like you need to drink a lot to look like a big man.
- Drunk - Congrats, you're drunk. Now sit your ass down. Being drunk is not a good thing. Lay off the booze and get some chips. A pro alcoholic can "maintain", cutting through his drunkenness and working with his lack of motor skills to help him calm down and get it out. Be careful - we'll try to help keep you quiet and unseen, but if the train guys spot you drunk, they can call the cops at the next stop and have you hauled off to the drunk tank. That means no Paxy Pax for you.
- Wasted - What the fuck is wrong with you? If you're clearly wasted we're throwing you out of PAXTrain events and the word will spread you're persona non grata. Go to the bathroom quietly and puke before the train personnel eject you from the train - and into the arms of the police, who will arrest you for being drunk in public.
Anyone who is really wasted will be asked to leave the festivities - sit in your coach seat for a while and maintain. You wanna drink on the PAXTrain? Fine. Just don't be a little newb about it.
Also remember:
- "You just want to be with that ugly bitch WHO ISN'T PRETTIER THAN ME!!!" (New Years party reference, this chick was a horrible drunk) If you've battled with depression before, you might wind up being an overemotional drunk. So unless you're certain you can maintain, if you feel weird about it then don't get drunk so you don't embarrass yourself.
- Don't feel pressured to drink more to seem hardcore. A pro alcoholic will tell you that a low alcohol tolerance is actually very good thing, and look back to the time when a few beers would buzz them as their salad days.
- Beer before liquor, never been sicker. Liquor before beer? You're in the clear. Be sure that you remember this rhyme, or else you'll wind up doing time - puking up your guts all over the stall, in the bathroom straight down the hall.
- Since we won't have a PAXtrain alcohol stash we can't exactly cut you off. Just remember if you're out of hand you'll be asked to go somewhere else until you can maintain.
The Hot Spots - I'm Going off the Rails on this Crazy PAXTrain
The majority of all PAXTrain activities happen in two locations: The coach car with the arcade room (which will likely be the home of Rock Band), and the Obseravtion Deck (which will be designated as the Obs Deck or simply as Obs). These areas are beehives of activity and the "home" of most of our console systems. We'll have to play it by ear, balancing the use of the arcade cars and observation car between PAX goers and the rest of the passengers took a little doing last year.
The Arcade Car(s): These are private rooms, allowing us to speak freely with no cause for the concerns of other passengers and is fairly soundproof, allowing us to get a little loud (not too loud). Here you can find our primary console setups. It is on the first story of a coach car, with no other passengers to heed, and has a luggage rack for storing our critical gear, a water dispenser for more drinkable cold water, and doors to exit in case of a smoke break. When the door opens to the arcade car, get quiet for a second until it closes; otherwise, speak away. Amtrak closes the arcade cars at 11pm
The Obs Deck: Obs is a public area for all passengers. It was the only suitable area for us to use as the main areas of our activities on PAXtrain '08. We have to be conscious of the other passengers during the day, but last year we pretty much had it to ourselves at night. Obs has a large, spacious observation deck on the top floor with a number of private tables, benches and seats to view the countryside, use a laptop, play cards or do whatever, but due to the furniture it is not a good place to hold a mass congregation unless everyone sits down. The first floor of the obs deck has a commissary for buying snacks, drinks, booze and small meals. The prices are a little high, but not complete robbery - still, it's advisable to bring your own foodstuffs. Also on the first floor are more tables and furniture and more observation areas, we tried to leave this area open last year as we pretty much took up all the tables upstairs. Wireless connections will be set up and administrated from a table on the upper floor, you can take advantage of it from the whole obs car. At night, we appropriate obs for PAX-y uses, but it is still a public area, so don't be a total boor or drunkard. This is when we typically chill and watch movies.
The Dining Car: The onboard restaurant of the train is pretty good. Or, at least it was last year.
We are actively trying to have better arrangements with Amtrak this year, check back for news about the group purchase.
The Obs Deck: Obs is a public area for all passengers. It was the only suitable area for us to use as the main areas of our activities on PAXtrain '08. We have to be conscious of the other passengers during the day, but last year we pretty much had it to ourselves at night. Obs has a large, spacious observation deck on the top floor with a number of private tables, benches and seats to view the countryside, use a laptop, play cards or do whatever, but due to the furniture it is not a good place to hold a mass congregation unless everyone sits down. The first floor of the obs deck has a commissary for buying snacks, drinks, booze and small meals. The prices are a little high, but not complete robbery - still, it's advisable to bring your own foodstuffs. Also on the first floor are more tables and furniture and more observation areas, we tried to leave this area open last year as we pretty much took up all the tables upstairs. Wireless connections will be set up and administrated from a table on the upper floor, you can take advantage of it from the whole obs car. At night, we appropriate obs for PAX-y uses, but it is still a public area, so don't be a total boor or drunkard. This is when we typically chill and watch movies.
The Dining Car: The onboard restaurant of the train is pretty good. Or, at least it was last year.
We are actively trying to have better arrangements with Amtrak this year, check back for news about the group purchase.
Events
We will be having the following events on PAXTrain:
Tournaments: TBD. At the very least there will be Super Smash Brothers Brawl, Rock Band 2, and D&D going on.
Meals: Amtrak takes Lunch and Dinner reservations before meals happen. Find some people and make a reservation for four. It's a great way to commiserate with people in a more relaxed environment than the public areas.
Movie Night: CURRENT FILM LIST: TBD. Do you have something you want to watch at night in the observation car? Bring it with you and / or let us know. Last year Dr. Horrible was the big hit of movie night.
Meals: Amtrak takes Lunch and Dinner reservations before meals happen. Find some people and make a reservation for four. It's a great way to commiserate with people in a more relaxed environment than the public areas.
Movie Night: CURRENT FILM LIST: TBD. Do you have something you want to watch at night in the observation car? Bring it with you and / or let us know. Last year Dr. Horrible was the big hit of movie night.
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I'm thinking that if I scrounge up enough money, get a job, etc... I could take a round trip ride to CA, and then up with you guys to PAX.
It's 'spensive, but if this job I applied for works out, I should be in the clear.
Let's just hope I can make enough :S
{Fondly remembers the PAXTrain}
So I take it the dates are Wed, Sept 2 northbound and Mon, Sept 7 southbound?
I think we need a few extra cars and obs cars if we don't want to sell out the train six months early; and they want non-PAXers to have an Observation deck. If they talk to a conductor or someone who was on with us last year, we should be able to get it. We filled up the entire Obs deck by Sacramento; and they know about us now. We have done this for two years. I hope they know about us, at this point.
Anyway, if they will do it, which they still might not. We need to call now.
I'll call if you like, but if anyone has any more ideas about who to talk to or what to ask or whatever, post it on here.
Seriously though, this train will sell out FAST if we don't get more cars, at least normal chair cars, because we were sold out a month or two before the date last year, and it could double or more this year.
I exclaimed "Khoo is my Sensei!"
So if memes make great shirts,
And Pod Six is Jerks,
Then Moe, Khoo and I had our day.
But if they want to keep the train not too crowded and they want to have room for normal passengers, it's in their best interests more than ours. That's all I'm saying.
It's more for the other passengers.
Maybe.
If we double or triple this year it's going to be effing crazy.
I exclaimed "Khoo is my Sensei!"
So if memes make great shirts,
And Pod Six is Jerks,
Then Moe, Khoo and I had our day.
Well I was just thinking its going to be nuts if we only have one Obs Car. Seriously.
Fucking. Batshit. Nuts.
I exclaimed "Khoo is my Sensei!"
So if memes make great shirts,
And Pod Six is Jerks,
Then Moe, Khoo and I had our day.
I'd really like to do this, but it depends on when the trains arrive at the destinations. If it's like the schedule you guys had last year, I won't be joining
Steam: Rogue_hunter
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I'm considering doing the same thing. The chairs don't recline enough, and you don't really know who you'll end up sleeping next to.
True. But sadly, I have so much time saved. And The Boyfriend might be at fill-in-the-blank job for only like a couple of months or so (he's in school to be a phlebotomist and his internship starts at the end of March.)
Not to worry, though, it will be CCTT 2010 all the way for me.
we'll most likely be leaving LA at 10:15 am on the 2nd and arriving in seattle at 8:45 pm on the 3rd assuming there are no delays . .. realistically i'd expect our arrival time to be around 10:30 pm
{Fondly remembers the PAXTrain}
It's fun! Scenic route if you will.
I always have more fun on the trip up. It's more crowded, but... Those chairs are painful. Unless you have a sleeper the trip down is kind of hard. Was for me anyway.
I got almost no sleep on the way up, and the sleep I got on the way down wasn't very good. Plus I left my Fallout 3 poster on the train. At the last possible second, to boot, as I got off I left it in the little luggage section downstairs. Sucked. I hope someone took it and used it on their wall at least.
But yeah, I might fly home next year, if it's not too much more expensive. Sorry but I was hurting on the trip down.
I'll probably fly home next year if it's not too much more. But that's just me, many can hack it and do. It wasn't too bad, just the sleep in the seats sucks after an exhausting weekend. If I do it again I'll get a sleeper for at least the ride back. Seriously.
Zombie Fluxx was fun though.
I exclaimed "Khoo is my Sensei!"
So if memes make great shirts,
And Pod Six is Jerks,
Then Moe, Khoo and I had our day.
Alright, that seems to arrive too late for the stuff my friends have planned on Wednesday and Thursday. Sorry, but I won't be taking the train this year
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Games for Windows Live: Roguality
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Rogue_hunter, I hear ya. Every year we have the discussion of whether to WCTT it up or to actually do some of the Pre-PAX festivities. It's sad that it's one or the other, but that's kind of the essence of PAX. There's just so many cool things to do that you have to make choices.
I wouldnt miss PAXtrain for the world.
Days and times on the train are being determined. Transparent and i are looking at the dates for the train. We are shooting for matching last years setup but there was some talk of doing the PAXtrain on the way up a day earlier so those of us that wanted to catch Pre-PAX stuff could do so. For now we'll stick with the later day of leave but if enough demand comes in for the earlier day we can change things around.
She make me laugh so hard that night, when I was trying to pass out.
Wasn't she screaming at a wall, when she was trying to talk to Mike?
I unfortunately moved closed to Seattle this year, from Southern Oregon to Portland, so that's gonna cut the time i get to spend on the party train, but count me in from Portland y'all!
Hahahahaha.
No more fuckin' long ass train trip for you mister Lucky Dude.
If you're this lucky next year...
YOU MUST GIVE ME SOME SHWAG SHIT!
lulz.
Anyway, dude, keep in touch.
I exclaimed "Khoo is my Sensei!"
So if memes make great shirts,
And Pod Six is Jerks,
Then Moe, Khoo and I had our day.
Would anyone be interested in a live Phalla on the train? We could set it up so that voting is done every hour, so that people have time to communicate secretly while doing other stuff.
And RCars2 slept through the whole thing. Mike had to hold her there to keep her from damaging things during her freakout.
Since I live so close I really don't know yet if I should just head there for a day if I can or if I should convince my mother to allow me to stay for a night (it's so close to the start of school for me).
Indubitably! I'll see if I can get some British cheddar and we can act all smarmy. I won't even judge you for your appalling British accent.
Edit: In light of how successful our Worms Armageddon LAN games were last year, I'd like to propose a full-scale Tournament for this year.
Television and Stand-up Comedy
*Those of you who were on the WCTT last year may recall my playing some of Dave Gorman's BBC Radio series, "Genius", on the train back to LA.
**I rather like the idea of watching Hogfather on the train up, and The Colour Of Magic on the train down. Any thoughts?
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Totally great idea.
I'll remember to do that.
I exclaimed "Khoo is my Sensei!"
So if memes make great shirts,
And Pod Six is Jerks,
Then Moe, Khoo and I had our day.
So I'm guessing this is a no?
If I can get at least 5 people interested, we could at least do a mini-game.
Mmmm Hugh Laurie AND Brawl, sounding better every day.