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Finishing CA to an AGR Roomette

The Final Slog Home (for 300 AGR Points): The Bus to MTJ on Keystone Service Trains to Philly with a Lancaster Stopover. The Final Stretch Home on Regional #136 Making Every Stop in NJ

After getting off the Pennsylvanian at Elizabethtown its time to continue my points/run the Keystone (connecting to an Amtrak Regional) photo stop. I start by spending the next 20ish minutes getting photos of the modern platforms and historic station house that make up the Elizabeth Station. The restored depot with a stone building has been […]

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Finishing CA to an AGR Roomette

The Nice, Empty Scenic Pennsylvanian Across Horseshoe Curve to Elizabethtown

When I booked this months ago I decided to turn my final day of this trip into a quafecta points run to get more Keystone corridor stations of Elizabethtown, Mount Joy, and Lancaster plus a quick layover for an extra 100 points in Philly. I should also add that the Capital to Pennsylvanian Route is […]

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Finishing CA to an AGR Roomette

A Short Night on the Capital Limited to PGH – The First to Board Through the Lounge, Getting an End of Car a Window Seat With an Overly Strict Crew for Seat Assignments

I go back to the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge at 5:10, flash my Select+ Card and my train ticket. The agent tells me that I should go to the main waiting room at around 5:30 for regular coach boarding. I pick my backpack up from the red cap and hear an announcement for lounge boarding for […]

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Finishing CA to an AGR Roomette

A Metra to La Grange to the Illinois Zephyr Back Points Run and Finishing the CTA Green Line and Southside Elevated with the Dan Ryan Construction

The State Supported Illinois Trains (Illinois Zephyr/Carl Sandburg, Illini/Saluki, and Lincoln Service) offer quite cheap and back tickets to and from Chicago especially when they are at low buckets. On previous trips to Chicago I had never really taken advantage of them (using them more to actually go places). These trips can only really be […]

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Finishing CA to an AGR Roomette

TSA on the Hiawatha Line from Milwaukee Airport down to Chicago via Strutevant. Finishing the Blue Line in Chicago and an Evening Purple Line Express trip to Finish It

I have one major goal for the website during my evening visiting old family friends in Milwaukee. The goal is to visit the Milwaukee Airport. Had the Empire Builder been less than an hour late yesterday my plan was to buy a $7.50 for an extra 100 AGR points and the ten minute ride to […]

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Finishing CA to an AGR Roomette

An Agent in St. Paul Not Recognizing my S+ Card for Lounge Access Before another Asile Seat ride down to MKE

I’m not going to fully blog about my time in the Twin Cities. The main purpose of the visit was seeing old friends. I did manage to ride Northstar on Sunday one stop from Target Field, Minneapolis to Fridley. This trip was after I attended a Minnesota Twins game and was a New York City […]

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Finishing CA to an AGR Roomette

A Nice Slightly Late Arrival into Decrepit Midway Station, Visiting the Stunning Future Union Depot and a Late Bus Missing a Northstar Ride

I don’t sleep as well this night, waking up more than on the last night. There is a moment near Devils Lake (but I don’t get photos of its depot, one of the few on the route I still haven’t seen). I also wake up again I think in Grand Forks although I’m on the […]

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Finishing CA to an AGR Roomette

A Lazy Day Across Montana on the Hi-Line – Made Extra Fun with Amtrak Provided Wine

I wake up again at 5:52 at a siding in Libby, not the actual station. A freight passes we continue. We then proceed into the station, arriving at 5:58, all I see is concrete and the tactile warning strip on the platform looking down at the top of the window. My friend is fast asleep, (he […]

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Finishing CA to an AGR Roomette

Champagne and a Surprisingly Good Cold Dinner Through the Spectacular Columbia River Gorge – E.B. Evening 1

We return at 4:22 to the lounge exactly as boarding begins for our Sleeper Car on the Portland Section of the Empire Builder. We walk back out and onto the platform to the trainset we walked by earlier that was already sitting in the station. Luggage is getting loaded into the Coach/Baggage. The attendant isn’t […]

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Finishing CA to an AGR Roomette

Awaking to Mount Shasta and Through the Southern Cascades to a Wine Tasting and On Time Arrival in Portland

At 2:11am I wake up briefly south of Chico, I’ve a manged the sleep through the service stop at Sac! I see something that looks line white plastic along the line. At 5:42 I wake up in misty mountains, I look at my phone and realize Shasta is on the other side of the train. […]