# Three or "Four" zones under the new policies?



## rrdude (Jun 7, 2010)

Trying to see if my son and I could book a trip in 2011 after we finish ten days at Philmont Scout Ranch.

I'm hoping I could get it as a three zone trip, and burn 50K points for a swing out to the coast, up the coast, back east on the Builder, and to Baltimore on the Cardinal. Damn, wish I could make some stop-overs using AGR.....


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## the_traveler (Jun 7, 2010)

It would actually have to be 2 awards anyway!  Such as Raton to LAX to PDX for 1 zone. There you could stop. But then it would be 3 zones back to BAL.

There is a direct same day connection in CHI from the SWC to the CL (or other trains) to BAL!


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## Ryan (Jun 7, 2010)

Sounds like an awesome trip - my first LD train ride was to Philmont and back.

I'd give the "long way home" thing a good bit of thought, I know that when Dad and I came off the trail, the only thing that we wanted to be was back home, the direct train ride was "just right"...


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## rrdude (Jun 7, 2010)

Ryan said:


> Sounds like an awesome trip - my first LD train ride was to Philmont and back.
> I'd give the "long way home" thing a good bit of thought, I know that when Dad and I came off the trail, the only thing that we wanted to be was back home, the direct train ride was "just right"...


Good advice Ryan, I may consider that............


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 7, 2010)

rrdude said:


> Trying to see if my son and I could book a trip in 2011 after we finish ten days at Philmont Scout Ranch.
> I'm hoping I could get it as a three zone trip, and burn 50K points for a swing out to the coast, up the coast, back east on the Builder, and to Baltimore on the Cardinal. Damn, wish I could make some stop-overs using AGR.....


Has thbere been any more info on rerouting the Chief away from Raton through the Texas Panhandle, I know New Mexico and BNSF and the Feds have had talks, perhaps the Santa Fe Light Rail can transport the scouts if/when this happens??Last year when I rode we filled two coaches with Scouts including, believe it or not, placing folding chairs in the cars where they rode, the train was very full when we picked them up!


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## AlanB (Jun 7, 2010)

jimhudson said:


> Has thbere been any more info on rerouting the Chief away from Raton through the Texas Panhandle, I know New Mexico and BNSF and the Feds have had talks, perhaps the Santa Fe Light Rail can transport the scouts if/when this happens??Last year when I rode we filled two coaches with Scouts including, believe it or not, placing folding chairs in the cars where they rode, the train was very full when we picked them up!


Jim,

I haven't heard too much more talk about rerouting the Chief away from Raton, especially since BNSF no longer owns that line. The State of New Mexico now owns those tracks. Of course whether the State wants to continue to maintain them just for Amtrak is also questionable.

And Santa Fe doesn't have a light rail system. In fact, there are no light rail systems in New Mexico at present. ABQ has had some rumblings, but they aren't even close to starting to build light rail. I'm also not sure how light rail in Santa Fe could help.

Are you perhaps thinking of the RoadRunner Commuter rail service between Santa Fe and Albuquerque?


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 8, 2010)

AlanB said:


> jimhudson said:
> 
> 
> > Has thbere been any more info on rerouting the Chief away from Raton through the Texas Panhandle, I know New Mexico and BNSF and the Feds have had talks, perhaps the Santa Fe Light Rail can transport the scouts if/when this happens??Last year when I rode we filled two coaches with Scouts including, believe it or not, placing folding chairs in the cars where they rode, the train was very full when we picked them up!
> ...


Thanks Alan, that's what I was refering to, the ABQ-Santa Fe Roadrunner! Since New Mexico owns the tracks now I figured they could run trains just for the Scouts, I'm not up on what kind of tracks run between where the Scouts would get on/off besides the route that the Chief now takes but seems like I remember reading about a tourist train that ran between there and Santa Fe,perhaps they could use those tracks or else just run direct to/from ABQ???


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## RailFanLNK (Jun 11, 2010)

I have always tried to have the "guts" of the train trip at the front end of a trip. By the end of the trip the human mind is so conditioned to "just wanting to get home" that maybe you can put the guts of the trip BEFORE Philmont and then take a direct as route as possible back home.


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