Texas Eagle ~ a puzzle

[20th Century Rider]

The TE is sounding more and more interesting by the day, got to try it.

I think that after this discussion talk we aught to get a big group of AU'rs to have a ruckus gathering on the TE between LAX and CHI... wouldn't that be a hoot! But not before they fix the food!

 

[flitcraft]

That said, the Texas Eagle will always hold a sentimental place in my history. ... TE sleeper and the hi-level lounge were even shot at once passing through St. Louis, leaving several bullet holes in the upper glass of the lounge.

Surely this item is misrouted and belongs in the "worst experience on a passenger train" thread?

 

[20th Century Rider]

Sooo... you can get that bedroom on the Texas Eagle for the 7 hour jaunt from STL to CHI for only $167... includes a cardboard breakfast with a slimy hot sausage sandwich with cold cereal and a small 7 oz flex meal for lunch.

How clean is your room if party just vacated it in St. Louis?
Why are you traveling during the dangerous post holiday covid spread?
What else could you do with $167?
The food review ... same as a roomette which is $109 [price varies]

 

[Willbridge]

I thank that’s all the reason you need to take the TE.

We’ve enjoyed both, but for us the current food offerings make 3 days of the same sound like cruel and unusual punishment. We also enjoy on the SWC the desolate and dramatic scenery of the high plains after the climb up Raton pass. If you do take the SWC, you might consider breaking the trip here- La Castaneda or the one in Winslow restored by the same owners (and a lot more trains to see)- La Posada.

I enjoy the high desert stretch between Las Vegas and Raton in the winter late afternoon. The antelope are usually on the move. I've never caught them on camera but there are plenty of other photo-worthy scenes. On my one trip on the Texas Eagle I did find the sunsets to be attractive. Here are some post-Thanksgiving scenes on the Southwest Chief -- sometimes hard to get because the train is really moving.

The last picture is something good to see at Raton at the end of a long journey.

 

[v v]

I think that after this discussion talk we aught to get a big group of AU'rs to have a ruckus gathering on the TE between LAX and CHI... wouldn't that be a hoot! But not before they fix the food!


View attachment 20127

Think you have an idea there... after the vaccine roll out

 

[v v]

Surely this item is misrouted and belongs in the "worst experience on a passenger train" thread?

Oh don't be a spoil-sport, could be a new trend in getting more out of your trip. No 'staged' shoot up of a train, a real one. It could start a new trend, 'exciting rail journeys'

 

[v v]

I enjoy the high desert stretch between Las Vegas and Raton in the winter late afternoon. The antelope are usually on the move. I've never caught them on camera but there are plenty of other photo-worthy scenes. On my one trip on the Texas Eagle I did find the sunsets to be attractive. Here are some post-Thanksgiving scenes on the Southwest Chief -- sometimes hard to get because the train is really moving.

The last picture is something good to see at Raton at the end of a long journey.

View attachment 20131

View attachment 20132View attachment 20133View attachment 20135

We too enjoy exactly the same and for reasons unknown have a soft spot for Raton and that area.

 

[jloewen]

After the Missouri Pacific Railroad, Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railway, and Southern Pacific Railroad were absorbed into the Union Pacific conglomerate several yards and interconnecting tracks were disconnected or removed entirely. As a result Amtrak now has to take a very slow and roundabout path to reach the last active station.


I've never taken the CONO myself, so I can't speak from any personal experience, but I believe it's the sister route of the Eagle (same trains) and it didn't sound any more interesting according to the reports I've read. Most of the CONO's character appears to be lost to time and consolidation but some folks still enjoy it.


Living between a smelting operation (now closed but still heavily polluted), a large oil refinery (Chevron/Texaco/Marathon), and a huge shanty town (Juarez) would be tough for me to stomach. Whenever I've had to visit El Paso for business or family matters I struggled to acclimate to the smell and never spent more than a single night before moving on or heading back. My best trip to El Paso was about two hours of business between flights.

I took the CONO maybe five years ago, after an unfortunate menu change (before the boxed meals tho). Namely, they had gone mostly to sandwiches, even tho it was a dining car! And they did not even have the sense to include a muffaletta! Nothing distinctive about the cuisine, and on a train named for the best foodie place in the US!

 

[Willbridge]

We too enjoy exactly the same and for reasons unknown have a soft spot for Raton and that area.

For quite a while I was a member of the Raton Arts league, so I could leave my baggage with them in the former Railway Express Agency while I went over to one of the restaurants. They make a serious effort at programming so it's worth a visit. On one long wait they opened up the backstage at the restored Shuler Theater so I could get a look at it.

 

[Lonestar648]

I always preferred the CHI/LAX on the TE route, but like the SWC for a change now and then.