#22 - Disrupted or Not?

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Southern Oklahomite here. This is the first day since Thursday afternoon I've been able to get out. Where I live, we were lucky - the ice came as pellets rather than as rain that froze, so we didn't lose power. But the roads are awful. I'm a college prof trying to do finals exam week and the bus service that some of our students depend on to commute is down....so we are having to make alternate exam times for them. And for the people who can't make the "reschedule" day on Friday (we were closed Monday).

Right now, what's keeping me going is knowing that in a week, I catch ol' #22. And that it will be about 50 degrees on the day that I do. And that all this ice should be long gone.

I was wondering if the Eagle and the Flyer were still running through the worst of the ice.
 
The Heartland Flyer has been punching through for about the last 3 days and has been staying reasonably close to on time. It just finally got above freezing in Norman a few minutes ago, the first time in 6 days! Except for OU, schools here remain closed because of dangerous driving conditions. The main reason OU remains open is this is Finals Week and it is amusing watching students, especially first Semester Freshmen in all out panic trying to study. For some, if they are taking the Heartland Flyer/Texas Eagle home for Christmas, it will be a one way journey!
 
fillyjonk said:
Southern Oklahomite here. This is the first day since Thursday afternoon I've been able to get out. Where I live, we were lucky - the ice came as pellets rather than as rain that froze, so we didn't lose power. But the roads are awful. I'm a college prof trying to do finals exam week and the bus service that some of our students depend on to commute is down....so we are having to make alternate exam times for them. And for the people who can't make the "reschedule" day on Friday (we were closed Monday).

Right now, what's keeping me going is knowing that in a week, I catch ol' #22. And that it will be about 50 degrees on the day that I do. And that all this ice should be long gone.

I was wondering if the Eagle and the Flyer were still running through the worst of the ice.
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The Eagles were Cancelled for 2 Days Last Week (Friday and Saturday) Due to the Ice and Cold from Dallas North and East but Resumed their Regular Schedules on Sunday!(12/08). (#22 ran as a Turn Around Stub Train between SAS and FTW and #21 as a Turn AroundStub Train between CHI and STL)Two of our Members from Michigan were Delayed a Day in Dallas. One was able to Snag an AA Flight out of DFW on Saturday (One of the Few that Got Out! :) )and the Other One Caught the Eagle North on Sunday when it Resumed Full Route service!

The Sun is Out Here in Austin Also, and though its still Freezing and a North Wind is Blowing, No Ice or Snow! Enjoy your Ride on the Flyer and the Eagle!
 
OlympianHiawatha said:
The Heartland Flyer has been punching through for about the last 3 days and has been staying reasonably close to on time. It just finally got above freezing in Norman a few minutes ago, the first time in 6 days! Except for OU, schools here remain closed because of dangerous driving conditions. The main reason OU remains open is this is Finals Week and it is amusing watching students, especially first Semester Freshmen in all out panic trying to study. For some, if they are taking the Heartland Flyer/Texas Eagle home for Christmas, it will be a one way journey!
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We had our first day of finals moved to Friday. I am now dealing with majorly freaked out students who are telling me that they "had" to get their work schedules changed for the Monday final, and can't get it changed again for the Friday one. Or that they had plans to leave town early. Or, or, or.

My patience with the whole situation is pretty much gone. I can continue to smile nice for the students but inside I am grumping about having to make so many accommodations.
 
Yes, I did ace both of my finals, which means I got an A in both classes. :D

I'm so happy to be finished. This was a stressful semester, trying to work full-time in a brand new role at work while jugging two classes and traveling to/from claims school. I can't wait to go to ABQ in a couple weeks.
 
SarahZ said:
Yes, I did ace both of my finals, which means I got an A in both classes. :D

I'm so happy to be finished. This was a stressful semester, trying to work full-time in a brand new role at work while jugging two classes and traveling to/from claims school. I can't wait to go to ABQ in a couple weeks.
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Not to Mention Wasting time traveling to Chicago on a Train to meet a bunch of Wild and Crazy Train Fans!! :lol:

:hi: Congrats! And Stay the Course, it's Worth it in the Long Run! Someday when you're Old and Gray and Retired you Will be Able to Afford to Ride Around on the HSR LD Trains that will Criss cross the Country! ^_^ Enjoy the Ride on the Chief and ya'll Come back to Texas when the Weather is Better! (Spring and Fall!)
 
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I would definitely enjoy visiting again. The food was good, and there were a lot of things I didn't get to see because I was at work all day. I have a mental list of museums and such that I'd like to check out.
 
Like Amtrak, I'm a little late on this. :blush:

I was on the #21 that left CHI on Thursday Dec 5th. All was well until just south of STL it started snowing and then about 90 minutes later we stopped due to a broke freight train that was half on the main line and half on the siding. We sat there for at least 8 hours as the repair crew couldn't get in due to the weather. They finally got through on an engine from the other direction and got the freighter out of our way. We proceeded into PBF where we waited another 3 hours for a new crew to show up from LIT (I'm not sure where they came from but I saw 4 or 5 of them pile out of a yellow taxi wheels packed of snow while I was in the dinning car eating lunch) reportedly it took them 7.5 hours to get there. I think they just got back off the train when we got to LIT and another crew got on there. The train initially stopped during quiet hours, so the crew had to constantly retell the same story over and over as there were no PA anouncements. The babies were acting like babies, the children were acting like children, and many of the adults were acting like either of the formers. I thought the crew did a fantastic job, I know I would have lost it with some of those passengers. It was all I could do to not tell them to sit down and STFU! That would have just made thing worse for everyone. I arrived in Fort Worth 17hours and 53 minutes late early Saturday morning. I'd never been more than an hour late before at either end. A new personal record of lateness! Still, all in all not a bad trip considering the weather. I could have been stranded and trying to sleep at an airport, or along side a frozen road in the car, but no, I was in a warm comfortable train with food and beverages available and plenty of my personal entertainment too. I think my conveyence choice was the best of the four available (trains, planes, automobiles, or bus). When I arrived in Fort Worth it appeared that the previous day's (Friday 6th) 22 train was sitting empty in the station (in addition to the Heartland Flyer to OKC) and I assumed that it dumped everyone into a local hotel on Friday and then continued on north Saturday (7th) afternoon. Sound about right?

I'll be letting Amtrak know of the good work of our crew between STL and PBF, I know I could never be as patient as they were with some of my fellow passengers.

http://98.69.155.103/scripts/archivefinder.pl?seltrain=21&selmonth=12&selyear=2013&selday=05 <--- my train

http://98.69.155.103/scripts/archivefinder.pl?seltrain=22&selmonth=12&selyear=2013&selday=06 <---- the 22 train I saw in the station on Saturday morning the 7th?

http://98.69.155.103/scripts/archivefinder.pl?seltrain=22&selmonth=12&selyear=2013&selday=07 <---- the 22 train from the 6th continuing north on the 7th?
 
What a Great Outlook for having being on such a Late Train! ;) Excellent point about being on a Warm train as Opposed to camping out in an Airport (DFW had Thousands over this Weekend) or Trying to Drive or Sit Beside an Icey Road as you Said!

And the Eagle#22 that you saw in the FTW Station was Turned and ran as a Stub Train back to San Antonio and Eventually Became the NB #22 Heading North to SAS on Sunday 10/8.

Since there isn't a Commissary in FTW or SAS, I'm Not Positive how they Re-Supplied the Diner and Cafe Car since the Eagles are Normally Stocked in Chicago for the Roundtrip and Often Run Out of Stuff on the Turn Back to CHI!!! :angry: I would guess that perhaps Someone in San Antonio Visited a Wal-Mart or HEB and Re-Stocked the Train! I have been on Trains in the Old Days when Bean Counters werent so Picky that Used to Do this?????
 
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Marty - #22 stopped in Fort Worth on Friday, and passengers took the TRE to Dallas if they were heading that way. Beyond that, I'm not sure. Dallas was completely shut down. You couldn't even drive out on the highways. I-35 was closed. Some of my coworkers thought they'd rent a car to get home and ended up getting trapped in Denton.

#22 did not go through Dallas until Sunday. I'd managed to get a flight out on Saturday (I was one of the very few lucky ones who was only trapped for one night). I couldn't wait until Sunday because I had a final exam and work. I'm sure both would have been excused, but I really didn't want to take a chance.

I'm glad you guys had enough food. I probably wouldn't mind being 17 hours late as long as I had food, water, power, heat, and a bed. I feel bad for everyone in the coaches. That had to be a nightmare. At least, with a room, I can shut the door and drown out the noise. :)
 
I'm excited that you get to visit two of the three places in the US that I'm most familiar with - and within a month! ABQ could be gorgeous, it could be snowy. In the two short years I lived there, I got to experience a drought, monsoons, heavy snow (like 12" in one day which is a lot even for living in Texas & Tokyo) then watch it all evaporate... The first two wild animals I saw were, really, a coyote and a roadrunner.

If'n ya wanna start a new thread about THAT journey (actually, I think you already did, LOL) - I suggest taking the tramway to Sandia Peak and either enjoy a dinner in the restaurant. It's quite funny watching people going up the tram in their dinner clothes only to swap places with folks in their ski gear...

Gotta find time to eat at El Modelo's on 2nd Street about a mile South of the Amtrak station. Try a #1 - tamale and taco with red chilie. If you make a McDonald's stop, ask for green chilie on your cheeseburger.

If you have time and a car, you may want to just drive up to the Lamy station. It's a fun place to just sit and ponder the Wild West. And if there is snow on the ground, it's a great photo op to catch the SWC there...

Meanwhile, keep us posted. We'll get to see if the cold wintery weather follows SarahZ!
 
Venture - we go to ABQ every year, for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. My boyfriend used to live there (we took Amtrak to visit each other). I love that city. :)
 
It's the quietest place I've ever lived. We had a home in Los Lunas and it was on the Western edge of a new development. West of us hadn't been developed yet, and the sunsets were INCREDIBLE. The only lights were the occasional cars taking a shortcut on NM-6 to I-40 West...

Sigh.
 
He lived near Frontier, just off Central, when I met him, and then he moved to Los Lunas to live with some friends. His parents live in Jemez Springs, so I've seen pretty much the entire area. :) It's beautiful.
 
I'm glad that ya'll like the ABQ Area, but I've always Found it to Not be a Particularly Pretty City, It's Too Hot , Dusty and Dry in the Summer and Too Cold in the Winter!(I Traveled there on Business for Several Years and Stayed in Motels and Hotels,I Wasn't a Resident!) Of Course Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder! ;)

I Prefer the Mountain Areas around ABQ (but not the Trendy, Overly Pretentious and Expensive Santa Fe and Taos!) And I agree that New Mexico Style Mexican Food (In Texas it's Called West-Texas Style and in Mexico Chiuahua Style) With the Green Chili is Definitely Deliciously Different than Run of the Mill Tex-Mex or Cali-Mex! (Taco Bell! :p )
 
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OlympianHiawatha said:
How did they handle re-provisioning the Diner with that long of a delay?
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I couldn't say where or when or even if, they did re-provisioning. I had food with me for the first night and then there was free coffee (to try and shut some of us up I guess) the next morning and I ate lunch in the dinning car on the second day in PBF. The second night they offered a free dinner to all the coach passengers which I understand (I didn't have any) was not the regular food from the menu but rather

some sort of stew that seemed to be more of emergency type rations than the usual menu fare. It didn't seem like there were many takers on the first night for the dinning car so they may not

have needed to restock at all. I'm not sure what they did for lunch after heading south from my stop in Fort Worth. I assumed that the sleeper passengers were able to get the regular menu food the second night but I don't really know.

I was in coach on this train and it still beat trying to drive in that weather. It was also better than sitting at an airport. I always bring ear plugs and a neck pillow so that helps quite a bit.

As for what happened and when about the 22 train from the 6th, I can only go by what I find in the archived Amtrak status on the dixieland site, and it seems to indicate that the 22 train of Friday the 6th continued on at least as far as LIT on Saturday the 7th from Fort Worth, and that there was another 22 train on Sunday the 8th that went the full route to CHI.

To those that are in the know, what are the usual crew change locations on this route???..and are they same for both the 21 and the 22 trains? Thanks.
 
marty said:
marty said:
To those that are in the know, what are the usual crew change locations on this route???..and are they same for both the 21 and the 22 trains? Thanks.
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OK disregard the question, I've done the search. Typical noob, I asked the question before searching...D'oh! :blush:

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/28295-crew-change-points/

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/32498-texas-eagle-crew-change-question/
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One Addition to this List for Crew Change Points on the Eagle is Austin where Engineers Only Change out on Both #21 and #22!

The Engineer that Lays Over goes to a Leased Hotel via Contract Van. In the case of #22, they run in the AM from SAS-AUS, then take #21 that Evening Back to SAS! The Engineer from #21 Lays Over Overnight and takes the Next Mornings #22 Back to FTW!

Until a Couple of Years ago the Diner Crew (LSA, Server(s and Cook) also Layed Over in Austin and took the Next Mornings #22 Back to CHI! This resulted in Box Breakfasts for the Sleeper Pax out of SAS and 4:00PM Dinner Times in the Diner (CCC) for #21 Pax! :rolleyes:

Note: Some of the Engineers and Conductors/ACs are Also Qualified SAS-DLR (Del Rio) and Run the Sunset Ltd, on the 3 Days a Week it Runs!!!
 
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Update: I sent an email to Customer Relations. **I sent an email because I don't like talking on the phone. I realize it may take several weeks to get a response. I'm perfectly okay with that.**

I didn't have the counter agent's name, but I gave the date, time, and a description. Hopefully, they'll pass it onto her management, and they can figure out who it is.

I also mentioned the issues with the phone agent. I didn't have her name either, but my reservation might show a log of our phone call. I know when we handle anything on a claim, it gets a time/date stamp with our name and any comments/updates we make.

I'll let you know what they say. I'm not expecting a voucher or anything like that, just an apology and confirmation they'll speak to the counter agent in Dallas about 1) her attitude and 2) making sure the status sign isn't pointed at the wall, where nobody can see it. If I do get a voucher of some kind, then that would be pretty awesome, but I'm not expecting one.
 
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Update!

I got a very nice email from Customer Relations today. They apologized for the way things were handled in Dallas and said they would send a copy of my email to the manager at the Dallas station. Hopefully, that employee will receive some customer service training.

They went on to say that they, unfortunately, would not be able to reimburse my hotel and food, as my trip originated in Dallas and the cancellation was due to weather. That's understandable and matches the airlines' policies. I wasn't expecting any kind of refund, to be honest, and since my employer ended up reimbursing me after I sent the email, it's a moot point now. It would have been double-dipping.

That said, they did give me a $100 credit! :) I'm quite pleased. It doesn't expire until next February, so I will probably use it for our trip to ABQ this Thanksgiving, as I'll be using most of my points for the Gathering (if I can go).
 
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