Possible first time rider, questions about Texas Eagle

[Striker]

Hello everyone! I'm glad I found this site as I'm seriously considering taking a train maybe later this year. I was hoping some of you could answer a few questions for me so I can decide if my family wants to commit to this or not.

We're thinking of taking the Texas Eagle from Dallas to St. Louis for Christmas this year...sometime around the week before Christmas. I assume it will probably be pretty full at that time of year, but my first question is would the train be running considerably later than normal? I fully expect a delay of an hour, maybe two overall. But at that time of year could it be delayed even more, like by 5+ hours each way? Has anyone ridden at that time of year?

I'd be traveling with my wife and daughter. My daughter is still considered an infant by Amtrak standards. We're thinking about getting the standard bedroom, or the family bedroom (without the bathroom). I'm not sure which one we want yet. My main concern is my daughter still has to sleep in a crib. There is no way she is going to be able to sleep on a standard bed, let alone a bed on a train that's swaying back and forth a bit. She would very easily fall out. We do have a travel crib we can take with us, but when it's completely set up, I'd say it's about 4'x4'. Would a standard bedroom have enough space for us to set this thing up for her?

In terms of trash, are there adequate disposal places in the sleeping car? Will the car attendant be able to accept a lot? Obviously my daughter still being in diapers is the concern here.

Can anyone recommend a rental car company at St. Louis? Amtrak indicates Avis and Hertz will reimburse cab fare, but the addresses they list seem to be out of date. Do any car rental places still do this? Any recommendations of one rental agency over another?

What you tell me about the St. Louis train station in general? How safe would you consider it to be at night?

Thanks in advance.

 

[the_traveler]

We're thinking of taking the Texas Eagle from Dallas to St. Louis for Christmas this year...sometime around the week before Christmas. I assume it will probably be pretty full at that time of year, but my first question is would the train be running considerably later than normal? I fully expect a delay of an hour, maybe two overall. But at that time of year could it be delayed even more, like by 5+ hours each way? Has anyone ridden at that time of year?

I don't really think there will necessarily be any more delays at that time of year. If anything, I would rather take a train at that time of year then to drive or fly. If you drive, there is likely yo be more traffic on the roads. If you drive or fly, you may be delayed or cancelled due to weather. The train is more likely to be running (nearly) on time in those conditions!

I'd be traveling with my wife and daughter. My daughter is still considered an infant by Amtrak standards. We're thinking about getting the standard bedroom, or the family bedroom (without the bathroom). I'm not sure which one we want yet. My main concern is my daughter still has to sleep in a crib. There is no way she is going to be able to sleep on a standard bed, let alone a bed on a train that's swaying back and forth a bit. She would very easily fall out. We do have a travel crib we can take with us, but when it's completely set up, I'd say it's about 4'x4'. Would a standard bedroom have enough space for us to set this thing up for her?
In terms of trash, are there adequate disposal places in the sleeping car? Will the car attendant be able to accept a lot? Obviously my daughter still being in diapers is the concern here.

It may be tight with a crib that size. A couple of advantages for the family room over the bedroom in your case is that the room spans the entire width of the car (the bedroom is about 3/4 of the car) and because it is on the lower level there is less traffic (people walking by). You could put the trash in the rest rooms, or if you ask your attendant, (s)he may have some suggestions.

If you are thinking about traveling at that time of year, and especially if you want a room, I would suggest to make a reservation ASAP! Amtrak sells ticket using a bucket system, and as more tickets are sold, the price of the remaining tickets rise! (And don't forget, there is only 1 family bedroom and 5 bedrooms per sleeping car, and there may only 1 or 2 sleeping cars on the entire train!)

 

[AlanB]

Striker,

Well Amtrak's standard of infant leaves a wide margin of room for what may or may not be possible. If your daughter is between 1 and 2, then she probably would be just fine in the lower child's bed in the family room or even sharing the lower bed with the smaller of you or your wife in either the Bedroom or the Family room. If she's under 1, then things may be tougher since it's not a good idea to put an adult in a bed with such a small child.

In that case, I'd say that your best option would be the family room. You most likely should be able to set up the pack-N-Play or similar portable crib on the lower childs bunk. The adult sleeping in the lower adult bed might not be able to fully stretch out their legs, as the crib would extend over the end of the adult bed. There definately is not room to put it on the floor when the beds are down. In the Bedroom, there might be just be enough room to set it up with the beds down. But you won't be able to get into the bathroom and you won't be able to use the ladder for the upper bunk, as it will take up the floor space needed for the crib. So either someone would have to climb into the upper bunk first, and then the remaining adult would have to take the ladder down and setup the crib.

Trash shouldn't be a problem, as there is usually a very large trashcan near the coffee station and it gets emptied as needed.

Regarding lateness, the time of year has little to do with how late a train can be on any given day. The two or three days right before Christmas and after are probably the best though, since freight is often at it's lowest levels because they pretty much tend to shut down for Christmas.

Finally, while I don't want to rush you into making the choice until you have all the facts and are sure that you want to try this, let me tell you to not wait very long to commit to this. There is only one family room on the Texas Eagle and only 5 bedrooms. And they sell out very fast around Christmas. At most, you have a month to put this to be or risk loosing out on the family room totally and finding the prices have jumped on the bedrooms. So don't wait too long to commit.

 

[p&sr]

My main concern is my daughter still has to sleep in a crib. There is no way she is going to be able to sleep on a standard bed...

Maybe she'd be comfortable sleeping in her portable infant car-seat?

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Personally, I'd be doing this in a bedroom, and I'd take, for this trip, a smaller crib.

That being said, in my experiance, 4 to 5 hours late on the Texas Eagle is par for the course. It is not a train that has the worlds idea on-time performance. That being said, Amtrak actually, to my complete bafflement, ran an overall LD average that was, in fact, negative on christmas day. That is, on average, each train arrived early. In a few cases, well over an hour early.

Amtrak trains run consistantly late. The veteran Amtrak riders will tell you not to book anything important within 6 hours of the trains scheduled arrival, period. That being said, it is a fantastic experiance to ride the train, and may make you decide that flying simply never adds up.

 

[Striker]

I spoke with my wife about the sleeping arrangement and she's of the opinion it might be best to take blankets for her to sleep on the floor. I don't think we'll be able to set up a small crib in there. I might have a better idea if I could possibly board a train and examine a bedroom firsthand. Do they let you do that without having a ticket?

Also any feedback on the St. Louis station? Is it in a decent part of town? Unsafe at night?

 

[AlanB]

I spoke with my wife about the sleeping arrangement and she's of the opinion it might be best to take blankets for her to sleep on the floor. I don't think we'll be able to set up a small crib in there. I might have a better idea if I could possibly board a train and examine a bedroom firsthand. Do they let you do that without having a ticket?

You need to clarify what "in there" means, please.

As for seeing things ahead of time, it's pot luck. If you hit the right conductor or sleeping car attendant, they might be willing to give you a quick peek, assuming that they have an unocupied room. In the case of the family room, odds are it will be occupied most of the time. You may have better luck with the bedroom.

On the other hand you have to consider that you'll be seeing the rooms in their daytime configurations. You issues will come with the nighttime configurations.

You may want to head over to Amtrak's site and this page. There you can select the various types of rooms. You'll see the demensions of the rooms in a drawing, as well as video's and pictures that you can link to, to perhaps give you a better idea of what to expect.

 

[Lamar]

I spoke with my wife about the sleeping arrangement and she's of the opinion it might be best to take blankets for her to sleep on the floor. I don't think we'll be able to set up a small crib in there. I might have a better idea if I could possibly board a train and examine a bedroom firsthand. Do they let you do that without having a ticket?
Also any feedback on the St. Louis station? Is it in a decent part of town? Unsafe at night?

I was just at STL last week, and the new intermodal station is still under construction, but will be finished by Christmas for sure! The station locations are odd, to say the least. They are underneath an Interstate overpass, and the current parking lot is not paved. I felt neither unsafe or ultra-safe while I was there, but, considering you would get there in the early morning, I would imagine you would be just fine.

 

[stlouielady]

Can anyone recommend a rental car company at St. Louis? Amtrak indicates Avis and Hertz will reimburse cab fare, but the addresses they list seem to be out of date. Do any car rental places still do this? Any recommendations of one rental agency over another?
What you tell me about the St. Louis train station in general? How safe would you consider it to be at night?

Thanks in advance.

I believe that Hertz offers a bit of a discounted rate for Amtrak passengers, although may be only with a Guest Rewards account. It might be worth the time to contact both Hertz and Avis. As far as other rental places, there are a few downtown locations available through the area hotels, but, your best bet may be to make your way to the airport to pick one up there. You could get a cab at the station (which is where the cab reimbursement would come into play), or, take advantage of the light rail system in the area (metrolink), which would get you from downtown to the airport in about a half hour. As mentioned earlier, the new intermodal station will be open, which will provide an easy connection to the light rail. The cost is $2.00 per person, children under 5 free, and it's a pretty easy way to get to the airport. If you want to check them out, the link is here Metro.

As far as the safety in the area....I wouldn't be too concerned at the time that you would be there (I believe that the Eagle is due into St Louis around 8:00 AM for your trip here, and would be departing around 8:00 PM for your trip back). The station is downtown, and the area does look a little rough, but, I haven't heard of anything serious happening there, crime wise. I have parked my car there several times for trips to Chicago, with no problems. I'm not sure that I would want to wander around there by myself for TOO long after dark, but, during the day it's just as safe as anywhere else. As long as you don't leave the general area, you've really got nothing to worry about. And, as I mentioned earlier, the new station will be open, and would provide an easy connection to/from metrolink, or would provide a safe place to wait for a cab if that is the route you guys choose to take upon your arrival.

If you have any other questions about St Louis, feel free to send me a message, and I'll try to help you out all I can.

 

[eee]

I don't think downtown St. Louis is unsafe. It's just desolate after business hours, which makes people feel unsafe. I've spent lots of nights and weekends in downtown St. Louis and never been accosted.

 

[RobertF]

Personally, I'd be doing this in a bedroom, and I'd take, for this trip, a smaller crib.
That being said, in my experiance, 4 to 5 hours late on the Texas Eagle is par for the course. It is not a train that has the worlds idea on-time performance. That being said, Amtrak actually, to my complete bafflement, ran an overall LD average that was, in fact, negative on christmas day. That is, on average, each train arrived early. In a few cases, well over an hour early.

Amtrak trains run consistantly late. The veteran Amtrak riders will tell you not to book anything important within 6 hours of the trains scheduled arrival, period. That being said, it is a fantastic experiance to ride the train, and may make you decide that flying simply never adds up.

I'm not surprised about Christmas day early arrivals. At CSX we actually shutdown almost all traffic on Christmas, with few exceptions (like Amtrak). That would lead to pretty fast trips I would think!

 

[daveyb99]

We're thinking of taking the Texas Eagle from Dallas to St. Louis for Christmas this year...sometime around the week before Christmas.

I might consider leaving from Fort Worth. Fare should be about the same, but you get alot of extra onboard time.

but my first question is would the train be running considerably later than normal?

Certainly depends on what is going on at the time. Could be hours late the day before and ontime today. Or just the opposite. THAT is the joy of NOT being in charge of moving trains.

Would a standard bedroom have enough space for us to set this thing up for her?

When you say "standard bedroom", do you mean ROOMETTE. If so, then NO. If you mean a BEDROOM, then "YES". Plenty of space in the BEDROOM. If you book the Family Bedroom, there is plenty of space if you do not unfold the two smaller bunks.

Obviously my daughter still being in diapers is the concern here.

Bring several plastic shopping bags. One per use, if you will. Then off load them at a station stop trash can if you can. That would be the most courteous.

Obviously my daughter still being in diapers is the concern here.

Amtrak indicates Avis and Hertz will reimburse cab fare, but the addresses they list seem to be out of date.What you tell me about the St. Louis train station in general? How safe would you consider it to be at night?

New St. Louis station might be open by then. Should be no problems. And if AMTRAK/HERTZ has a joint offer, it will be no problem --- however, call the local Hertz office to confirm they will be open for your train arrival.

ENJOY

 

[audenhoggart]

We're thinking of taking the Texas Eagle from Dallas to St. Louis for Christmas this year...sometime around the week before Christmas.

I might consider leaving from Fort Worth. Fare should be about the same, but you get alot of extra onboard time.

but my first question is would the train be running considerably later than normal?

Certainly depends on what is going on at the time. Could be hours late the day before and ontime today. Or just the opposite. THAT is the joy of NOT being in charge of moving trains.

Would a standard bedroom have enough space for us to set this thing up for her?

When you say "standard bedroom", do you mean ROOMETTE. If so, then NO. If you mean a BEDROOM, then "YES". Plenty of space in the BEDROOM. If you book the Family Bedroom, there is plenty of space if you do not unfold the two smaller bunks.

Obviously my daughter still being in diapers is the concern here.

Bring several plastic shopping bags. One per use, if you will. Then off load them at a station stop trash can if you can. That would be the most courteous.

Obviously my daughter still being in diapers is the concern here.

Amtrak indicates Avis and Hertz will reimburse cab fare, but the addresses they list seem to be out of date.What you tell me about the St. Louis train station in general? How safe would you consider it to be at night?

New St. Louis station might be open by then. Should be no problems. And if AMTRAK/HERTZ has a joint offer, it will be no problem --- however, call the local Hertz office to confirm they will be open for your train arrival.

ENJOY

The Sheraton St. Louis City Center is right across the street from the new Amtrak station (which should certainly be open by Christmas.) It's a fairly new hotel in a renovated building. According to their website, they also have car rental services available.

 

[Striker]

Ok I have a follow-up question. When I'm returning a rental car, usually the latest they'll let me bring it in is just before 6PM, but the train isn't scheduled to depart until around 8PM...assuming it's running on time.

So during that time I figure it might be worthwhile to get some dinner. But will Amtrak let me store all of our luggage someplace safe? I wouldn't mind walking to union station, but carrying our luggage everywhere can become rather burdensome.

 

[p&sr]

So during that time I figure it might be worthwhile to get some dinner. But will Amtrak let me store all of our luggage someplace safe? I wouldn't mind walking to union station, but carrying our luggage everywhere can become rather burdensome.

I don't know the official policy, but any Station handling checked baggage is at least physically capable of holding on to your luggage for a while before departure. With or without a small fee.

It has worked for me when I have needed it...

 

[Striker]

Well we booked the trip. We decided to just give it a try and enjoy the trip. What I found particularly interesting was that airfare for my family to go to our destination would cost over $1000 more than an Amtrak ticket with bedroom.

We were booked bedrooms D & E for the round trip. I know I'm looking forward to it.

btw: Who owns the line most of the way for this trip...UP or BNSF?

 

[had8ley]

Well we booked the trip. We decided to just give it a try and enjoy the trip. What I found particularly interesting was that airfare for my family to go to our destination would cost over $1000 more than an Amtrak ticket with bedroom.
We were booked bedrooms D & E for the round trip. I know I'm looking forward to it.

btw: Who owns the line most of the way for this trip...UP or BNSF?

UP by a wide margin; it's ex-MOP trackage but the BN-SF section, although much smaller, is more interesting. BTW, you picked the two best rooms on the train. They're in the middle of the car and you have the coffee station and stairway to the shower room right outside the E room door. Be sure to have the attendant open the connecting door between the two rooms. Watch for all the American flags as you gallop through Crawford, Tx. home of you know who.

 

[Striker]

Err, sorry I may have worded that poorly. We were booked room D on the way up, room E on the way back.

 

[had8ley]

Err, sorry I may have worded that poorly. We were booked room D on the way up, room E on the way back.

You did good...

 

[Rail Freak]

Well we booked the trip. We decided to just give it a try and enjoy the trip. What I found particularly interesting was that airfare for my family to go to our destination would cost over $1000 more than an Amtrak ticket with bedroom.
We were booked bedrooms D & E for the round trip. I know I'm looking forward to it.

btw: Who owns the line most of the way for this trip...UP or BNSF?

UP by a wide margin; it's ex-MOP trackage but the BN-SF section, although much smaller, is more interesting. BTW, you picked the two best rooms on the train. They're in the middle of the car and you have the coffee station and stairway to the shower room right outside the E room door. Be sure to have the attendant open the connecting door between the two rooms. Watch for all the American flags as you gallop through Crawford, Tx. home of you know who.

In rm. E, when does most shower traffic go by?

 

[AlanB]

In rm. E, when does most shower traffic go by?

It doesn't. Only people in rooms A thru D would have to walk by room E to reach the stairs leading down. And generally most people in the Bedrooms don't use the public shower, either because they don't know that they can or because they just prefer the smaller one in their room.

 

[Rail Freak]

In rm. E, when does most shower traffic go by?

It doesn't. Only people in rooms A thru D would have to walk by room E to reach the stairs leading down. And generally most people in the Bedrooms don't use the public shower, either because they don't know that they can or because they just prefer the smaller one in their room.

How bout the roomette folks?

 

[AlanB]

In rm. E, when does most shower traffic go by?

It doesn't. Only people in rooms A thru D would have to walk by room E to reach the stairs leading down. And generally most people in the Bedrooms don't use the public shower, either because they don't know that they can or because they just prefer the smaller one in their room.

How bout the roomette folks?

They get to the stairs before they walk by room E's door. Or put another way, if they leave a roomette, they have three choices to make as they walk towards the center of the car. Turn left and go down the stairs to the lower level, turn right and walk past rooms E, D, C, B, A and on into the next train car, or smash their face into the side wall of room E.

That assumes that they don't stop for coffee, juice, or to use the upper level restroom before reaching the decision point.

 

[Rail Freak]

In rm. E, when does most shower traffic go by?

It doesn't. Only people in rooms A thru D would have to walk by room E to reach the stairs leading down. And generally most people in the Bedrooms don't use the public shower, either because they don't know that they can or because they just prefer the smaller one in their room.

How bout the roomette folks?

They get to the stairs before they walk by room E's door. Or put another way, if they leave a roomette, they have three choices to make as they walk towards the center of the car. Turn left and go down the stairs to the lower level, turn right and walk past rooms E, D, C, B, A and on into the next train car, or smash their face into the side wall of room E.

That assumes that they don't stop for coffee, juice, or to use the upper level restroom before reaching the decision point.

TITF!!!

 

[George Harris]

Well we booked the trip. We decided to just give it a try and enjoy the trip. What I found particularly interesting was that airfare for my family to go to our destination would cost over $1000 more than an Amtrak ticket with bedroom.
We were booked bedrooms D & E for the round trip. I know I'm looking forward to it.

btw: Who owns the line most of the way for this trip...UP or BNSF?

UP by a wide margin; it's ex-MOP trackage but the BN-SF section, although much smaller, is more interesting. BTW, you picked the two best rooms on the train. They're in the middle of the car and you have the coffee station and stairway to the shower room right outside the E room door. Be sure to have the attendant open the connecting door between the two rooms. Watch for all the American flags as you gallop through Crawford, Tx. home of you know who.

To answer this in a little more detail:

Union Pacific ex Missouri Paciific: St. Louis to Texarkana

Union Pacific ex Texas and Paciific: Texarkana to Fort Worth

BNSF ex Santa Fe (Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe in full): Fort Worth to Temple, TX

Union Pacific ex Missouri Kansas Texas (the Katy): Temple to Taylor

Union Pacific ex Missouri Paciific's International Great Northern: Taylor to San Antonio

Between St. Louis and Poplar Bluff Missouri, the first 163 miles there is very little freight as the freight follows a line with lower grades along the Mississippi River. The rest of the way has lots of freight trains. The St. L to Texarkana line was originally the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern, commonly referred to as the Iron Mountain. The namesake was a mining area in Missouri, I believe long since mined out.