ceblack
Train Attendant
Bottom Line Up Front: Is there any way to get a trip EMY -> LAX (CS), LAX ->CHI (SWC), CHI -> WAS (Cardinal) as one 3-zone AGR redemption?
Background: I will be taking the wife and kids to a family reunion back east next summer. We will be going from the San Francisco Bay area to Washington D.C. Due to time restrictions, we plan to take the train one direction and fly the other way. The way the dates are working out, it looks like it will be the eastbound trip (EMY to WAS) that will be on the train. Unfortunately, the only all-train schedule for that direction that comes up on Amtrak.com is the California Zephyr to either the Capitol Limited or Cardinal. While the CZ is a dynamite ride, we take it often to see relatives back in Colorado, so we were hoping to take a different route between the west coast and Chicago on this trip. We've never taken the Coast Starlight south from the Bay Area, and with rumors always swirling regarding the Southwest Chief being rerouted, we thought it would be wise to get a ride over Raton and see the semaphores while we have the chance.
There are tons of great options on the reverse route, but going eastbound from the Bay Area to D.C. the first part of the trip is either CZ or take a bus and San Joaquin/Surfliner to Los Angeles to catch the Southwest Chief. For any train ride over a couple hours, anything less than a roomette is probably a non-starter for the wife. And bus is kind of a four letter word to her (and me, too) after some unpleasant bustitutions on previous Amtrak trips. I suppose the San Joaquin to Bakersfield and bus to LA wouldn't be too bad, but it sure ain't the Coast Starlight in sleeper class between EMY and LAX from either a comfort or scenery standpoint.
The weird thing is, if I just wanted to go to Chicago, the CS -> SWC routing shows up, even with the overnight in LA. Could I book that as an AGR redemption first and then try to modify it from a 2-zone redemption to a 3-zone going all the way to D.C.?
If not, are there any other tactics, tips, or tricks that might allow me to get the Coast Starlight -> Southwest Chief -> Cardinal routing on one AGR redemption? (Start from a station other than EMY? Just hope I get an AGR agent having a good day?)
Thanks in advance for any thoughts or ideas.
Background: I will be taking the wife and kids to a family reunion back east next summer. We will be going from the San Francisco Bay area to Washington D.C. Due to time restrictions, we plan to take the train one direction and fly the other way. The way the dates are working out, it looks like it will be the eastbound trip (EMY to WAS) that will be on the train. Unfortunately, the only all-train schedule for that direction that comes up on Amtrak.com is the California Zephyr to either the Capitol Limited or Cardinal. While the CZ is a dynamite ride, we take it often to see relatives back in Colorado, so we were hoping to take a different route between the west coast and Chicago on this trip. We've never taken the Coast Starlight south from the Bay Area, and with rumors always swirling regarding the Southwest Chief being rerouted, we thought it would be wise to get a ride over Raton and see the semaphores while we have the chance.
There are tons of great options on the reverse route, but going eastbound from the Bay Area to D.C. the first part of the trip is either CZ or take a bus and San Joaquin/Surfliner to Los Angeles to catch the Southwest Chief. For any train ride over a couple hours, anything less than a roomette is probably a non-starter for the wife. And bus is kind of a four letter word to her (and me, too) after some unpleasant bustitutions on previous Amtrak trips. I suppose the San Joaquin to Bakersfield and bus to LA wouldn't be too bad, but it sure ain't the Coast Starlight in sleeper class between EMY and LAX from either a comfort or scenery standpoint.
The weird thing is, if I just wanted to go to Chicago, the CS -> SWC routing shows up, even with the overnight in LA. Could I book that as an AGR redemption first and then try to modify it from a 2-zone redemption to a 3-zone going all the way to D.C.?
If not, are there any other tactics, tips, or tricks that might allow me to get the Coast Starlight -> Southwest Chief -> Cardinal routing on one AGR redemption? (Start from a station other than EMY? Just hope I get an AGR agent having a good day?)
Thanks in advance for any thoughts or ideas.