May-Portland Train Trip
Earn your railroading badge in a fun and exciting way!
Ride the Amtrak Cascades to Portland and back for the low price of $13pp, and work on the Railroading requirements along the way.
When: Thursday, May 7, 2009
Where: Tacoma to Portland, and return
Leave Tacoma station 8:15 am (please arrive at the station by 7:45 am). There is free parking at the train depot, but it is limited, so carpooling is encouraged. Lock your car. Arrive Portland at 11:00 am.
Depart Portland 6:15 pm (please be at the station by 5:45 pm – the train actually LEAVES at 6:15, and you will need boarding time). Arrive Tacoma 8:41 pm.
Tacoma station address: 1001 Puyallup Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98421
Portland station address: 800 NW Sixth Avenue, Union Station, Portland, OR 97209
Cost: $13 per person via PayPal to rideo.ergosum@gmail.com (if paid by check or money order, $12 per person). This is the Schools on Trains transportation fee. There is no fee for the event, only for the train. (The price difference is the paypal fee; feel free to pay with cash, check, or money order.)
Each Scout will need to have a paying adult chaperon, who is wholly responsible for them. One chaperon may be responsible for up to SIX (6) Scouts. Chaperons are responsible for filing a tour permit with their local council if they will be driving other Scouts to the train station. We will be filing a group tour permit with Seattle council (and have already confirmed that it is sufficient for the trip from station to station).
NOTE: The train will NOT wait for latecomers. If you are late getting to the Tacoma station, you and your chaperon will be left behind. If you are late getting to the Portland station, you and your chaperon will be left behind, and need to secure your own transportation home. We are scheduled for the last train home.
Siblings 5-18 and parents are invited to go along with their Scout at the $13 rate. No children under 5 (The program is intended for students 5-18, and children under 5 are charged full fare along with the adult accompanying them).
The following Requirements will be done on the train:
- 2a.
- 3d. (please come prepared with interview questions for the Amtrak employee)
- 5a, 5c, 5g
- 6.
- 8b4 (8b1 can be completed at Union Station, fulfilling both parts of 8b) – You must obtain the schedule of our trip beforehand (amtrak.com) and plot out two intermediate points.
The remaining requirements can all be completed through study from the Merit Badge book, and through the linked sites at http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Railroading. Scouts who complete these requirements before the train trip should be able to return with a completed blue card.
There will be a short (~30 mins) presentation on the way down to Portland. The trip back will be used to individually test the Scouts and sign blue cards.
To bring:
Camera or sketchbook (for documenting requirements for 8b1)
Food – You may bring a small ice chest on the train; it can be stored in Portland for $2 if you don’t want to carry it.
Backpack – Easiest way to carry essentials.
ID – Some sort of ID, whether school or homeschool.
Limited to 25 Scouts/siblings. Your reservation is not confirmed until payment has been received and a confirmation letter has been sent to you. Check the bottom of this page for a list of currently reserved Scouts. The final date for payment/reservation is April 17. Due to security measures, no changes may be made after that date. No refunds will be given for any reason whatsoever.
FAQs:
Why is this on a Thursday, when many Scouts are in school?
The Amtrak Schools on Trains program is only available M-Th. Each family will have to decide if the day away from school is worth the education their Scout will receive on the train. No date will be perfect for every Scout; in the same way, no activity will be perfect for every Scout. People make choices.
What will we do in Portland?
There are TONS of things to do in Portland. There’s a good list from another group who used the SOT program at http://www.wahomeschool.com/out-and-about-in-portland.html
I have a well-behaved four year old. Can she come?
We would strongly prefer that 5 be the minimum age. If you absolutely must bring a younger child, know that you will need to pay full fare for her AND for the adult with her. This is Amtrak’s rule, not ours.
I don’t have a chaperon. Can I come with another Scout?
No. Every Scout must have a paid chaperon who is fully responsible for them. You may be able to piggy-back with another troop, if their chaperon is willing to add you to his maximum of six. This is not a troop, unit, or district activity. It is a Merit Badge event. Amtrak is simply the venue, just as you might visit a park to work on Environmental Science. It is not responsible for the Scout, your chaperon is. Your chaperon must file a tour permit with your council if he is driving Scouts other than his own. Tour permits are available here: http://www.seattlebsa.org/sbsa_volunteers/VolandScoutsDocs/LocalTourPermit.pdf
We have 7 boys in our troop who want to go, but only one adult.
Sorry, Amtrak rules state that a chaperon may be responsible for no more than six minors. If you’re the extra Scout, you may want to ask one of the chaperons from a different troop that is signed up to go.
I’m not able to do the prerequisites before the trip. Can I still come?
Absolutely. The badge can be finished another time. Try, however, to finish the worksheet. You’ll find that the prerequisites really aren’t that difficult. The major requirements will be filled on the trip.
I want to do the Model Railroad option instead of Railfanning.
Great! There are many resources on the Kitsap peninsula. You can still use the same merit badge counselor; just not on this trip.
Who are you?
Just a couple of parents of Scouts who are working on multiple badges. Many of the troops on the Kitsap Peninsula are smaller and can benefit from shared resources, especially from those that are large and well-established. We are endeavoring to do so through KitsapScouts.com by sharing resources.
Who is the Merit Badge counselor?
We are still securing the MBC, but it will be a registered merit badge counselor for Railroading through the BSA Chief Seattle council. (If you’re interested, please let us know.)
Scouts Confirmed to Go
1. David G (1532)
2. Elisha G (1532)
3. Oliver B (1501)
4. Daniel B (1501)
*Mrs. G
5. Isaac K (220)
6. Conrad H (220)
*Mr. K
7. Mikey C (1492)
8. Trenton M (1492)
9. Joseph D (1492)
10. William H (1492)
*Mr. C
11. Joel A (1532)
12. Noah A (1532)
13. Sibling A
14. Sibling A
* Mrs. A
15. M. W.
16. K. W.
* Stefanie W
17. Travis B (1532)
* Mrs. B
18. Sean C
19. Miko O
20. Melia O
* Mrs. C
21. Zach H (1492)
* Mr. H
* Mrs. H
22.
23.
24.
25.
Waiting List