Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle- Southwest Chief

[JasonVG]

on August 1, I am taking the sunset/texas eagle from La to chicago. then I am coming back on the 18th on the southwest chief. I was wondering, since i have been on the southwest chief west, if anybody can tell me anything about the sunset/ texas eagle run.

 

[the_traveler]

The SL/TE run is L O N G and can be slow. Expect delays. Even though (IIRC) 12 hours of padding was added to the schedule, there is still many delays and it usually arrives late! Also in SAS, the arriving TE will stay in the station overnight to be combined with (or separated from) the SL.

Although the desert has interesting characteristics (to some), it can be a boring trip sight-wise. There are none of the "going through the mountains" stuff like on other X-country runs. In fact, IIRC you cross the Continental Divide at ~3,000 feet, and there is not a mountain nearby!

The trip from SAS to CHI is more interesting to me than the SAS to LAX portion. Just my opinion.

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

I hate to boast But I rode the Sunset Limited westbound November 2001, and it arrived within 2 hours of scheduled time. I fellt the views were quite interesting, although not with Spectacular mountains or gorges. With the TE connection Do you get to see the Huey Long Bridge? At some places west of NOL the tracks are within feet of the boarder as announced by train staff.

All my pictures of that trip are pre-digital. In a box, un-scanned.

 

[AlanB]

With the TE connection Do you get to see the Huey Long Bridge?

No. The Eagle splits off the Sunset in San Antonio Texas, long before you get to the Huey, which is basically the approach into New Orleans.

 

[George Harris]

In fact, IIRC you cross the Continental Divide at ~3,000 feet, and there is not a mountain nearby!

According to the high and low elevation map on the Union Pacific web site, the high elevation on the Sunset Limited route is 5,078 feet at Paisano, Texas, milepost 619.26. That is, 619.26 miles west of Houston. The show a secon high elevation a few miles west at Etholen, Texas, 4,653 feet at milepost 741.40. The Sunset Route also gets you below sea level. The low point is -205 feet elevation at Forrum, California, which is at milepost 612.00, zero being at San Francisco. You would be following the edge of the Salton Sea at this location.

 

[the_traveler]

In fact, IIRC you cross the Continental Divide at ~3,000 feet, and there is not a mountain nearby!

According to the high and low elevation map on the Union Pacific web site, the high elevation on the Sunset Limited route is 5,078 feet at Paisano, Texas, milepost 619.26. That is, 619.26 miles west of Houston. The show a secon high elevation a few miles west at Etholen, Texas, 4,653 feet at milepost 741.40. The Sunset Route also gets you below sea level. The low point is -205 feet elevation at Forrum, California, which is at milepost 612.00, zero being at San Francisco. You would be following the edge of the Salton Sea at this location.

IIRC, the crossing of the Continental Divide on the Sunset route is somewhere in south central New Mexico (WELL west of either Paisano or Etholen, TX)!

 

[PRR 60]

In fact, IIRC you cross the Continental Divide at ~3,000 feet, and there is not a mountain nearby!

According to the high and low elevation map on the Union Pacific web site, the high elevation on the Sunset Limited route is 5,078 feet at Paisano, Texas, milepost 619.26. That is, 619.26 miles west of Houston. The show a secon high elevation a few miles west at Etholen, Texas, 4,653 feet at milepost 741.40. The Sunset Route also gets you below sea level. The low point is -205 feet elevation at Forrum, California, which is at milepost 612.00, zero being at San Francisco. You would be following the edge of the Salton Sea at this location.

IIRC, the crossing of the Continental Divide on the Sunset route is somewhere in south central New Mexico (WELL west of either Paisano or Etholen, TX)!

The Continental Divide on the Sunset Route is in New Mexico just east of Lordsburg at an elevation just over 4200 feet. However, the highest elevation on the route is in Texas. The Continental Divide is the demarcation between the east and west continental drainage basins. Sometimes the divide is not at a particularly high elevation or even in mountains. That is the case on the Sunset Route.

 

[Mark]

Its been about 10 years now but having done the TE/SSL in both directions, (only as far as Tucson AZ), I always enjoyed the SSL portion of the trip more. While they are both slow, lazy rides I feel that the SSL offers the better scenery of the two. If I remember correctly you get to go through some pretty tight horse-shoe style curves on the SSL through NM and AZ.

 

[tigerholm]

My first guest post here, but seeing a question about the Texas Eagle Sunset Limited, I have traveled on them several times. I have pictures at

http://www.doe.mtu.edu/~ehgroth/website/

tigerholm -at- yahoo.com

 

[allaboard]

Is there any site that posts the arrival time of the Texas Eagle in chicago for say the last 2 months? I've got a connection in Chicago that leaves 4.5 hours after the Texas Eagle gets in, and I wonder what the odds are of making it, and what they do if you miss it and there isn't another train until the next day! I called on the status of the texas eagle that arrived yesterday and it was 6.5 hours late!

 

[MrFSS]

Is there any site that posts the arrival time of the Texas Eagle in Chicago for say the last 2 months? I've got a connection in Chicago that leaves 4.5 hours after the Texas Eagle gets in, and I wonder what the odds are of making it, and what they do if you miss it and there isn't another train until the next day! I called on the status of the Texas Eagle that arrived yesterday and it was 6.5 hours late!

This SITE will let you put your train number and arrival city and search for the last three weeks.

 

[the_traveler]

what they do if you miss it and there isn't another train until the next day

If it is a guaranteed connection (made on 1 reservation), then Amtrak is responsible to get you to your final destination.

If the TE is not very late (such as if the TE is 4.5 hours late), they may hold the departure of the connecting train for a short time. If it is very late, they may bus to to some point to catch up with your connecting train. Or Amtrak may put you up in a hotel in Chicago overnight - on their dime - and/or send you out on the next train.

Whichever way, if is is a guaranteed connection, it is Amtrak's responsibility.

 

[allaboard]

that's a great site- thanks. the results of the search were definitely worrisome. there were 11 data points for Chicago arrival on my train. They clustered so that the day of my arrival (mondays) were definitely the longest delay (then there was one other day of the week that had medium-big delays, and one day of the week with only "short" 1.5 hour delays). there's no question that the clustering is a real effect. Of the 4 data points for monday, the average delay had the train coming at at just about 7:00 pm, a delay of nearly 5 hours). One of the 4 missed the connection, 3 would make it. but it seems like it's going to be a scramble/rush. big station, everythign far apart etc. what a pain- no time to get a good dinner to bring on board (I can't stand amtrak food).

thanks for info that they are responsible. obviously a huge hassle and probably loads of chaos. I'm hoping I get lucky...

i remember once a long time ago (it's been nearly 5 years since i've done a cross-country train trip), the train was already so latee before the sunset limited/eagle split from each other, that there wan\sn't a chance anyone would make the chicago connection. so they put 5 of us through new orleans. it was a very surreal experience- too much to explain for the moment.

makes me wonder where the 10 hours of padding goes to- the train seems even more late now that it did back then.

 

[the_traveler]

One of the 4 missed the connection, 3 would make it. but it seems like it's going to be a scramble/rush. big station, everythign far apart etc. what a pain- no time to get a good dinner to bring on board (I can't stand amtrak food).

What they may do, as I said, is hold the departing train. They may even provide an escort (or ride) between the 2 trains.

Or they may bus the connecting passengers from a point before Chicago to a point after Chicago to catch up to the train. For example, if you're going to Pittsburgh, you may be bussed (and I'm just picking any 2 cities here) between St. Louis and Toledo to catch up with the CL.

makes me wonder where the 10 hours of padding goes to- the train seems even more late now that it did back then.

The SL/TE was late so often because of UP's traffic issues on the route, so Amtrak added padding to the schedule. For the most part, UP used that padding to delay the SL/TE even more!

 

[allabord]

The SL/TE was late so often because of UP's traffic issues on the route, so Amtrak added padding to >the schedule. For the most part, UP used that padding to delay the SL/TE even more!

that's both interesting and disturbing...

and if amtrak solves a missed connection with those plans that you suggest (other than making the leaving train wait a bit), I physically won't survive it. so i just have to hope it works out or I'll be in trouble.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I personally think the food on board Amtrak is quite good...

 

[JasonVG]

Thanks guys, also I am connecting from the TE to the pere marquette, to Grand Rapids. If the Eagle is late enough and i miss the connection what would happen?

 

[the_traveler]

Thanks guys, also I am connecting from the TE to the pere marquette, to Grand Rapids. If the Eagle is late enough and i miss the connection what would happen?

The same answer as above. Except with the PM, they may (not saying that they will) just bus you to your destination. (Again, this assumes you have it set up as a guaranteed connection.)