Texas Eagle 22(5/12/2015) Departing San Antonio

[printman2000]

Since I will be on the Eagle at the end of June/early July, I have been watching it some.

Seems trains 22 has yet to leave San Antonio this morning (it is now 11:52am cst) scheduled to depart at 7:00am cst.

Anyone know what is going on? Amtrak says the status is unavailable.

The Sunset (1) made its departure just about on time at 2:48am.

 

[Grandpa D]

Yesterday's 21 was terminated about 8 hours late at FTW, Passengers going beyond there bussed. Today's 22 will originate at FTW. Those passengers from points south, including SL passengers, will be bussed to FTW.

 

[printman2000]

Well that is not good news. We will be departing/returning Fort Worth all the way to Los Angeles on 421/422.

What happens to the people booked into 421 on the Sunset Limited? Does train 1 pick up the sleeper left by train 2?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Well that is not good news. We will be departing/returning Fort Worth all the way to Los Angeles on 421/422.

What happens to the people booked into 421 on the Sunset Limited? Does train 1 pick up the sleeper left by train 2?

Under normal scheduling conditions Train 1 will have left SAS before Train 2 arrives. That being said most of the time there is a protect sleeper and a protect coach stationed on a house track at SAS.

 

[printman2000]

Well that is not good news. We will be departing/returning Fort Worth all the way to Los Angeles on 421/422.

What happens to the people booked into 421 on the Sunset Limited? Does train 1 pick up the sleeper left by train 2?

Train 1 will have left SAS before Train 2 arrives. That being said most of the time there is a protect sleeper and a protect coach stationed on a house track at SAS.

Really? I had never heard that before. Good to know!

 

[City of Miami]

During the years I lived in San Antonio [2010-13] I would go over the viaduct that crosses the tracks near the Alamodome several times a week and visually confirmed that 2 Superliners were nearly always there.

 

[DryCreek]

Yup, according to Google Maps - satellite view I see two Superliners on Track 1. It looks like they have a shore power connection (480VAC) there for them.

I am also keeping an eye on Texas Eagle OTP. We leave for round trip CBR-TUS-CBR in 13 days. I have already received notice that they are moving up our return time two hours to 0615 (MST). Luckily we are staying right across the street at the Hotel Congress so it won't be too much of an inconvenience.

Why did they have to terminate the 21 in FTW? More motive power failures?

"Under normal scheduling conditions Train 1 will have left SAS before Train 2 arrives. That being said most of the time there is a protect sleeper and a protect coach stationed on a house track at SAS."

Now I have a question. If I end up being bustituted from CBR to SAS and they use the protect sleeper for us, when do we check into it? Under normal conditions, we would arrive at close to 2155. I assume the bus would probably be as likely to be on time as the train would be (maybe more so?). Would we then board the protect sleeper as soon as we arrived, or would we be forced to sit in the station until it is made up onto the SL-1 consist? What about dinner we would have had aboard the TE from CBR to SAS?

And, if the 21 was terminated at FTW yesterday, what did they do with the 422 cars that should have been shucked from the Eastbound # 2? Did they go onto track 1 to replace the protects most likely made up to #1 this morning? I would like to think that the passengers that were dropped would at least be allowed to stay onboard until the normal departure time, and then be able to get some type of breakfast before boarding a bus for FTW and points between. I would be awful cranky if I was awakened and thrown off of the train to have to sit in the terminal until the bus arrived!

 

[SouthernServesTheSouth]

I'am aboard 21 between Austin and SAS. We were held for about an hour while UP MOW checked the tracks. We are nearing San Marcos now at 20:38. When we arrived in Austin we were showing a 29 minutes early. arrival time for SAS. It is now showing a 16 minutes late. I hope it holds. There is a lot of water around the right of way. We have passed many repair crews. There is major flooding in several areas.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Dry Creek:Not to sound like a lawyer, but it depends!

The only time I was bustituted on #21/#421 from FTW, ( I went as far as Austin)we were given a Box Dinner and bottled water for our missed meal in the CCC. There were three buses, 2 Express Buses to Austin and SAS and 1 Local that stopped in CBR, MCGregor, Temple, Taylor, Austin and San Marcos.

On the Northbound Bustitutions when #22/#422 originates in FTW, the same procedure has applied, but the box meal is the breakfast they used to pass out on the Train when the Diner crew used to spend the night in Austin instead of SAS.

There is ground power on the siding in SAS for the layover Sleeper and Coach, you should be able to board upin arrival by bus if this happens! (#1 usually arrives early before midnight into SAS, so the HEP isn't cut until the switching is done. )

 

[DryCreek]

Dry Creek:Not to sound like a lawyer, but it depends!

The only time I was bustituted on #21/#421 from FTW, ( I went as far as Austin)we were given a Box Dinner and bottled water for our missed meal in the CCC. There were three buses, 2 Express Buses to Austin and SAS and 1 Local that stopped in CBR, MCGregor, Temple, Taylor, Austin and San Marcos.

On the Northbound Bustitutions when #22/#422 originates in FTW, the same procedure has applied, but the box meal is the breakfast they used to pass out on the Train when the Diner crew used to spend the night in Austin instead of SAS.

There is ground power on the siding in SAS for the layover Sleeper and Coach, you should be able to board upin arrival by bus if this happens! (#1 usually arrives early before midnight into SAS, so the HEP isn't cut until the switching is done. )

Aha! The conspiracy now has been solved! They are limiting guests to only 2 (larger) bottles of water now so that they can fill all of the orders for ever-increasing number of 'bustituted" AmGuests!

Seriously though, thanks for the information. I really, really hope that this trip goes well - with no major issues. If it does, then my wife is on board for a trip later this year or in late spring of next year. She has hinted that she would like to see Glacier national Park. I think that I know just the way to get her there in style.

As a clarification though - I only consider a train late if it is running MORE than an hour behind schedule when I'm waiting at the station to board. I've been on many an airline flight where that is pretty much considered on-time too. Once I'm on-board and enjoying the scenery and provided amenities, heck, as long as we get there some time (and on a train, dangit) I'm happy.

 

[Guest]

We departed Chicago on 5/11 and 21 had a real diner and SSL . Hope the returning 22 on 5/15 will have it also. Here has been a lot of flooding in the area. If or trip northbound is delayed too much we will miss our connection to the Eastbound Cardinal 50.

 

[fillyjonk]

Anyone know how the heavy rain in parts of Texas (and possibly Arkansas) has affected the TE? I'm a little nervous, have a northbound trip out of MIN Monday. I remember a bustitution (flooding) from STL to MIN back in 2010 or so, it was a flipping nightmare. If it happened again that I was going to be bustituted home, I'd just call up Enterprise and DRIVE to my destination.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Re: #21/#22 The heavy rain, tornadoes etc. that have been occurring in the past week did hit Texas, Oklahoma ( Heartland Flyer FTW-OKC) and Arkansas.

There was lots of flooding from San Antonio North and East clear up through DFW, East Texas and Arkansas,!( the Black Hole between LRK and STL )

There also have been several P-42 crapouts on the Single Engine Eagle as well as mechanical problems with the cars.( brake hoses, electrical problems, wheels with flat spots etc.

This has resulted in #21 and #22 being turned in FTW and bustitutions between FTW and SAS.

This has Aldo resulted in #1 and #2 being Late out of SAS several times due to late Eagles, Crew Shortages and delayed Switching!

The rain has been moving East, hopefully the Eagles schedule will get back to normal soon between CHI and SAS!