Texas Eagle Consist

[ALC Rail Writer]

!!!Texas Eagle Consist Update!!!
Alright, I just got off a sold out Texas Eagle tonight in Austin coming from Dallas. Consist was Engine, Dorm, Sleeper, CCC, Coach, Coach, LAX Coach. I wasn't able to ask an agent today, but I did look at a load manifest of pax getting on in Dallas. All those booked in a sleeper were indeed booked as #421 in the 2130 car, even though some were getting off in AUS or SAS. No one getting on the train in Dallas was boarding the Trans Dorm, so I couldn't really verify if those in the Dorm were booked as #21, but I assume they were. In checking Amtrak.com, you can indeed book a sleeper on either 21 or 421. If you pick 21, you'll automatically be in the dorm car. I'll have to confirm this next time I get to see a manifest though.

Randy did a good job on figuring out how they maneuver those cars in SAS. I sat for about 10 minutes trying to figure it out, and it almost made my head spin and I gave up. I guess I had never thought about how things went down there. I need to take a trip to SAS soon and this time stay awake for the switching! ha.

I suppose northbound, the same thing happens. The full sleeper is only 422, and the dorm is 22. In fact riding to the Gathering I left Dallas on a Sunday which is a 422 day. But my ticket had 22 printed on it and I was in the Trans Dorm. Originally I was leaving on a Monday, a non 422 day, and I was ticketed on 22 in the full sleeper.

Well that settles it Chris, thanks for the info, also good input from the others! Have they taken the Sightseer off again or is that just one of those days?

You tend to wonder this time of year as the trains get shorter, wonder where they keep the spares, in CHI?

Jim, all Sightseers that can be should be on the road this week due to Thanksgiving travel.

 

[Bob Dylan]

!!!Texas Eagle Consist Update!!!
Alright, I just got off a sold out Texas Eagle tonight in Austin coming from Dallas. Consist was Engine, Dorm, Sleeper, CCC, Coach, Coach, LAX Coach. I wasn't able to ask an agent today, but I did look at a load manifest of pax getting on in Dallas. All those booked in a sleeper were indeed booked as #421 in the 2130 car, even though some were getting off in AUS or SAS. No one getting on the train in Dallas was boarding the Trans Dorm, so I couldn't really verify if those in the Dorm were booked as #21, but I assume they were. In checking Amtrak.com, you can indeed book a sleeper on either 21 or 421. If you pick 21, you'll automatically be in the dorm car. I'll have to confirm this next time I get to see a manifest though.

Randy did a good job on figuring out how they maneuver those cars in SAS. I sat for about 10 minutes trying to figure it out, and it almost made my head spin and I gave up. I guess I had never thought about how things went down there. I need to take a trip to SAS soon and this time stay awake for the switching! ha.

I suppose northbound, the same thing happens. The full sleeper is only 422, and the dorm is 22. In fact riding to the Gathering I left Dallas on a Sunday which is a 422 day. But my ticket had 22 printed on it and I was in the Trans Dorm. Originally I was leaving on a Monday, a non 422 day, and I was ticketed on 22 in the full sleeper.

Well that settles it Chris, thanks for the info, also good input from the others! Have they taken the Sightseer off again or is that just one of those days?

You tend to wonder this time of year as the trains get shorter, wonder where they keep the spares, in CHI?

Jim, all Sightseers that can be should be on the road this week due to Thanksgiving travel.

Yeah I agree, I just wonder why it seems the Eagle and the City always get the short end of the stick? Does anyone know if there are bad orderred sightseers anywhere, I wouldnt think they would run two on the western trains or the Cap! This seems to happen often in the fall, since I ride the Eagle so much I assure you there is a big difference between having the Sightseer and not having one or even two CCCs as has happened lots this summer/fall down here!

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

They are only overnight trains, thus the other Western LD trains get first dibs out of the CHI pool. The CS's SSLs aren't where the CONO or TE can hook one up, that only leaves the CL as where they can take off a SSL. The CL only has three consists and can only be kept in CHI since no other Superliner trains come out of WAS. The CL also seems to have higher ridership-- so there's possible reasons why the CL is higher up on the pecking order. On top of the CL are the longer long distance trains and the CS is somewhat separated.

 

[MichigantoTexasbyrail]

This past September, I rode the Texas Eagle from Chi to Ft. Worth and back. The train had the same exact consist both ways. Locomotive,Transdorm,sleeper, CCC/diner,SSL, three coaches.

Back in October of 2005, the same basic trainsets were used, with a couple of minor changes. There were no lounge cars either way. We were told by crew that the cars interiors had gotten trashed in New Orleans moving people out of that city a couple of months earlier and that they were gone to the shops for new insides. I don't know that that was the case, but no SSL cars for some reason. Going south, a private car was on the tail for the whole trip. On the return trip, there were two engines. Both were under power whenever I saw them, too.

I really liked the SSL cars. I spent quite a bit of time there. Even when the scenery was as ordinary as we had passing through the swamps of eastern Texas or fields of Illinois, the SSL was quite full. The scenery is decent and worthy of big windows in the Ozarks and along the Mississippi, but that is all at night if you're even close to on schedule. There was a difference I did notice (as did almost everyone else) between the two SSL cars. The southbound car had a/c power at almost every table and every group of seats. Tons of places to plug electrical gadgets in. The other car had about two outlets for the whole upstairs. One of them was a trip and fall hazzard near the top of the stairs to the cafe'. Oddly, there were plenty of places already cutout for the outlets, but filled with plates. One of the cars must have been a more recent refurb. Or maybe the other was just pressed in to service more quickly. Either way, the SSL was nice.

-Les in MI.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Remember that the primary function of a SSL is not the windows alone, but its the café. Since the CONO and TE both run with CCCs which have a fully stocked café section there is no need to run an additional car to provide that service.

One can make the argument that the CL is in the same position-- and in general this is true. However the CL always has a second sleeper, a third coach, and is very well patronized, almost to the point where it runs at its operational capacity.

When diners come out of BG the CL will probably be the first to loose the CCCs (pending this mess with a daily TE through LAX).

 

[had8ley]

I was in FTW one time when the northbound 22 had to dump a bad ordered Sleeper (AC Trouble); so I imagine that really throws a monkey wrench into the formula.

Believe it or not Amtrak will refund your sleeper fare, throw you in coach (if you want to get where you are going) and provide a small voucher for future travel (if you scream loud enough) BUT will run the train the rest of the way without the sleeper unless, in very rare occasions there is an extra one laying around; e.g. another bad order that was repaired.

 

[saxman]

!!!Texas Eagle Consist Update!!!
Alright, I just got off a sold out Texas Eagle tonight in Austin coming from Dallas. Consist was Engine, Dorm, Sleeper, CCC, Coach, Coach, LAX Coach. I wasn't able to ask an agent today, but I did look at a load manifest of pax getting on in Dallas. All those booked in a sleeper were indeed booked as #421 in the 2130 car, even though some were getting off in AUS or SAS. No one getting on the train in Dallas was boarding the Trans Dorm, so I couldn't really verify if those in the Dorm were booked as #21, but I assume they were. In checking Amtrak.com, you can indeed book a sleeper on either 21 or 421. If you pick 21, you'll automatically be in the dorm car. I'll have to confirm this next time I get to see a manifest though.

Randy did a good job on figuring out how they maneuver those cars in SAS. I sat for about 10 minutes trying to figure it out, and it almost made my head spin and I gave up. I guess I had never thought about how things went down there. I need to take a trip to SAS soon and this time stay awake for the switching! ha.

I suppose northbound, the same thing happens. The full sleeper is only 422, and the dorm is 22. In fact riding to the Gathering I left Dallas on a Sunday which is a 422 day. But my ticket had 22 printed on it and I was in the Trans Dorm. Originally I was leaving on a Monday, a non 422 day, and I was ticketed on 22 in the full sleeper.

Well that settles it Chris, thanks for the info, also good input from the others! Have they taken the Sightseer off again or is that just one of those days?

You tend to wonder this time of year as the trains get shorter, wonder where they keep the spares, in CHI?

There was a lounge car last night. I just forgot to list it. Woops!

 

[Drew Mitchem]

The Eagle goes by my place (South of St. Louis) every day with usually the same consist. Usually 1 P42, Trans-Dorm, Sleeper, Cross Country Diner/Lounge(37000 series), Sightseer Lounge, Coach Baggage and 2 Coaches. Occasionally there is 4 coaches total, and occasionally the Trans-Dorm is subsituted with another Sleeper. I have seen a couple of occasions where there was an actual Diner (38000 series) on the train in place of the 37000 series Diner, and 1 time I saw a 38000 series diner followed by a 37000 series Diner(CCL) in place of the Sightseer Lounge.

If 21 is on time, it goes by my place at approx 915pm, and if 22 is on time, it goes by my place at approx 500am.

Drew Mitchem

CPD 043 UP De Soto Sub (South end of the siding of De Soto)

De Soto,MO

 

[amtrak34east]

Amtrak 21 of November 26 by the house on time at 2115 (915pm). Amtrak P42 #185 leading the usual consist of: Transitional Dorm, Sleeper, Cross Country Lounge/Diner(37000 series), Sightseer Lounge, Coach Baggage, Coach, Coach.

He gave up his warrant between Iron Mountain Jct and Barracks at 2041(841pm) to UP DS 31 (De Soto Sub) initials BDE.