| TRAINS & TRAVEL P.O. BOX 10625 RENO, NEVADA 89510-0625 Chris@traintrips.biz Rail Tours Manager. For question regarding tour itineraries and details. Deborah@traintrips.biz Office Manager: Accounting |
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1-800 359-4870 USA 1-800 752-1836 CANADA 1-800 266-8751 FAX (530) 836-1944 |
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The request for a private charter train running over the former Western Pacific Route to Portola and return has been approved by Union Pacific and Amtrak.
The train will be a a mini-California Zephyr running over the original Western Pacific Route between Oakland and
Portola roundtrip trip in celebration of the opening of the Last Continental Railroad on November 1, 2009. The routing will include Altamont Pass
over the former WP, as much as possible depending upon freight traffic, and the rugged Feather River Canyon.
The planned train will be the three fully restored and operating California Zephyr cars in the west.
This train that will only have a total of 48 passengers onboard each direction. This guarantees that all 48 passengers will have a guaranteed Vista Dome seat at
all times over the entire journey. We have been asked by the private car owners to help market this extraorinary three day excursion. This kind of
opportunity only comes around once every 100 years!
 FEATHER RIVER CANYON ON AUGUST 25, 2008 ON THE REAR OF AN AMTRAK DETOUR
THE CONSIST
Silver Rapids, a 1948 Budd roomette-bedroom sleeper, also built for the Pennsylvania Railroad as its contribution to the California Zephyr equipment pool for transcontinental service. Silver Rapids features eight roomettes accommodating one person each, and six double bedrooms, each accommodating 2 persons. Bedrooms each have an annex containing a toilet and sink; roomettes have a sink in the room. If two couples or a family are traveling together two rooms may be opened ensuite. A shower room has been added. Limited hot and cold beverage service is available.
Silver Lariat, a 1948 Budd Vista-Dome coach built for the California Zephyr, converted to a diner-lounge. 24 deeply cushioned seats in the dome and 42 reclining chairs on the lower level provide a comfortable setting for meals aboard the train as well as for sightseeing.
Silver Solarium, a 1948 Budd Vista-Dome sleeper-lounge-observation car built for the California Zephyr. The observation lounge in the boat-tail of the car is a pleasant place to enjoy the passing scenery as we hurry on our way through the west. Silver Solarium accommodates 24 guests in its Vista-Dome. Sleeping accommodations include 3 double bedrooms, each accommodating 2 guests, and 1 drawing room, accommodating up to 3 guests. The drawing room and bedrooms each have an annex that includes toilet, sink and shower. Under the dome is a bar, which is an excellent spot to gather for a late-night libation.
THE ITINERARY FRIDAY OCTOBER 30: (B-L-D) Oakland to Portola running through Niles Canyon and over Altamont Pass. In the valley our train will run through Tracy, Stockton, Sacramento, Marysville, Oroville and then into the rugged Feather River Canyon. Planned departure from Oakland is 7:45AM and estimated arrival in Portola is 5:00PM
SATURDAY OCTOBER 31: (B-L-D) Layover in Portola. Train parked next to the Western Pacific Railroad Museum. Also our train will be turned on the museum's balloon track using the classic Western Pacific F units in the CZ passenger paint scheme including the WP 805-A. The museum has four California Zephyr passenger cars and they plan on attaching three of them to our three CZ cars to make a six car set for photos. A number of special photo run-bys will be made for our passengers in and around Portola and the Western Pacific Railroad Museum today with Western Pacific motive power. This will also give our passengers the opportunity to see the museum. If there is enough interest we will arrange a local sightseeing tour of the upper Feather River Canyon including Portola, Mohawk Valley and the Gold Lakes Basin area.
 RIDE THE MINI-CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR TO PORTOLA AND SEE FOR YOURSELF
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1: (B-L-D) Portola to Oakland via the same route with a brief stop on the Keddie Wye Bridge to view the location of the "Last Spike" Planned departure from Portola is at 8:00AM with an estimated arrival in Oakland at 5:00PM
THE BOARDING
Because of the unique routing of this excursion and the lack of maintained station platforms passengers will be required
to board in Oakland at the Amtrak station and ride all the way to Portola. No passengers will be allowed to board once
we depart Oakland. On the return journey all passengers must board in Portola and ride all the way to Oakland with the
exception of the re-driving of the Last Spike on the Keddie Wye Bridge.
THE OPERATING EXPENSES We estimate that the total cost to run this three day excursion could come in at between $70,000 and $80,000. It is expensive to run a charter like this, but we feel it is worth the expense for such a unique opportunity to have an entire California Zephyr train set run over the original WP route including Altamont Pass and the Feather River Canyon and take part in the re-driving of the last spike on the Keddie Wye Bridge November 1. With only 48 persons onboard the price is not cheap, but everyone will have a Vista Dome seat and our onboard staff ratio will be one staff to serve six passengers. You will receive luxury first class service onboard that will match or exceed the world's best luxury trains. |
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TOUR PRICE: All tour prices are corrected to November 1, 2010 and are subject to change without notice, at any time. All prices based on double room
occupancy. We reserve the right to change tour prices if necessary.
PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE: Personal items, meals not listed in the itinerary, laundry, phone calls, excess baggage charges, rental cars, side tours, insurance, passport fees including visas, vaccinations, gratuities, medical costs, tips to train or motor coach staff, extra tour costs due to unanticipated changes in the itinerary for reasons beyond our control, including weather, travel conditions, or cancellations, government intervention, sickness, political disputes, and failure of transportation or other causes beyond our control.
TRAVEL AND HEALTH DOCUMENTS: A valid passport is required for our international tours. In some cases a visa is also needed. Consult your
health professional for the recommended immunizations and documents. Trains and Travel International , here on referred to as TTI, assumes no other responsibility if a client is refused entry into a country. Cost and cancellation fees will be paid by the client in the event they do not have valid documents.
CHANGE OF ITINERARY: We reserve the right to substitute, alter or modify the tour if any unexpected and unforeseen conditions beyond our control
preventing the completion of such. Conditions can include weather, train schedules, equipment, motive power, revision of train consist, train delays, labor strikes, political disputes, derailments, closure of a rail line, break down of railroad or motive power equipment, railroads not honoring contracts and bus equipment problems. We will always endeavor, in each case, to provide substitutes, if any changes take place. TTI is not responsible for canceled trains,
delays, hotel rooms, route changes or missed connections, for any reason whatsoever. We will not give refunds if such conditions or cancellations take place.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: Travel Insurance is mandatory for all tours. This insurance will cover and give the tour members many benefits and protection. Benefits include baggage, accident, life, trip cancellation, sickness, bankruptcy, strike, weather conditions, employer termination or layoff effecting you or
a person sharing the room with you, terrorist incident in your departure city or city of destination, jury duty, you are subpoenaed, hijacked, or quarantined,
your residence or traveling companion residence is rendered uninhabitable, emergency military duty, traffic accident, single supplement upgrade when your traveling companion cancels their trip, trip interruption, trip delay, missed connections, itinerary change, emergency medical benefits, medical evacuation, baggage delay and loss, pre-existing medical conditions if enrollment is within 21 days of your invoice date, burglary of you or your companion before departure, felonious assault of you or your traveling companion before departure, 24 hour hotline emergency assistance, emergency cash transfer and more.
We will supply you with a travel insurance brochure with rates and application when we mail you the invoice after trip deposit is received. Travel insurance protects your vacation investments and is a very good investment for your travel and vacation money. US law allows us to offer this insurance to all persons
Worldwide. We will accept a "refusal of travel insurance wavier" if you do not wish to purchase any travel insurance. FOR CUBA: Because of the nature of these tours travel insurance is MANDATORY for everyone. We have a special American travel insurance company that will insure all folks going to Cuba on legal US approved tours. This insurance information will be sent to you upon receiving your booking.
RESPONSIBILITY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: Accepting your payment represents an agreement that you understand all the conditions, to
be a member of our tours. TTI gives notice that they are acting agents for the owners, contractors and suppliers, providing the transportation and all related travel services and 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 engage in transportation, accommodations or services related to the accomplishment of the tour. Nor do we assume responsibility for natural disasters, social or political upheaval, acts of terrorism or acts of nature. TTI reserves
the right to substitute hotels, tour leaders, equipment, motive power, trains, onboard accommodations, routes and to alter the itinerary when deemed necessary without notice. The right is also reserved to cancel any trip or train prior to departure for any reason . TTI is not responsible for expenses incurred by tour members in preparing for the tour, including non-refundable airline tickets, visa fees, planning, phone calls, or any other expenses. TTI reserves the right to decline to accept, or ask to leave a tour, any person whose actions impede the daily operations of a tour, welfare or enjoyment of other tour members. TTI cannot give any refunds for any unused services. The terms contained herein shall serve as a waiver of liability to TTI. Assumption of risk on behalf of the client, their heirs, executor, administrators, successors, and assigns for any and all known persons injuries
RESERVATIONS: A deposit is due in our office within 14 days after you make your bookings. Full payment is due 90 days before departure. You will
receive an invoice, reservation form and current tour bulletins with your confirmation and travel insurance forms. No notice for final payment will be sent
to you. It is your responsible to make the final payment on-time.
CANCELLATIONS: TTI does not accept cancellations on the phone. Cancellations must be received by postal mail, email or fax before any refunds will be considered. Allow enough time if sending your written notice by 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 to process some refunds. Cancellation refund rules:
100 days prior to the start of any tour you will receive a full refund less a $100 per person administration fee. 99 to 61 days before the departure of any tour
there will be a 80% cancellation penalty based on the full cost of the tour. Cancellations received 60 or less days before the start of any tour will not receive
any refund. GW Travel Ltd has their own cancellation rules and these will apply. If booking on GW Travel Ltd ask for cancellation rules.
PRE-DEPARTURE TOUR BULLETINS: Tour bulletins will be sent to clients that have booked on tours operated by TTI. Bulletins include travel info related to the tour. Final documents will be sent out about two to three weeks before a tour begins. We offer tours operated by other companies and they may
or may not send out tour bulletins and updates and most send out final documents only one to two weeks prior to the start of their tours.
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 per week will 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 TTI needs to cancel any tour everyone will receive a
full refund. Please take note that in some cases 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.
MILEAGE COLLECTORS: Mileage collectors please take note that TTI does not cater just to mileage collectors. We cater to all folks that enjoy trains and
Rail journeys. 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 is to collect the rare mileage, you need to understand that possible route changes do happen.
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