| TRAINS & TRAVEL P.O. BOX 10625 RENO, NEVADA 89510-0625 Chris@traintrips.biz Jane@traintrips.biz Deborah@traintrips.biz | 1-800 359-4870 USA 1-800 752-1836 CANADA 1-800 266-8751 FAX (775) 453-1004 | |
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Why not plan to attend the 27th annual Portola Railroad Festival in the beautiful Feather
River Canyon of the High Sierra. Travel in first class luxurious private rail cars instead of driving mountain roads.
California Zephyr Railcar Charters is offering a great three day weekend for the entire family. We will have several private
rail cars, including the unique dome cars, coupled onto Amtrak's "California Zephyr" for the journey from the Bay Area to Reno Sparks, Nevada. Our onboard staff will pamper your every need. All food and drink is included while onboard.
Enjoy a spectacular and unforgettable 360 degree view from the glass enclosed dome section on the roof or the downstairs lounges and the rear
end observation. Experience this very special kind of train travel with a touch of class, elegance and comfort that you cannot
receive from Amtrak This three day tour is packed with fun for the entire family or the railfan and you can leave your car behind.
Come join the party.
Private railroad cars now allow travelers the option to step back in time and recapture that romantic era of train travel that Amtrak cannot provide. Once upon a time rail barons and wealthy socialites traveled the country on luxurious private railroad cars, dining on fine china and crystal and being pampered by the onboard staff. Now this form of luxury rail travel is being offering to everyone at a very reasonable price. A small number of railfans have purchased and refurbished private rail cars familiar to the first half of the 20th century. This was the golden age of passenger rail travel. These railfans have spent around a million dollars on each private rail car to bring back this golden age of travel. Passengers can sip on cocktails and nibble on hors d' oeuvres while sinking into deep leather sofas in lounges paneled in rich mahogany and be lulled to sleep at night in their private Pullman rooms by the rhythm of the train wheels rolling down the track. All meals are prepared fresh onboard and made to order by the onboard gourmet chefs. These private luxury rail cars are coupled onto the rear of scheduled Amtrak passenger trains all over the country. Our first class passengers are separated from the Amtrak passengers by locked doors. We provide our own onboard staff including our chef and make up our own gourmet menus for all meals. All drinks and food is included in the ticket price from the time you step onboard until you detrain. Everything is first class with every detail included no matter if you are on a two or one day train journey. This is passenger train travel at it's finest.
 FRIDAY AUGUST 21: (L) The excitement and fun begins as you board several of our private railroad cars in Emeryville coupled to Amtrak's "California Zephyr" . The journey starts as the eastbound train pulls out of the station at 9.10AM. Arrival in Reno is scheduled for 4:06PM. You are welcome to board our excursion at Martinez, Davis or Sacramento. Once onboard the party will begin with plenty of food, drink and first class award winning personal service from our staff along with the great scenery. As we head eastbound from the Bay Area the train runs alone the water's edge of the San Francisco Bay with a breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge. After a fast ride across the Sacramento Valley we start the steep climb into the High Sierra Mountains with scenic views of towering mountains, deep canyons, lakes, rivers, and remote forests. You will see several old gold mining towns from the train. We are traveling over the first Transcontinental Railroad which was completed in 1869. At the summit of Donner Pass our train reaches 6,891 feet and starts down the eastern slope following the Truckee River all the way to the Reno-Sparks area. Once we arrive in Reno you will check-in to the five star John Ascuaga's Nugget Resort Hotel Casino. The rest of the evening is yours to enjoy the excitement and comfort that the Nugget has to offer. 24-hour non stop casino action, top name entertainment, indoor pool/spa, health club and eight award winning restaurants. You also have the entire Reno-Sparks area to visit and explore with endless attractions. Enjoy the night life! AND RENO-SPARKS
 SATURDAY AUGUST 22: At 9:00AM our charter motorcoaches will depart from the Nugget and take you directly to Portola, California in the Feather River Canyon. The scenic ride into the High Sierra is less than an hour. This small historical railroad and Logging community will be celebrating their 27th Annual Portola Railroad Days Festival. Over the years this has become a very popular event that folks from hundreds of miles come to take part. It is a weekend of great family fun and a celebration of just how important the railroad is to Portola. The famous Western Pacific Railroad , the last transcontinental line to be built across our country made Portola a division point between east and west with all trains stopping here to change crews and motive power. Portola to this day is home to crews that work both directions over the famous "Feather River Route", now owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad. When UP took over the Western Pacific in 1982 several railroad employees founded the Feather River Rail Society in 1983. Wishing to preserve the memories and significant equipment from the 100 year history of the WP for the education of future generations, the Feather River Rail Society established the Western Pacific Railroad Museum, located on the grounds of the old Western Pacific locomotive facility. The Western Pacific Railroad Museum now has one of the best collections of early diesel locomotives in the U.S. It was felt that an annual celebration of the railroad and the museum was in order and so the first Feather River Railroad Festival event was held in August 1983. Please join us for a day of great family fun with the start of the Golden Spike Parade in the morning and then endless activities for the rest of the day including train rides at the museum, operating model railroad displays, railroad flee market, arts & crafts fair, entertainment, old car displays and much more. In the afternoon we will then transport you back to the Nugget in Sparks and the rest of the evening is on your own leisure.
SUNDAY AUGUST 23: (L) You will reboard our charter railroad cars at Reno and depart westbound at 9:36AM for the return
journey over Donner Pass and back into the Bay Area. Again, all food and drinks will be served and is included in your ticket.
Scheduled arrival back in Emeryville is at 5:10PM.
 IN PORTOLA
DISPLAYS AT THE PORTOLA RAILROAD MUSEUM
*FULLY ESCORTED
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TOUR PRICE: All tour prices are subject to change without notice at any time.
CHANGE OF ITINERARY: We reserve the right to substitute, change train routing, alter or modify the tour if any unexpected and unforeseen conditions beyond our control occur. As almost everyone knows, in the railroad industry last minute changes do occur.
RESERVATION CHANGES: A $50 per person charge will apply for any changes made to a reservation. This will also apply for any changes in credit cards usded.
DEPOSITS AND FINAL PAYMENTS: The required deposit is due in our office within 14 days of making a booking. For most tours the final payment is due in our office 90 days before the start of the tour. Due dates are posted for each tour and will also be on your invoice and in some cases we will vary the due Date depending upon the tour in question.
MILEAGE COLLECTORS: Mileage collectors please take note before you book! Trains and Travel does not cater just to mileage collectors. We cater to all people that enjoy the railroad hobby. We give strong warning that itinerary and route changes do happen and this is totally beyond our control when it does. If the only reason that you would want to book a tour with us is to collect the rare mileage, may we suggest that you be prepared for possible route changes.
RESPONSIBILITY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: We assume no responsibility for injury, sickness, damage, loss, additional expenses, accidental delay or irregularities which may be caused through willful or negligent acts or omissions on the part of the companies providing or engaging in transportation, accommodations or services related to the accomplishment of the tour including Trains and Travel. We have no control on the timings of our charter trains and indeed passenger trains and charters can and do run late most of the time. Nor do we assume responsibility for natural disaster, social or political upheaval, acts of terrorism or acts of nature. The right is reserved to substitute hotels, tour leaders, equipment, motive power, trains, routes and to alter the itinerary when deemed necessary without notice. We are not responsible for expenses incurred by tour members in preparing for the tour.
CANCELLATIONS: Trains and Travel does not accept cancellations on the phone. Cancellations must be received by postal mail, e mail or fax before any refunds will be processed. Be sure and allow enough time if sending your written notice by the very slow US mail postal system. When a written cancellation is received in the Trains and Travel office this will be the effective date of the cancellation. Please take note that it can take up to 60 days to process some refunds in but most cases refunds will be issued in half that time. Cancellation refund rules: 100 days prior to the start of any tour you will receive a full refund less a $200 per person administration fee. 99 to 75 days before the departure of any tour there will be a 80% cancellation penalty based on the full cost of the tour. Any cancellations received 74 or less days before the start of any tour will not receive any refund. These cancellations rules apply to everyone and will be enforced.
RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE: Trains and Travel reserves the right to refuse service to anyone we deem necessary, to insure that all of our clients will have the best possible tour.
PRE-DEPARTURE TOUR BULLETINS: Tour bulletins will be sent to clients that have booked on our tours. Bulletins include weather, packing tips, food, health, updates and much more. Tickets and a detailed itinerary booklet will be sent out about three weeks before the tour begins.
PAYMENTS: Payments can be made with personal check drawn on a U.S. Dollar account, money order for U.S. Dollars, bank wire transfer, or credit card. We accept Visa, Master Card, Discover or American Express. Final payment for all tours is due 90 days prior to departure. If final payment has not been received 7 days after the due date, a late fee of $50 may apply.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: All prices are based on double room occupancy. We will try and match you with a roommate. if one is available. If not, you may be charged the single room supplement listed for the tour you are booked on. Single rooms may not be available in some remote locations and on some trains.
TOUR REFUNDS: If for any reason tour members amend or delete any arrangements during travel, and leave the tour on their own, we cannot give any refunds on unused portions of the tour. If buses and trains are cancelled by the carrier or there is a labor strike or they go out of business, we cannot be held responsible and we cannot give refunds. Travel insurance will protect you for any of these reasons. If TU needs to cancel any tour everyone will receive a full refund. Please take note that refunds can take up to 60 days to process.
PARTIAL TOURS: We will allow passengers to join or leave a tour at certain points. It will all depend on the tour and the conditions. Give us a call and we will try and work up a custom option for you.
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