Quick Intro

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

XHRTSP

Lead Service Attendant
Joined
Jan 7, 2014
Messages
327
After a few weeks of lurking, and binge reading past postings, I thought I'd sign up. I've got plenty of dumb questions that ain't going to ask themselves.

So, I've been a train fan since little, but in my 32 years on this earth I've only lived one in a place served by Amtrak (six months in Del Rio, six in Little Rock, with a packed schedule at both). However I have more recently been able to take some nifty trips that included some time on the train, and this year was able to log the Coast Starlight, Pacific Surfliner, and Sunset Limited. Anyway, soon I'll be leaving Pensacola for three months of job training in St Louis, and then potentially will go to Chicago for my new career. Train Mecca, here I come.

What else, oh yeah I like chocolate milk and Legos.
 
After a few weeks of lurking, and binge reading past postings, I thought I'd sign up. I've got plenty of dumb questions that ain't going to ask themselves.

So, I've been a train fan since little, but in my 32 years on this earth I've only lived one in a place served by Amtrak (six months in Del Rio, six in Little Rock, with a packed schedule at both). However I have more recently been able to take some nifty trips that included some time on the train, and this year was able to log the Coast Starlight, Pacific Surfliner, and Sunset Limited. Anyway, soon I'll be leaving Pensacola for three months of job training in St Louis, and then potentially will go to Chicago for my new career. Train Mecca, here I come.

What else, oh yeah I like chocolate milk and Legos.
That has to be the funniest intro I've read on here in a long while. Welcome, and we look forward to your dumb questions. You might even get some dumb answers :)
 
Welcome. I do not blame you for leaving Pensacola. :lol: Although the beaches are beautiful in the panhandle (but not today).
 
Welcome. I do not blame you for leaving Pensacola. :lol: Although the beaches are beautiful in the panhandle (but not today).

It's nicer than some of the other crap holes I've lived it (cough cough Del Rio, Abilene...). Still, I'm not much of a beach person, I'm more of a cold weather mountain and craggy coastline type person. Which is a shame, because most of my time here I lived in Navarre, which has a beautiful beach practically unknown to tourist. While Pensacola Beach and Destin are mad houses during the summer, in Navarre you can park your car, walk 100m along the surf, and be completely alone.
 
Welcome XHRTSP to AU. :) Once you get to STL, you will be immersed in railroads. Points runs, here he comes... :p
Yes, my first dumb question! What's a 'points runs'?
Welcome! :hi:
We specialize in dumb answers! But the only dumb question is the one you don't know but don't ask because you think it's dumb.

A point run is what it sounds like - taking a train (a run) just to earn points. Like riding for 10 miles to the next town and returning, and maybe doing it again.
 
Yes, my first dumb question! What's a 'points runs'?
The idea of a mileage run (also called a points run) is to accumulate frequent traveler points in an especially lucrative and/or especially quick manner that largely ignores practical considerations in order to maximize status earning. In other words you're transiting between city pairs that provide as many points as possible as quickly and cheaply as possible with little or no intention of actually visiting or conducting business at any of your destinations or waypoints. Most of the national rail network is not setup to be useful for mileage runs or any status resulting from such runs. However a few specific corridors (North East, Chicago area, and the West Coast) provide earning ratios and status benefits that tempt some members to ride certain sections over and over again for no other reason than to earn points and the status that comes with them.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
CHICAGO!!!

My employer has let me know that I can expect Train Mecca as my new site of employment. When I'm not working or sleeping I'll be totally riding the rails. No wait, I can ride the rails while sleeping too. At least until the money runs out...
 
Hey Jim, Be nice to Cleveland again. You can do a nice points run from CLE to Elyria at 2am and return at 5am :p Not sure what you will do in Elyria at 3am in the morning but there must be a Dennys in town somewhere. :giggle:
 
Back
Top