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West Coast Train Trip 2009: Lets Light This Sucker!

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    ArikadoArikado Southern CaliforniaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    It's as comfortable as a coach seat on a train can be.

    Arikado on
    BNet: Arikado#1153 | Steam | LoL: Anzen
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    HighfireHighfire Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I went and bought two lower levels, for the same as top.

    They're like have a room, you have to share.

    Highfire on
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    chaosisorderchaosisorder Cupcake Princess and Pinny Whore OregonRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Professor Layton! We have a train logic puzzle!

    My husband and I want to take the train up and need to fly back due to time constraints. We need to get from Phoenix to LA without permanently abandoning a vehicle in LA.

    Options-
    Rent car to LA, but have no idea where to drop off and still get to teh station
    Fly to LA, cab to tarin station which starts getting pricey
    Find another WCTT car leaving Phoenix or nearby that can accomodate 2 people and buy these fabulous people food and gas
    Start walking now

    Am I missing any ideas?

    chaosisorder on
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    nemaihnenemaihne Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Well, both the Texas Eagle and the Sunset Limited go through Maricopa. (Same thing, pay less for the SL) But then you're adding on another whole set of problems, because you'd have to add an additional trip- Amtrak would want to route you by bus from LA to SAC if you tried to book it as one trip straight through.
    Theoretically it could be done, but then you'd have to hope that the first leg ran on time as there is only about 30 min between its arrival in LA and the Coast Starlight's departure. Personally, I'd bed huge wads of cash against the train coming in on time. Amtrak is not the Swiss Train System by any stretch of the imagination. (This is why Amtrak won't put you on that train, either. They know better.)
    So it's an idea, just not what I'd call a good one. But if you know anyone in LA, you could take the incoming train a couple days before (30th) and start the festivities early. ;)

    nemaihne on
    I *think* that's what I meant to say...
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    ArikadoArikado Southern CaliforniaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I think taking the train a day early or so to the LA area would be best, money wise. Maybe crash on some fellow WCTT participant's floor for the evening before the actual trip.

    Arikado on
    BNet: Arikado#1153 | Steam | LoL: Anzen
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    ScootaScoota Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Would anyone be interested in splitting the cost of a sleeper cabin, either on the way up or back? I couldn't quite dish 200 extra each way, but an extra hundred wouldn't be bad. It apparently includes your meals.

    Anyone interested?


    I might do a room, and I'd want to split it, depending on who came with me (probably no-one). So if you don't have anyone just yet, keep me in mind to split a room.

    Scoota on
    steam_sig.png
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    ScootaScoota Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Professor Layton! We have a train logic puzzle!

    My husband and I want to take the train up and need to fly back due to time constraints. We need to get from Phoenix to LA without permanently abandoning a vehicle in LA.

    Options-
    Rent car to LA, but have no idea where to drop off and still get to teh station
    Fly to LA, cab to tarin station which starts getting pricey
    Find another WCTT car leaving Phoenix or nearby that can accomodate 2 people and buy these fabulous people food and gas
    Start walking now

    Am I missing any ideas?


    Rent a car from rental car company. Give the car back to said rental car company in Los Angeles. Take a taxi (or find a rental car company thats close to the train station). Usually the rental car companies will just take the car as long as you tell them its just one way.

    Scoota on
    steam_sig.png
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    TimeCruiserMikeTimeCruiserMike Past Organizer of the West Coast Train Trip San Fernando ValleyRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Professor Layton! We have a train logic puzzle!

    My husband and I want to take the train up and need to fly back due to time constraints. We need to get from Phoenix to LA without permanently abandoning a vehicle in LA.

    Options-
    Rent car to LA, but have no idea where to drop off and still get to teh station
    Fly to LA, cab to tarin station which starts getting pricey
    Find another WCTT car leaving Phoenix or nearby that can accomodate 2 people and buy these fabulous people food and gas
    Start walking now

    Am I missing any ideas?

    rcars and transparent are driving to LA from phoenix . . . you may want to talk to them

    TimeCruiserMike on
    SkOelFN.png
    {Fondly remembers the PAXTrain}
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    TNTrooperTNTrooper Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Moving back to AZ, sadly I still need to find the funds to do PAX this year but I am gonna try my hardest to find a way to do the WCTT again.

    TNTrooper on
    steam_sig.png
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    The_FlatlineThe_Flatline Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Scoota wrote: »
    Professor Layton! We have a train logic puzzle!

    My husband and I want to take the train up and need to fly back due to time constraints. We need to get from Phoenix to LA without permanently abandoning a vehicle in LA.

    Options-
    Rent car to LA, but have no idea where to drop off and still get to teh station
    Fly to LA, cab to tarin station which starts getting pricey
    Find another WCTT car leaving Phoenix or nearby that can accomodate 2 people and buy these fabulous people food and gas
    Start walking now

    Am I missing any ideas?


    Rent a car from rental car company. Give the car back to said rental car company in Los Angeles. Take a taxi (or find a rental car company thats close to the train station). Usually the rental car companies will just take the car as long as you tell them its just one way.

    FAIR WARNING! Usually one way car rentals jack the price up. Considerably. Like instead of 20-40 dollars a day expect around 80-100. And that's for when I take a car one-way from san jose to sacramento for work. It might be even worse.

    All joking aside, UHaul might be a better idea, as they specialize in one-way rentals. Biatch of a drive though...

    The_Flatline on
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    mydunpealmydunpeal Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Professor Layton! We have a train logic puzzle!

    My husband and I want to take the train up and need to fly back due to time constraints. We need to get from Phoenix to LA without permanently abandoning a vehicle in LA.

    Options-
    Rent car to LA, but have no idea where to drop off and still get to teh station
    Fly to LA, cab to tarin station which starts getting pricey
    Find another WCTT car leaving Phoenix or nearby that can accomodate 2 people and buy these fabulous people food and gas
    Start walking now

    Am I missing any ideas?

    Well i'd offer, but I'm taking my little yaris out, and with a friend + luggage, my car is full ><

    mydunpeal on
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    DStalefishDStalefish Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    U-haul and Penske and places like that usually charge by the mile I thought.

    DStalefish on
    [E] 09, 10E, 10P, 11E, 11P, 12E
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    TransparentTransparent Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    mydunpeal wrote: »
    Professor Layton! We have a train logic puzzle!

    My husband and I want to take the train up and need to fly back due to time constraints. We need to get from Phoenix to LA without permanently abandoning a vehicle in LA.

    Options-
    Rent car to LA, but have no idea where to drop off and still get to teh station
    Fly to LA, cab to tarin station which starts getting pricey
    Find another WCTT car leaving Phoenix or nearby that can accomodate 2 people and buy these fabulous people food and gas
    Start walking now

    Am I missing any ideas?

    Well i'd offer, but I'm taking my little yaris out, and with a friend + luggage, my car is full ><
    You must have the 2 door. I drove to Texas with 5 people and their computers in my Yaris Sedan. The thing was like 5" lower on it's suspension that loaded down...

    Also, when I moved to AZ my company rented me a U-haul. I don't think they charged by the mile, but they may as well have, I can't remember exactly how much I spent on gas but I think it was between $100 and $200 for a trip that takes two 11 gallon tanks in my Yaris.

    But I don't think it'll be a problem riding with us. Even if TNTrooper goes with me and RCars2, it would be tight, but we could fit two more people and their stuff in RCars2's truck.

    Transparent on
    PAXtrain '10, let's do this!
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    mydunpealmydunpeal Registered User regular
    edited March 2009

    Well i'd offer, but I'm taking my little yaris out, and with a friend + luggage, my car is full ><
    You must have the 2 door. I drove to Texas with 5 people and their computers in my Yaris Sedan. The thing was like 5" lower on it's suspension that loaded down...

    Also, when I moved to AZ my company rented me a U-haul. I don't think they charged by the mile, but they may as well have, I can't remember exactly how much I spent on gas but I think it was between $100 and $200 for a trip that takes two 11 gallon tanks in my Yaris.

    But I don't think it'll be a problem riding with us. Even if TNTrooper goes with me and RCars2, it would be tight, but we could fit two more people and their stuff in RCars2's truck.

    A yaris owner on PA forums?! Yes, its the latchback :-p


    That may work, not for me though... I have two other friends as well who would need a ride, and cars are what they don't have at the moment. Lets get a west coast caravan going, HA

    mydunpeal on
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    kaliyamakaliyama Left to find less-moderated fora Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Professor Layton! We have a train logic puzzle!

    My husband and I want to take the train up and need to fly back due to time constraints. We need to get from Phoenix to LA without permanently abandoning a vehicle in LA.

    Options-
    Rent car to LA, but have no idea where to drop off and still get to teh station
    Fly to LA, cab to tarin station which starts getting pricey
    Find another WCTT car leaving Phoenix or nearby that can accomodate 2 people and buy these fabulous people food and gas
    Start walking now

    Am I missing any ideas?

    You can fly to LA, then take the metro to union station - it will take you a long time (check it out - you start on the southwest corner on the green line, at the LAX stop, and then wind up on the red line, union station at the northeast stop), but it would probably be no longer than driving through it at rush hour.

    Union station is just downtown; i'm sure there's an enterprise or someone that would drive you from a nearby car rental station to union station. The cab ride wouldn't be more than $20 as long as the rental location was downtown too.

    kaliyama on
    fwKS7.png?1
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    Curse-TenCurse-Ten Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    What will there be for the peopel who are getting on the last two stops? I'm getting on at Centralia which is the second to the last stop till Seattle. I assume people will be mainly packing up but I plan on taking the train no matter what.

    Curse-Ten on
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    HighfireHighfire Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I'm sure there will be people all set and packed, playing with their DS. And there's always the trip back. So there will be some stuff set up then too.

    Highfire on
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    SlickShughesSlickShughes Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Last year you would have caught train jenga. And everyone getting excited and loud because we knew at that point we weren't getting kicked off.

    SlickShughes on
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    DStalefishDStalefish Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    All booked and ready to go. Flying back this year though to save a couple hundies. I think I slept most of the way back last year anyway. :P

    DStalefish on
    [E] 09, 10E, 10P, 11E, 11P, 12E
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    HighfireHighfire Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Well, we were.

    But it was where we wanted to get kicked off.

    Highfire on
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    SlickShughesSlickShughes Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Right. Train staff gave up on controlling us at that point.

    SlickShughes on
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    TransparentTransparent Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Everyone, buy your tickets, there isn't going to be a group purchase this year. The OP will be updated tomorrow.

    Transparent on
    PAXtrain '10, let's do this!
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    cheezcheez Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Okay, got my ticket. Round trip from San Jose, confirmed. I'd like to coordinate getting to the station with any of you other San Jose-ers who are in.

    Can we get a list of who's in from each station in the OP?

    cheez on
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    DStalefishDStalefish Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    We need some sort of...website...for getting new details and information...

    You know, unless we already have one. :P

    DStalefish on
    [E] 09, 10E, 10P, 11E, 11P, 12E
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    Raiden333Raiden333 Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    cheez wrote: »
    Okay, got my ticket. Round trip from San Jose, confirmed. I'd like to coordinate getting to the station with any of you other San Jose-ers who are in.

    Can we get a list of who's in from each station in the OP?

    Highfire and I will both be at San Jose as well.

    Raiden333 on
    There was a steam sig here. It's gone now.
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    ArikadoArikado Southern CaliforniaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    So for LA Union Station folks, we should be looking at something like this:

    WCCT2009a.jpg

    WCCT2009b.jpg

    Arikado on
    BNet: Arikado#1153 | Steam | LoL: Anzen
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    nemaihnenemaihne Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Raiden333 wrote: »
    cheez wrote: »
    Okay, got my ticket. Round trip from San Jose, confirmed. I'd like to coordinate getting to the station with any of you other San Jose-ers who are in.

    Can we get a list of who's in from each station in the OP?

    Highfire and I will both be at San Jose as well.

    Also Suiryu and I. And, I hate to speak for SlickShughes but I believe he and Erin will also be getting on in San Jose.
    Anyone for getting together earlier on Wed night for dinner before we hit the train?

    nemaihne on
    I *think* that's what I meant to say...
  • Options
    Raiden333Raiden333 Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    nemaihne wrote: »
    Raiden333 wrote: »
    cheez wrote: »
    Okay, got my ticket. Round trip from San Jose, confirmed. I'd like to coordinate getting to the station with any of you other San Jose-ers who are in.

    Can we get a list of who's in from each station in the OP?

    Highfire and I will both be at San Jose as well.

    Also Suiryu and I. And, I hate to speak for SlickShughes but I believe he and Erin will also be getting on in San Jose.
    Anyone for getting together earlier on Wed night for dinner before we hit the train?

    I'd be totally up for that if we can figure out how to manage two things:

    1. There's not really anywhere to eat close to Amtrak, I remember the other year Highfire and I wandered around for an hour looking for somewhere to eat before we finally found a subway 6 blocks away.

    2. If we do find a place, we'll have to bring our luggage in with us. :P

    But yeah, minor issues, if you have any ideas on where to go let me know, I think it's a great idea.

    Raiden333 on
    There was a steam sig here. It's gone now.
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    SlickShughesSlickShughes Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Only our carry on, we can check the big bags. And google says there are a few places to eat at least.

    SlickShughes on
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    TorgenTorgen Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Even if there's no official group rate, do you think the people getting on in LA could convince the conductors to put all the PAX people in the same car, and non-PAX people not in that car?

    Torgen on
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    TransparentTransparent Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    We'll try Torgen. We'll stop at the station and talk to the staff the day before to see what we can arrange with them.

    Transparent on
    PAXtrain '10, let's do this!
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    TransparentTransparent Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    DStalefish wrote: »
    We need some sort of...website...for getting new details and information...

    You know, unless we already have one. :P

    There's http://twitter.com/paxtrain

    If you're not on twitter you can subscribe to the RSS feed I guess.

    Transparent on
    PAXtrain '10, let's do this!
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    SlickShughesSlickShughes Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    this made me laugh so hard.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcuJMAfFHKE

    SlickShughes on
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    contrefaitcontrefait Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    You have made my night. That is hilarious.

    contrefait on
    PAX East 2016 Checklist
    Passes: ▬ Hotel: ▬ Flight: [color=red]☑[/color]
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    TransparentTransparent Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I'm going to start a new thread and request that this one gets locked so I can have the op. Cleared it with RCars2 before he went to bed tonight (he's my roommate). I've got more time than he does to keep things up to date here. Minor update tonight, more to come tomorrow.

    Transparent on
    PAXtrain '10, let's do this!
This discussion has been closed.