Dallas to Los Angeles
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the_traveler
Engineer
It's not a "new" route. It's the exact same one thru SAS!
J
jimhudson
Guest
There's a New Eagle route? Have I been asleep, or hanging out with Jay hadley too much, must of missed that??? :lol: If you're refering to the Daily Eagle/Sunset that MAY happen in Long Train Runnings lifetime (he's a teenager) but probably not ours if U$$P has anything to do with it! :angry2:
I'm no expert by any means on "all things Amtrak" but I think they are offering a "new" route where The Texas Eagle runs to Los Angeles "semi-non stop" 7-9 hour layover in San Antonio to refuel, restock, and do a track changeover. This route takes 40 something hours and no one has to change trains.
It's not a "new" route. It's the exact same one thru SAS!
I agree. no "new" route... The Sunset usually picks up in San Antonio and runs passengers to Los Angeles. I think it just started a month or so ago; the Texas Eagle will go all the way to Los Angeles ?once a week?
The Texas Eagle runs three times a week from Chicago to Los Angeles and has ever since I can remember. It does have the 7-9 hour layover in San Antonio where it joins the Sunset Limited, but if you book it through as the Texas Eagle, you don't have to change trains now. I took the TE from Bloomington, IL to Los Angeles in August and didn't have to get off the train, though I did to wander around a bit.
Well I learned something new! I thought that this "straight through on the TE" was a new thing? I guess not..lol
Anything of notoriety that you enjoyed on the trip? Any "must- sees" I am a little alarmed about going through Cuidad Juarez ..... and riding the Texas border
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the_traveler
Engineer
You do not go thru Cuidad Juarez at all! But you do go within 30 feet of the border. Just like the Sunset Limited and all the prior trains have for the past 100 years or so!
Why be worried?
abcnews
OBS Chief
You could drive to Albuquerque, NM and catch the Southwest Chief. It leaves Albuquerque (westbound) at around 4:30 or 5 PM every day. Arrives the next morning in LA. Daily train - and very nice. Good scenery until it gets dark near Flagstaff - depending on your date of travel this spring/summer.
West of Del Rio, TX you'll cross Lake Amistad on the Pecos River. This is the highest railroad bridge I believe in North America. Don't worry about Cuidad Juarez. You can see it from the train as the train travels very close to the border when leaving El Paso. Its quite fascinating though.
Long Train Runnin'
Engineer
:lol: :lol: Not to mention I've been having bake sales to try and raise the 700 million UP wants so I can ride a daily eagle. :lol: Uncle Hadley told me it was my best bet. I'm about 346 bake sales away from making my first million. :lol:
Seriously though I am looking forward to traveling the entire route of the Texas Eagle this summer even if it only runs 3 days a week.
Pastor Dave
Lead Service Attendant
$700 million? I can't begin to fathom that amount. Also, if my math has not failed me :giggle: you've done pretty well on bake sales. So keep baking those brownies!
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the_traveler
Engineer
What do you bake in those brownies, Stephen?Also, if my math has not failed me :giggle: you've done pretty well on bake sales. So keep baking those brownies!
Pastor Dave
Lead Service Attendant
Only LTR knows the "secret" recipe.... :lol:What do you bake in those brownies, Stephen?Also, if my math has not failed me :giggle: you've done pretty well on bake sales. So keep baking those brownies!
the_traveler
Engineer
Maybe that's why he chose Niagara University - so he can go "shopping" in Canada for "ingredients"!Only LTR knows the "secret" recipe.... :lol:What do you bake in those brownies, Stephen?Also, if my math has not failed me :giggle: you've done pretty well on bake sales. So keep baking those brownies!
Rail Freak
Engineer
Long Train Runnin'
Engineer
Hahahaha my oh my I can't get away with anything! All I am trying to do is help grow passenger rail service in this country. So if you see me outside of any inter-collegiate sporting events be sure to stop by :lol:Maybe that's why he chose Niagara University - so he can go "shopping" in Canada for "ingredients"!Only LTR knows the "secret" recipe.... :lol:What do you bake in those brownies, Stephen?Also, if my math has not failed me :giggle: you've done pretty well on bake sales. So keep baking those brownies!
ourlouisiana
Service Attendant
Then there's the annual talk about TE "absorbing" the Sunset. Sunset going daily New Orleans to San Antonio, coach only, and the TE going daily Chicago to Los Angeles. That would make 2 daily trains going to the same destination, using almost the same routes.
Maybe they could race ????
Maybe they could race ????
the_traveler
Engineer
Only to SAS. From there the TE goes north to AUS and FTW, while the SL goes to east to HOS and NOL. They do not go anywhere near each other! And there will be only 1 train west of SAS!
Great pictures!!!
At one point, a few miles west of El Paso, the TE/SL passes within 30 feet or so of the border as it passes right by the village of Puerto de Anapra, Chihuahua, Mexico. There is a high fence on the border; the conductor on our TE trip in August told us that the fence was there in part to prevent locals from throwing rocks at train windows. On rare occasions, a rock has shattered Amtrak windows.
J
jimhudson
Guest
The Eagle (if on time, which it mostly is) arrives into SAS around 930-955PM. Train #421, which consists of a Coach and Sleepiong Car, is cut out, placed on the track next to the station to spend the night. It is hooked to ground power (dont know the technical term??)so you have lights/heat/bathrooms etc. The Sunset Ltd., #1, arrives between 2 and 3:00AM (it's early most of the time!), the cut out coach and sleepr are then switched on to #1, the train leaves at 5:40AM for LAX. I just rode this train in Coach in the opposite direction (#2/#422) so it's an easy layover. You can even get off the train and go to Denny's, River walk etc. which are a few blocks away!
George Harris
Engineer
Extending what Jim Hudson has said, you will be without power for a few miniutes, maybe as long as 10 to 20 minutes while the cars are being detached from the Texas Eagle and again for more or less the same amount of time while they are attached to the Sunset.
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