Trails and Rails season is about to start

[EMDF9A]

I know some of the regulars here are not huge fans of the Trails and Rails program. But I am. I'm a T&R volunteer from Klondike Goldrush National Historical Park in Seattle and regularly work trains 11/14 between Seattle & Portland.

I spent the day today in my annual guide's training program at the Klondike. This year our season on 11/14 and 7/8 starts over a month earlier than in the past. Up until this year, National Train Day has always been the start of the season & we'd go to mid September. This year we are starting in Mid April and going to mid October.

The T&R guides from Klondike account for over 40% of all T&R trips. In the 2012 season we had contact with over 200000 AMTRAK passengers, and our volunteer hours were valued at over $500000!

This year we have 49 returning guides and EIGHTEEN new recruits, including 2 junior guides (Under 18 travelling with a parent) and I am really looking forward t trips with them.

SO... Look for the GREEN SHIRTS in the SSL and say HI. I'll be aboard 11/14 3 days a month...between Seattle & Portland. We have other groups that work in the San Luis Obispo region, and on 7/8 we work between Seattle & Shelby Montana and there are at least 3 other T&R groups east of Shelby all the way to Chicago. If our reliability numbers hold true for this year as for last, we had a 99% coverage rate on scheduled trips. Chances are very good you'll see un onboard!

ALL ABOARD!

David

Seattle

 

[ScottC4746]

Taking SWC4 on 3 June and CZ5 on 6 June. Hope to have some guides on board for those trips

 

[haolerider]

I know some of the regulars here are not huge fans of the Trails and Rails program. But I am. I'm a T&R volunteer from Klondike Goldrush National Historical Park in Seattle and regularly work trains 11/14 between Seattle & Portland.
I spent the day today in my annual guide's training program at the Klondike. This year our season on 11/14 and 7/8 starts over a month earlier than in the past. Up until this year, National Train Day has always been the start of the season & we'd go to mid September. This year we are starting in Mid April and going to mid October.

The T&R guides from Klondike account for over 40% of all T&R trips. In the 2012 season we had contact with over 200000 AMTRAK passengers, and our volunteer hours were valued at over $500000!

This year we have 49 returning guides and EIGHTEEN new recruits, including 2 junior guides (Under 18 travelling with a parent) and I am really looking forward t trips with them.

SO... Look for the GREEN SHIRTS in the SSL and say HI. I'll be aboard 11/14 3 days a month...between Seattle & Portland. We have other groups that work in the San Luis Obispo region, and on 7/8 we work between Seattle & Shelby Montana and there are at least 3 other T&R groups east of Shelby all the way to Chicago. If our reliability numbers hold true for this year as for last, we had a 99% coverage rate on scheduled trips. Chances are very good you'll see un onboard!

ALL ABOARD!

David

Seattle

I cannot understand anyone not appreciating the Trails and Rails guides, although some of them have been known to go "over the top". Passenger ratings have consistently been high and the National Park Service is an easy partner to work with on this program. Volunteers spend a lot of time training and dedicate considerable number of hours/days to their work with occasional meals on board as a reward. More power to them all!

 

[CHamilton]

David,

Why don't you post your schedule in the "Member Amtrak Trips" section, so that we can drop by and say hello? I've had some nice conversations with T&R guides, but I'm not sure if I've met you.

 

[EMDF9A]

David,Why don't you post your schedule in the "Member Amtrak Trips" section, so that we can drop by and say hello? I've had some nice conversations with T&R guides, but I'm not sure if I've met you.

The schedule is due out this next week so once I know, I'll let you folks know!

David

 

[Barb Stout]

I would like to re-awaken this thread. Last year when I started to take Amtrak, I was very excited to hear about this program, but when I took the Coastal Starlight in May last year, the audio equipment wasn't very good and even though I was sitting just a few feet away from the RtT speaker, I couldn't hear/understand him. The intercom that the train people used must be a different system because I could understand all the Amtrak staff announcements without any problem. Does anyone have suggestions or comments on this matter like maybe I was just unlucky to hear a mumbler who didn't use the optimal audio settings or some such?

 

[tim49424]

when I took the Coastal Starlight in May last year

No way you could have taken the Coastal Starlight. It doesn't exist. Now, the Coast Starlight, yes it does.

 

[Sauve850]

Ill be on 8 this summer and look forward to hearing the guides.

 

[GaSteve]

Crescent 19 and 20 will be on random days Atlanta to Birmingham and return.

 

[tim49424]

Ill be on 8 this summer and look forward to hearing the guides.

They’re on there only on selected dates. Hopefully you’re lucky enough to be on when they’re there. I didn’t have such luck a few days ago and last week.