"Rails to Sails"

American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners (AAPRCO) holds a convention of its members each year.  The Private Car Owners get their cars to the convention by making arrangements with Amtrak to have the cars attached to scheduled Amtrak trains.  Once the cars are at the convention, AAPRCO often assembles these cars into a train for an excursion one day of the convention.  This year the Convention, called "Rails to Sails" is in San Pedro, California (near the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles) and only some 20 miles south of Los Angeles.  The Excursion of these private cars includes some cars that sell seats.  This year the excursion, pulled by the steam engine 3751 will have a round trip from San Pedro to San Diego, California.

The Private Cars coming from across the USA often assemble into small groups of cars and travel to the convention site.  The Cincinnati Railway Company is the only one forming a group of cars for the trip from their headquarters, Cincinnati, Ohio, to the convention in California.  They brought two cars on which rail fans can book passage:  The Birch Grove and The Observatory (both pictured above), in additon to a third private car, The Chapel Hill, will be in the consist.

You can charter the Cincinnati Railway Company's cars (click here for sample prices to rent the whole car).   However, unlike some Private Railcars, they have eight or so trips per year where you can purchase a bed on one of those excursions.  The AAPRCO Convention Trip  is one of the trips where they sell beds for all or a portion of the trip.  Their Itinerary for this specific trip, listed in their website, follows.

After talking with Brian Collins, Owner of the Birch Grove and CEO of the Cincinnati Railway Company, I decided to join the trip in Chicago and ride the California Zephyr and Coast Starlight Routes to San Pedro, CA.

In addition to accommodations and gourmet food on the Birch Grove and Observatory during the trip to the convention, guests also can stay on the train while it is stable in San Pedro for the convention.   Guests can also take the train on the Steam Excursion rount trip to San Diego.  Busses collect train residents and take them to various activities and outings of the convention.  After the convention, car residents will head back to the Midwest following the Southwest Chief (Chicago) and Cardinal (Cincinnati) Routes.

Option 1: Chicago to Chicago or Cincinnati to Cincinnati
Sunday, September 14- Wednesday, October 1

Observatory (formerly the Vista Dome)

Master Bedroom A: $5,250 -Per person, based on double occupancy.
    Includes private toilet & shower.
   
Bedroom B: $5,000 – Per person, based on double occupancy.
    Includes shared toilet & shower with Bedroom C.

Bedroom C: $5,000 – Per person, based on double occupancy.
Includes shared toilet & shower with Bedroom B.
   
Birch Grove

Double Bedrooms A-F: $4,750 – Per person, based on double occupancy.
    Includes private toilet- uses public shower on Birch Grove.
   
Roomettes 1, 2, 4: $4,750 - Per person, single occupancy rooms.
Includes private toilet- uses public shower on Birch Grove.

Roomettes 3, 5, 6: $4600 – Per person, single occupancy rooms.
Includes a sink. Uses public toilet & shower on Birch Grove.

Option 2: Chicago or Cincinnati to L.A.
Sunday, September 14 – September 20

Observatory (formerly the Vista Dome)
Master Bedroom A: $3,450 – Per person, based on double occupancy.
Includes private toilet & shower

Bedroom B: $ 3,200 - Per person, based on double occupancy.
    Includes shared toilet & shower with Bedroom C.
   
Bedroom C: $3,200 - Per person, based on double occupancy.
Includes shared toilet & shower with Bedroom B.

Birch Grove
Double Bedrooms A-F: $3,050 - Per person, based on double occupancy.
    Includes private toilet- uses public shower on Birch Grove.

Roomettes 1, 2, 4: $3,050 - Per person, single occupancy rooms.
Includes private toilet- uses public shower on Birch Grove.

Roomettes: 3, 5, 6: $2,960 - Per person, single occupancy rooms.
    Includes a sink. Uses public toilet & shower on Birch Grove.

Option 3: L.A. to Chicago or Cincinnati
Friday, September 26 - Wednesday, October 1

Observatory (formerly the Vista Dome)

Master Bedroom A: $2,050 - Per person, based on double occupancy.
Includes private toilet & shower

Bedroom B: $1,800 - Per person, based on double occupancy.
    Includes shared toilet & shower with Bedroom C.

Bedroom C: $1,800 - Per person, based on double occupancy.
Includes shared toilet & shower with Bedroom B.

Birch Grove

Double Bedrooms A-F: $1,700 - Per person, based on double occupancy.
    Includes private toilet- uses public shower on Birch Grove.

Roomettes 1, 2, 4: $1,700 - Per person, single occupancy rooms.
Includes private toilet- uses public shower on Birch Grove.

Roomettes: 3, 5, 6: $1,640 - Per person, single occupancy rooms.
    Includes a sink. Uses public toilet & shower on Birch Grove.


Option 4: Oakland to L.A.
Friday, September 19: 8:35 a.m. - 10:10 p.m.

$350 per person

Option 5: Steam trip: L.A. to San Diego or San Pedro- day ride only
Sunday, September 21

$350 per person

Option 6: Steam trip with two nights stay
(overnight before trip and one night after arrival)
Saturday, September 20 - September 22

$550 per person

    Cherry Blossom Excursion 2008!

        * Cincinnati - Washington D.C.- Cincinnati
        * April 10th – April 14th

    ONE WAY SHOP MOVE on the Oliver Hazard Perry

        * Charlotte - Washington D.C. - Cincinnati
        * July- exact date TBA

    Fireworks Train

        * Cincinnati Bell/WEBN Fireworks
        * Sunday, August 31, 2008

    AAPRCO CONVENTION TRAIN 2008

        * Cincinnati – Chicago – San Francisco – Los Angeles – San Diego – San Pedro – Los Angeles – Albuquerque – Chicago - Cincinnati
        * Sunday, Sept 14 - Wednesday, Oct 1

    Batesville Fall Color Trip

        * Cincinnati - Batesville, IN - Cincinnati
        * November 1, 2008

    Light Up Chicago Excursion - Romantic Getaway!

        * Cincinnati - Chicago - Cincinnati
        * November 21st – November 26th

    New Years Eve in New York City! 2008-2009

        * Cincinnati - Chicago - New York - Washington, DC - Cincinnati
        * December 28, 2008 - January 3, 2009

    MARDI GRAS in New Orleans 2009!

        * Cincinnati - Chicago - New Orleans