Cruising in Coach on the Texas Eagle! | San Antonio to Dallas | Part 2

[@billlaird7332]

Several years ago I took the Texas Eagle from San Marcos to Temple for a business meeting. Train was on time leaving San Marcos and arriving in Temple. I enjoyed the experience and I enhanced it by listening to the dispatcher and train crew on a handheld scanner that I brought along. After my meeting I spent a couple of hours exploring the Temple RR Museum located at the Temple Station. I keep checking on the southbound Eagle as it was my ride home and I planned on having dinner in the dining car. The southbound Eagle's arrival time in Temple keep getting later and later. At 5 PM the Amtrak agent closed the station and was forced to wait outside on the platform, the only passenger amenity was a single wooden bench. The southbound finally arrived several hours late, well after sunset and the dinning car was closed. I arrived home, hungry, about midnight.

[@RealGaryGibson]

The southbound train originates in Chicago. That long distance creates a whole lot of opportunities for delays, especially from freight trains en route which usually take priority.

[@billlaird7332]

@@RealGaryGibson Thanks Gary for your reply. I am well aware of Amtrak's long distance train delays. I took the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Los Angeles. It arrived 9 hours late, so no views of the coastline as it was shrouded in darkness. The point of my original post was to point out that if you have to be somewhere on time, don't count on Amtrak's long distance trains timetable. I love trains and have since I was a kid in the steam era. I ride trains whenever I get a chance, including Amtrak.

[@RealGaryGibson]

@@billlaird7332 Thanks Bill. I would love to ride the Coast Starlight someday. That would be a disaster for me if the same thing happened and the all the views were dark! Your point is well taken.

[@dennisyoung4631]

I want to get one of those scanners for when I next take the train! Took the Coast Starlight in May 2021, Portland to LA and back a week later.

[@texasgina]

I really enjoyed my train trip in 2018 from Ontario, CA to San Antonio. I loved going through Big Bend

[@LonestarTrips]

That sounds incredible! I’ve been considering taking the train from San Antonio out to LA and then up to Seattle, but haven’t gotten around to it. I’ll probably end up going for it sometime later this year or early next year. Anyways, glad you enjoyed the video!

[@ronclark9724]

@@LonestarTrips Don't miss Cactus Jack country... West Texas may not be a beautiful as the Colorado Rockies, the desert has its own charm...

[@AcelaRailan2150]

Awesome trip report I hope to ride the Texas Eagle this summer, I'm excited, looks like and awesome trip.

[@Dovietail]

The gem of the Temple station is the BUILDING. Too bad it's hidden behind the historic cars and engines!

[@Dovietail]

The Texas Eagle is so close to my heart. I spent 5 of the most important years of my childhood in Temple. In those days (late '60s) we used to go to the train station to pick up showdogs that had arrived by freight. They came in wooden crates with beds of hay. It was a different world. But I remember that station with such love, and those old trains were there in those days too.

[@WJSshanks-e6k]

Cleburne, TX was the southern Division Repair Location when ATSF ran the rails from 1930 - 1970.

[@stephenkeever6029]

Another good informative trip report. You prompted me to look up the Temple RR Museum and there are a lot of good images online of the displays.

[@dennisyoung4631]

Track work was the chief reason the southbound trip in 2021 was delayed. The train partly made it up, though.

[@samtrak1204]

Thank you and sorry about the delay. It's hard to make plans when riding Amtrak. Passengers have missed funerals, weddings and other important life events because of Amtrak's poor timekeeping. We love to blame freight dispatchers but there are also a lot of massive delays on NEC.

[@ronclark9724]

I recommend anyone traveling to plan to reach their destination a day early, if not two, especially using Amtrak. I have had flights cancelled, buses cancelled, and trains cancelled. Never mind delays. While you may not expect a delay or cancellation, be prepared and plan ahead...

[@jessicaburdell7779]

Pretty much any shared route Amtrak has, the NEC included, with that of NS and Conrail trackage rights, plus NJT, MARC and SEPTA, is more than expected to have at least some delay; overhead traffic or maintenance wise.

[@kevinm.8682]

Thanks for the video. I'm planning to take my family from Los Angeles to Ft. Worth this summer. I figured I'd have to go all the way to Dallas and rent a car because I was under the impression the station in Ft Worth was little more than a shack with no services, but this video makes it look more substantial. Would I be able to arrange a car rental from the Ft Worth station?

[@512undertaker]

it makes me wonder if they use the acela high speed rail here would it benefit more

[@LonestarTrips]

I think it certainly would, as it’s a lot of distance, so higher speeds would be extremely beneficial. Only issue is upgrading the track to suit those speeds, and electrifying it so the Acela can run there is a huge ask, especially of freight companies that are so bought into the diesel economy.

[@Backslasherton]

@@LonestarTrips Only way that could work is if Amtrak had their own right of way, in my opinion. The mainline on the east coast looks nothing like the tracks down here in Texas, and that's largely going to limit their operations.

[@bearlysure]

@@LonestarTrips At the best, electrification might be feasible for short sections of western U.S. passenger rail routes such as Houston to Dallas for high speed but not so feasible for longer portions such as the entire route from Chicago to San Antonio. Of course shorter sections between major cities would be the primary market for high speed. For the longer routes, most train travelers are not really travelling for speed but rather the experience, relaxation, and enjoyment of scenery.

[@LonestarTrips]

@@Backslasherton Very true. Unfortunately, I think it’s highly unlikely for Amtrak to build their own right of way, and seeing as the majority of railway in the US is freight, it would require a huge effort to build new track and new ROW.

[@LonestarTrips]

@@bearlysure I think electrification on corridor services, such as the Pacific Surfliner, Capitol Corridor, and San Joaquins would be extremely beneficial, and hopefully with CalTrain’s electrification, Amtrak may see the potential of electrifying their services on the west coast.

[@michaelruprich8610]

At the 3:37 mark are you wearing a Team Penske Porsche shirt?

[@LonestarTrips]

It’s just a regular Porsche Motorsport shirt, but good eye!

[@aimzytc3113]

Does the train get there on time?

[@LonestarTrips]

It all depends on the host railway. Some days it’ll be perfectly on time, even early, and others it’ll be many hours late.

[@grayparatrooper]

do they have wifi?

[@ronclark9724]

NO... The only Amtrak wifi I am aware of is spotty on the northeast corridor... Cell phone coverage is better in the east, but in the central and western US when the track vary from interstate highways its spotty... Best to upload some videos or movies for your tablet or smart phone... I have seen some KZbinrs attempt to use McDonalds wifi when they enter towns and cities, sometimes successfully...

[@jg90049]

The Amtrak Eagle uses a hodge-podge of rights of way. When it was a MoPac train, it originated in San Antonio, but ran over MKT tracks into Austin. MoPac right of way carried the train beyond Austin; it did not serve Dallas or Ft. Worth. From Austin, North, the train followed Katy right-of-way and today's Amtrak depot was the Katy depot in pre-Amtrak days. However, the Amtrak train seems to follow Santa Fe right-of-way between Temple and Ft. Worth. The Amtrak Ft. Worth depot either is or is adjacent to the former Santa Fe depot. Santa Fe was the only road that did not enroll in the Ft.Worth union depot (which would have made a far more impressive Amtrak depot than the one they have). I am curious about how Amtrak trains get from the Ft. Worth depot onto the east-west Dallas line. Santa Fe did not connect Dallas and Ft. Worth and for that reason, the Dallas section of the "Texas Chief" had to separate from the main train (Chicago - Galveston via Ft. Worth) at Denton. I don't know this for a fact, but I assume the Amtrak Eagle follows the old Santa Fe right-of-way into Chicago from Dallas.

[@ronclark9724]

The Texas Eagle east and north of Dallas uses the former Missouri Pacific route to St. Louis and then uses mostly the Canadian National route to Chicago. Presently the Texas Eagle uses the former Rock Island route, presently the TRE route east of Fort Worth to Dallas.

[@ronclark9724]

The Heartland Flyer uses the former Santa Fe tracks to OKC through Drum and Sanger bypassing Denton...

[@gregsells8549]

The Eagle runs on ex-Katy track between Taylor and Temple. MKT had a line into Austin which left from Granger north of Taylor (abandoned in the '70s), then proceeded to San Marcos over MP trackage rights. Between San Marcos and San Antonio, MP and Katy ran side-by-side. Today UP runs both tracks as the Austin Sub. The Austin depot was built in the 1940s by MP, replacing a station at Third and Congress catty-corner from the SP depot which Katy shared until they ended passenger service in 1964, with street running on Third. Before moving to the TRE line, the Eagle would back up at Tower 55 to use the ex-T&P to or from Dallas. The Santa Fe depot in Fort Worth (now an event hall) was used by Amtrak before Central Station was built, and it was once called Union Station as it was also used by Rock Island and SP. The T&P Station was used by Burlington/Fort Worth & Denver and MKT, and now is the terminus for TRE and TexRail.

[@d.j.savick]

Aw, I was watching just to see the Dallas station. Oh well, I'll try to find another video. Not your fault.

[@LonestarTrips]

If you want to see the Dallas station, then I recommend checking out my Trinity Railway Express (TRE) video! You should be able to see the full station in that one.

[@d.j.savick]

@@LonestarTrips I'll check it out, thank you :)

[@raritanbayrailfan2558]

Great video, with a beautiful view of the lone star state! The trip being cut short by the delay was unfortunate, but overall a great video. Btw, how did you get to the Heartland Flyer on time? Not to mention 13 days from my flight! I’ll leave the east coast for the first time ever!

[@LonestarTrips]

I’m glad you enjoyed! I made the Heartland Flyer by leaving the train in Fort Worth. The train departs at 5:45pm, and when I left the train it was right around three. With an hour of transit time to Dallas, plus an hour ride back on the TRE, I would’ve been cutting it VERY close.

[@raritanbayrailfan2558]

Good to hear you made it!

[@Aqua_108]

PENNSYLVANIA RAILWAYS IN INDIANAPOLIS GE MP54 + 6 OLD COACHES

[@LonestarTrips]

Ooh! Do you know who operates that? I'd love to go check it out sometime!

[@broyofroyo1207]

That was unfortunate, Amtrak is a nuisance, I had about an hour delay in Philadelphia once, next Amtrak video, do a full tour of the train please. What video is next after Atlanta/Dallas Planes Video. I love your Amtrak and NYC-Area content and Metro North(you had awesome videos on metro north)

[@ronclark9724]

As if you never had a bus, flight, or cruise delayed or cancelled... Most of Amtrak's fleet of rolling stock is over 40 years in age, some approaching 50 years in age. Fortunately new Siemens sprinter coaches are being introduced into the fleet to replace Amfleet I, Horizon, and Talgo rolling stock, but the Superliner, Viewliner, and Amfleet II fleet must soldier on with just a refurbishment... Amtrak is also introducing new electric locomotives and diesel locomotives replacing locomotives over twenty years in age. The good news is the refurbishment should be completed by the end of 2024...

[@broyofroyo1207]

@@ronclark9724 what referbishment should be done by the end of 2024, are you sure the airo cars are only replacing Amfleet Is? What new electric locomotives are Amtrak making?

[@RealGaryGibson]

Unbelievable that the next crew at Ft. Worth wasn't prepared on time! Such a lack of professionalism! The possible delay at Cleburne is such a weak excuse.

[@Caderic]

It's a government operation, what do you expect?

[@ronclark9724]

Amtrak crews have federal transportation laws to obey, with a union to boot... They can only work so many hours, have breaks, and are off duty a certain number of hours. If a train is very late arriving, that usually means the next train they crew may be delayed... It is what it is...

[@azrailroader]

*Top speed is technically 79 mph.

[@lix0347]

Tamaley

[@StudioSA15]

Go on sunrail

[@LonestarTrips]

My original plan was to ride on SunRail while I was in Florida, but when Amtrak cancelled the Silver Star up to Orlando, that plan went out the window. I’ll do my best to get back out to Florida sometime in the future to check it out.

[@StudioSA15]

@@LonestarTrips well can u eventually pls

[@StudioSA15]

@@LonestarTrips kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIOwk4WXpLqhndk

[@LonestarTrips]

@@StudioSA15 haha I’ll do my best! I’m going to try and get back out to Orlando for the launch of Brightline Orlando, and I’ll check out SunRail while I’m in the area.

[@StudioSA15]

@@LonestarTrips okie thx

[@Dovietail]

UNRELIABLE SCHEDULE: the single biggest holdback to Amtrak in the West. 😖

[@sandimichellecreates]

I love your vids but you pronounced the brazos river incorrectly ❤

[@billderby1527]

Or those stupid masks mandatory still?

[@ronclark9724]

No...

[@greeneggslamb9336]

I hate those things with a passion.