Texas Eagle Trip

Hello

I was wondering if anyone has ridden the texas eagle from chicago to los angeles ? The schedule shows it only goes 3 times a week i believe. My question is do you have to change trains i believe in austin tx or do you stay on car during and after the change / hookup to the train to los angeles ?

Thanks in advance for any info.

I haven't quite ridden it to Los Angeles, but I took it from Pomona (the stop right after Los Angeles) to Chicago. One sleeper and one coach get transferred between the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle in San Antonio, so if you are booked in either of those cars, you don't have to change trains - you just sleep right through the switch. The normal Texas Eagle train numbers are #21 and #22 and run daily, however for the three days a week the Sunset Limited runs, the train numbers #421 and #422 refer to those two cars that continue on to Los Angeles. Just make sure that you're booking #421/#422 and you won't have to do any transferring in the middle of the night.

Ok Thanks i have been pondering that for a while. didnt want to book if i had to do a lot of train changing.

jeff11111 said:

Ok Thanks i have been pondering that for a while. didnt want to book if i had to do a lot of train changing.

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A good rule of thumb with Amtrak, is that if it doesn’t show any connections or multiple trains or anything like that on the booking page, you’re all good.

I've ridden LA to Chicago on the TE as well as two round trips LA to Temple, TX on the TE. If you book train 421/422 , you can stay in your car during the switching moves in San Antonio.

cpotisch said:

I haven't quite ridden it to Los Angeles, but I took it from Pomona (the stop right after Los Angeles) to Chicago. One sleeper and one coach get transferred between the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle in San Antonio, so if you are booked in either of those cars, you don't have to change trains - you just sleep right through the switch. The normal Texas Eagle train numbers are #21 and #22 and run daily, however for the three days a week the Sunset Limited runs, the train numbers #421 and #422 refer to those two cars that continue on to Los Angeles. Just make sure that you're booking #421/#422 and you won't have to do any transferring in the middle of the night.

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We rode 422 last month from LA to LONGVIEW, TX and never left the bedroom. Made it really nice.

I've done CHI-LAX and LAX-CHI multiple times in the past 10 years or so. As indicated above, you have to book it on train 421 or 422. It's physically the same train as 21/22 (CHI-SAS), but is the last 2 cars of the train south of St Louis (there's a CHI-STL coach added/removed at STL). You can stay in your seat or room, and be sound asleep while they are moving the through cars (1 coach, 1 sleeper) to the other train. Oddly, sometimes the sleeper will be pointed the wrong direction after leaving SAS. In a roomette, you go to sleep traveling feet first and wake up traveling head first...a really odd sensation those first few moments. The car attendant has no problem re-making the bed to the correct orientation.

Unless one is aware of the 3/week trips of 421/422 connecting with 1/2, when booking the trip, from CHI, for example, if the reservation does NOT offer train 421, then that's not the day the through cars to LA depart CHI. From LA, the same holds true...if it does NOT offer train 422, then it's not the day that the Sunset leaves LA.

bratkinson said:

but is the last 2 cars of the train south of St Louis (there's a CHI-STL coach added/removed at STL).

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That's not the case. The through cars are the last two cars of the train for the Sunset Limited portion (SAS-LAX), but between SAS and CHI, the sleeper is between the trans-dorm and the diner, and the through-coach is the last car on the train (except for the CHI-STL portion, where the #322 coach is attached behind it).

cpotisch said:

bratkinson said:

but is the last 2 cars of the train south of St Louis (there's a CHI-STL coach added/removed at STL).

Click to expand...

That's not the case. The through cars are the last two cars of the train for the Sunset Limited portion (SAS-LAX), but between SAS and CHI, the sleeper is between the trans-dorm and the diner, and the through-coach is the last car on the train (except for the CHI-STL portion, where the #322 coach is attached behind it).

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Several years ago, our 422 sleeper LA>CHI which was the last car on #2, was also the last car on #22. The 422 coach was forward of our sleeper for the entire LA>CHI route. The STL>CHI coach was added behind the 422 sleeper and coach in Saint Louis. Simpler switching in San Antonio. YMMV!

FrensicPic said:

cpotisch said:

bratkinson said:

but is the last 2 cars of the train south of St Louis (there's a CHI-STL coach added/removed at STL).

Click to expand...

That's not the case. The through cars are the last two cars of the train for the Sunset Limited portion (SAS-LAX), but between SAS and CHI, the sleeper is between the trans-dorm and the diner, and the through-coach is the last car on the train (except for the CHI-STL portion, where the #322 coach is attached behind it).

Click to expand...

Several years ago, our 422 sleeper LA>CHI which was the last car on #2, was also the last car on #22. The 422 coach was forward of our sleeper for the entire LA>CHI route. The STL>CHI coach was added behind the 422 sleeper and coach in Saint Louis. Simpler switching in San Antonio. YMMV!

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That's not the normal consist, though. That happens every once in a while, but normally the consist SAS-CHI (once again ignoring the #322 coach) doesn't change day to day.