Texas Eagle broken into in SAS
- Thread starter CHamilton
- Start date
Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:
- Status
I wonder about the likelihood. I wonder where Amtrak personnel were at the time? Or the passengers? Was this an armed robbery?
Last edited by a moderator:
The thieves must be pretty ignorant to commit a federal offense. In all probability the theft resulted in the illegal acquisition of used luggage and clothing that has little market value. To loot the contents of a baggage car they would need a large truck and about a dozen people. You mean to tell me that no one saw anything?
Not one media report to be found through numerous Google searches or one verifiable source cited, just a bunch of posts on various railfan forums.
Last edited by a moderator:
If true, I was on this Texas Eagle consist just yesterday coming down from Illinois. Not sure how they could steal ALL the baggage and not be noticed. The station is open all night, and there are usually crew members, ticket agents and even passengers probably roaming the platform. And if it happened early this morning, the Sunset Limited doesn't go through SAS in either direction on Sunday night/Monday morning. I suppose the rumors could be a day late though.
Ryan
Court Jester
The original source seems to be the "Railspot" email list, where a "Bart Jennings" made a post, claiming his source was hearing directly people on the train. The email was forwarded on to the All Aboard Yahoo Group, which is where I heard of it. The TFA post is a direct copy of Mr. Jenning's email (seemingly without any attribution, which is mildly troubling). Nobody seems to have any "official" reporting on this yet.
What baggage car?
The Davy Crockett
Engineer
I'm reading this - if this report is true - that the allegedly taken luggage was that in the luggage rack(s) at the foot of the stairs, on the first level of the car(s), not luggage in a BC.
Last edited by a moderator:
Searched San Antonio news sources and found no story re: "Amtrak train robbery". 
Could either be another fabricated story from an Internet goofball or perhaps a passenger who couldnt locate his luggage. It would seem that anything that significant would make local news somewhere?? <_<
Could either be another fabricated story from an Internet goofball or perhaps a passenger who couldnt locate his luggage. It would seem that anything that significant would make local news somewhere?? <_<
Well, the thieves could've had an elaborate plan to hijack the luggage cart and make a 'high speed' getaway (what's the top speed of the little golf cart vehicles? LOL). Alternatively, maybe they just stole the whole dang train.Searched San Antonio news sources and found no story re: "Amtrak train robbery".
Could either be another fabricated story from an Internet goofball or perhaps a passenger who couldnt locate his luggage. It would seem that anything that significant would make local news somewhere?? <_<
hboy:
G
guest
Guest
Nonsense. For one thing, the conductor's things were taken??? What conductors?? There are none on the TE overnight!! And the "staff car"...NONEXISTENT on the two cars that are the TE cars from LAX!!
the_traveler
Engineer
I highly doubt this story, because
Also, there would seem to be big news about this - especially is SAS. As posted above, there can be none found!
- There is no "baggage car" - baggage is held in the lower portion if a coach (where "lower level seating" usually is)
- The coach and sleeper from #421 and #422 are away from the station, and
- Most time these cars are locked at night
Also, there would seem to be big news about this - especially is SAS. As posted above, there can be none found!
Ryan
Court Jester
Another update posted to the RailSpot list by Mr. Jennings:
It'd be nice to hear some other sources weigh in on this.
The Davy Crockett
Engineer
It sure would.
IMHO I think it is time to raise our left (or right, depending) arms and save our watches, 'cause it is getting deep! :help: :help: :help:
:giggle:
Texan Eagle
Conductor
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2011
- Messages
- 1,705
While I find the story hard to believe, I would like to point out contradictions to the above two statements, from my personal observation earlier this month when I took the Eagle to SAS and back next morning and was practically on station premises all night-
1. The coach and sleeper from #422 are parked on the platform that is nearest to the approach road. They are certainly not away from the station.
2. I saw the cars were open in the night and the attendants were out on the platform, chatting.
If indeed a robbery of this magnitude happened, it had to be armed robbers who forced the stuff from the passengers, not some random homeless guys quietly stealing it while no one notices. The platform where those cars are parked is well-lit, is fenced out from the road, and there are people around, its not some dark deserted corner.
Ryan
Court Jester
I would avoid the use of absolute statements like "It had to be armed robbers..." until more facts are available.
There are plenty of ways that this could have gone down otherwise.
There are plenty of ways that this could have gone down otherwise.
the_traveler
Engineer
This statement by itself makes the whole story not very believable!
There is one SCA who rides #422 from LAX to SAS and then there is a DIFFERENT SCA who takes #422 from SAS to CHI! Prior to arrival in SAS (the end of his/her shift), the SCA from LAX must have all his/her work completed. That means the new SCA would not have any beds to set, sheets to change, etc...!
When I took #422, the SCA from LAX said she had to set the beds before we arrived in SAS, because she was getting off - and I would have a new SCA after leaving SAS!
I'm sorry, but I just don't believe the story at all! Not until you can find 2 or more credible news sources about the "incident" - or even a police report! If it was robbery, there must be a police report, correct?
If indeed it actually even happen at all!
Devil's Advocate
⠀⠀⠀
I'm not sure what to believe. I haven't seen or heard anything about this but I don't spend much time watching local news anyway. I will add one more possible angle to this.
The other night I was passing by the station and noticed that two cars were sitting much further away from the station than usual. They were across Commerce street on the track that the old steam engine sits on. That was the first and so far only time I've ever seen them use that track. Other times I've seen them sit a train right next to the Alamodome itself.
These are not areas I would consider especially dangerous, but they're also not that far from areas I would consider dangerous (on foot anyway). You do see police officers and security patrols from time to time but they don't seem to do much patrolling north of Commerce or South of the station. If the train was in either of those areas it's a bit of a ghost town.
If this occurred during a Westbound Sunset Limited stopover then visibility of the Texas Eagle would be blocked by the Sunset Limited for a few hours during the night.
To get an idea of where these cars were follow this link and look at the track north of the "A" marker. That's where the cars were most recently. I have no idea if this has anything at all to do with the current controversy and I presume the cars I saw were actually nothing more than spares, but I figured I'd include it anyway.
It's not exactly an impossible accusation. Might pan out, might not. Anyone who already knows for certain what happens has more information than is contained in this thread.
The other night I was passing by the station and noticed that two cars were sitting much further away from the station than usual. They were across Commerce street on the track that the old steam engine sits on. That was the first and so far only time I've ever seen them use that track. Other times I've seen them sit a train right next to the Alamodome itself.
These are not areas I would consider especially dangerous, but they're also not that far from areas I would consider dangerous (on foot anyway). You do see police officers and security patrols from time to time but they don't seem to do much patrolling north of Commerce or South of the station. If the train was in either of those areas it's a bit of a ghost town.
If this occurred during a Westbound Sunset Limited stopover then visibility of the Texas Eagle would be blocked by the Sunset Limited for a few hours during the night.
To get an idea of where these cars were follow this link and look at the track north of the "A" marker. That's where the cars were most recently. I have no idea if this has anything at all to do with the current controversy and I presume the cars I saw were actually nothing more than spares, but I figured I'd include it anyway.
It's not exactly an impossible accusation. Might pan out, might not. Anyone who already knows for certain what happens has more information than is contained in this thread.
Last edited by a moderator:
George Harris
Engineer
I was on the TE 9/23 from Ftw to Chi. I did hear talk of stolen luggage on the train and again in the metropolitan lounge, but brushed it off as only a single incident. The story may have some credibility to it, however I didn't ask ask about any details. Now I wish I had been a little more nosy.
Last edited by a moderator:
I meant to say 9/23. sorry about the multiple post I was trying to edit my op. which I figured out how do.I do wish I had more to add to the story.
Last edited by a moderator:
Absolutely nothing available on this in the media anywhere AFAICT,just internet rumors! I asked the agents at the Austin Station today (9/26) and they said that they hadnt heard anything about this??? Based on my many trips to/from SAS on the SSL/TE, Id venture that this story just doesnt add up, at the most someone may have stolen a bag or two off the downstairs luggage rack in the Coach, but that would be the extent of that!Believe me if it was an Armed Robbery or a Drug Gang heist, the SA Sensational media would have been all over this! Chock this one up to much ado about nothing, it says here! :excl: :excl: :excl:
Amtrak George
Lead Service Attendant
ROBBERY? this legal term indicates that items were taken in the presence of the owner by force or by placing the person in fear. A theft does not equal a robbery. Plus, there are absolutely no media references to this alleged fiasco.
Devil's Advocate
⠀⠀⠀
Most of the time we're constantly bashing the media for getting nearly everything wrong, but for some reason in this thread we're convinced that if the media didn't cover it then it must not have happened. :wacko:
The entire story sounds suspicious for the reasons that others have noted. Nonetheless, it would not surprise me to hear that a bag or two was stolen from the lower level baggage racks. When I last went thru San Antonio on the Sunset (yes, I realize the story about about the TE but I haven't travelled on it), it occurred to me that the lower level baggage was very exposed during the layover in San Antonio. I was in a sleeper and went out to walk around. Our SA was nowhere to be found, the doors were wide open, and anyone could get on the car without being challenged. I was concerned enough that I hauled my bags upstairs to my room before resuming my walk around the station. (I figured that it would take a very brave or stupid thief to climb the stairs to the upper level, open roommette doors, grab a bag, and then go back down those narrow stairs.)
- Status
Latest posts
-
St. Paul, Milwaukee, Chicago (TCMC) second daily service- Latest: NW cannonball
-
-
-
-
-
-