Texas Eagle Information

[johnniej]

Some Help Please!

I am planning on taking a round trip from PGH to SAS in December. I am going to purchase a roomette from CHI to SAS and from SAS to CHI. I see that I will be arriving in SAS at 10:35 pm and then returning the next morning at 7:00 am. Will I have to detrain in SAS or will I be allowed to stay in the roomette the night until the next morning when I return back to CHI?

I know this is possible when you are going on through on the Sunset Limited.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[George Harris]

I am certain that you would not be allowed to stay in the car. First, it might not even be the same one going back to Chicago. Second, it will need to be cleaned and serviced between trips. Third, why go all the was to San Antonio just to turn around and go back? There are very interesting things to see and do in San Antonio.

If you really want to do this little trick and stay in the sleeper overnight, then get yourself two one way tickets that somehow remain unacquainted with each other. For you outbound, get a ticket to Del Rio on 421 which would put you in the through sleeper to Los Angeles. Be sure to wake up and get off before the Sunset pulls out of San Antonio, scheduled 5:40 am. Then you will have a little over an hour to hang around in the station before the northbound Texas Eagle leaves. Can this really be done? I don't know.

 

[AMTK@AUS]

I have done the overnight turnaround in SAS before. I live in Austin and one day decided to ride the ~60 miles down and return the next morning. There is no way the crew will let you stay in a sleeper if it is just booked to San Antonio. Upon arrival into SAS, train 21 will be vacated, cleaned and made ready for 22's departure the next morning.

George's idea sounds like it would work, however. I am not 100% on the timing of the switch maneuver to place 421 onto train 1, but presume you would want to exit your room before this takes place. Another member may have more info on this.

I am thinking with the Eagle's OTP lately, there is a chance you may not arrive unitl the wee hours of the morning anyway. An alternative would be to get a room at the Best Western next to Sunset Station (I think they have a half-night rate) or do what I did and sit in the station and keep yourself occupied (the station agent was pretty puzzled). There is a Denny's across the highway, but not much else to do overnight besides hit the club scene.

 

[rtabern]

My experience has been what others have said.

Once you arrive on #21 into San Antonio.... everyone has to get off the train... UNLESS it's one of the days of the week that it's operating as #21/421... in which case the passengers in the "thru" coach and "thru" sleeper can stay in their rooms or in their seat for the whole night. BUT, those two cars are pulled off from the main train not too long after arriving in San Antonio.

I did this in January 2007.

We arrived in San Antonio on #21 on-time around 10:30PM. (I was on the thru #421 sleeper) Me and these 2 people who I made friends with en-route decided to get off the train and explore around the city a little. We took the short cab ride into the city to see the Alamo, do the riverwalk, and have a midnight dessert at the Hard Rock Cafe.

We got back to the station around 1:30AM and were allowed back on the sleeper... however... it was in a different spot on the train set.

But yes, if you want to stay on the train, you would have to book a sleeper on #421 to Del Rio, but then get off the train before it pulled away as the Sunset.

I wouldn't see why that wouldn't work.

Or stick with your tickets that you have now and just get a hotel room in SAS. They have a couple that are just a $5 cab ride away.