This is an advance notice of the last and CORE feature of the RailFan app - Trips/Spottings - which will be enabled next week. A week after that, RailFan will go into Open Beta, whereby all members will be able to download the app without providing their email.
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The Trip/Spotting feature of RailFan consists of splitting your Trip into Stages. You may skip any or ALL stages if you wish.
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1. Trip Planning. Check tickets. WL status of PNR. Pack your bags, etc. Describe it.
2. Going to the Station. Uber, traffic situation, etc.
3. At Departure Station front. Take a pic. Give your opinion.
4. At Departure Station PF waiting for Train. Spot other trains standing in PFs. Take pics.
5. Boarding. Survey the coach. Take pics of amenities. Review the general cleanliness situation.
6. Get to know fellow passengers. Introduce yourself as a RailFan "journalist".
7. Train Departure.
8. Chat with fellow passengers. You are a "journalist" - so you can "interview" them, their "Rail experiences", etc. and write about it in your Trip Diary. This checkbox carries a lot of Trip points.
9. Halts. Get down. Have tea. Describe the tea. Take pictures of the Station. Notice the amenities. Record Station announcements.
10. Provide updates about train delay.
11. Note Crossings/Overtakes. Spot Trains. Spot Locos.
12. Breakfast/lunch/dinner. Take pics. Review the food.
13. Chai/Vendors. Review. Record sounds.
14. Train @ destination outer.
15. Alight from Train.
16. @Home: Summarize the trip.
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EACH of the above stages will have checkboxes, that you check or Skip. For example, Stage 3 will have:
a. Take pic and describe station front.
b. Take pic and describe main hall.
c. Review the amenities.
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Clicking ANY checkbox will bring up a blog post, for you describe the experience to all of us RailFans.
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You are FREE to SKIP Stages/Checkboxes and do free-form trip blogging, like currently. However, clicking on the checkboxes will give you "Trip points". For example, chatting and getting to know fellow passengers carries a lot of points. Each time you click a Checkbox, you will have to post a blog with the relevant info. If you click on the checkbox - "Chat with fellow passengers", your blog should describe the "general nature of the chat" (no pvt details). Getting back home, and summarizing your Trip also carries a lot of points.
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The above is the Core feature of the RailFan app - to provide structure and "Accomplishment" to a Train trip, and record it methodically in the Trip Diary.
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Thanks.