D
Daniel
Guest
At the Houston station, the parking lot has been repaved and the track closest to the station is being rehabbed. Could the station building itself be renovated as well?
Interesting, might have to check it out next time I'm in town as well. Strange how I haven't heard anything about the station renovations going on at all in the media anywhere.When I was there on Sunday they had made a lot of progress on rehabbing the track and fence posts were being installed in the parking lot. It looks like they are going to limit access to the tracks so you will have to go through the station and not be able to just walk right up. I have not been able to find any information online about what they are doing but would like to see the plans.
Sounds likely.Perhaps it is being done to keep bums away from the ticketed passengers and the trains.
And... MURDER.When I dropped by the station a couple months ago to check it out for the first time there was a large police presence outside. I overheard one of the Amtrak staff members telling one of the police they were glad they were there as they had been having trouble with vagrants. Perhaps it is being done to keep bums away from the ticketed passengers and the trains. San Antonio has had problems with homeless stealing luggage out of stopped trains.
I never saw it that way and always assumed the station was on some loop away from the main line, but looking at Google Earth I see it isn't.when Amtrak stops at the station for 30 minutes or more the main is blocked.
Yes we know that, but UP runs freights on both tracks. The other track is the former 'freight bypass' that was in use when the passenger main was actually a passenger main. But that hasn't been the case for the last 50 years. UP may use the two tracks directionally. I just don't know. I do know the main is double track west of the station with single track east of it. The freight by pass is single track. I have ridden the Sunset west several times. Once it came in behind a freight. I have been to the station many times and freights pass by there all the time. Usually west bound.IIRC there is another track that goes around where the station is... it's the overpass track just north of the I-10/I-45 merge before they split again.
The Houston station is on Terminal Sub Main 2. This was called Passenger Main until about ten years ago between Chaney Jct. and TWR 26. The other side is Main 1, it goes by Hardy Street Yard (gone now) and was called Frieght Main. Some old crews and dispatchers still know it as such. Double track extends from Dawes MP353 to Heacker Jct MP376 on the Terminal Sub. Just because two tracks aren't right next to each other doesn't mean it's not double track. The second track west of the depot is the Connecting Track, which is only between Depot Jct and Chaney Jct, it's not a main track.I do know the main is double track west of the station with single track east of it. The freight by pass is single track.
I'd guess the SL takes that route about 25-30 percent of the time. Probably has something to do with the freight yard just east of that backup move area.I just rode #2 through Houston on Tuesday 7/29. I don't know about what lines or tracks we were using but I do know we exited the station east bound and after traveling a couple miles or so, we stopped and then backed up quite a distance to switch to another track line. After this back up move, we then proceeded on a different track toward Beaumont. I don't know if this was normal or not.
I'd guess the SL takes that route about 25-30 percent of the time. Probably has something to do with the freight yard just east of that backup move area.I just rode #2 through Houston on Tuesday 7/29. I don't know about what lines or tracks we were using but I do know we exited the station east bound and after traveling a couple miles or so, we stopped and then backed up quite a distance to switch to another track line. After this back up move, we then proceeded on a different track toward Beaumont. I don't know if this was normal or not.
Except for locals, trackage right agreement trains, or when traffic is heavy. Beaumont Sub (former MOP) is 60 mph maximum whereas the SP side has 79 mph for passenger. 2 hour trip is the best time you can make eastbound Houston to BMT. 1 hour 27 min westbound. Of course slow orders and traffic will knock those times out.UP prefers to operate that section of track directionally for all trains
Yup, happened when I rode the SL Eastbound as well.I just rode #2 through Houston on Tuesday 7/29. I don't know about what lines or tracks we were using but I do know we exited the station east bound and after traveling a couple miles or so, we stopped and then backed up quite a distance to switch to another track line. After this back up move, we then proceeded on a different track toward Beaumont. I don't know if this was normal or not. By the way we were on time or ahead of time all the way to San Antonio from Los Angeles. After departing San Antonio we lost up to one and one half hours because of freight congestion between San Antonio an all the way to Lafayette, LA. Nevertheless, bacause of padding we arrived New Orleans at 10:15pm just over 30 minutes late.
Another observation. While Amtrak is busing the Texas Eagle sleeper and coach passengers from San Antonio to Fort Worth, they are apparently detaching the two cars and holding in San Antonio. I noticed they did not continue with us to New Orleans as someone had implied in an earlier forum post.
There used to be a connection, it was there at Tower 26, they took it out. The only way to access the HWB ( Houston West Belt ) from Main 2 requires a back up move to the wye connection at Maury Street or Carr Street. Once in a blue moon it will have to back all the way to Chaney Jct and then go east to Maury Street connection then north.Likewise, a wye connection could be built to eliminate the need for the backup move.
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