Texas Eagle Sightseer lounge discontinued

[Just-Thinking-51]

Do anyone think RPA cares about this issue? I have found little vaue to being a member in recent years. Well, maybe the 10% discount is a bit of an incentive.

Per the RPA interview with the LD VP

Chestler emphasized that these are temporary moves driven by equipment shortages that arose due to coronavirus contingencies. While there’s no target date for restoration, the intent is to restore these cars once it’s possible

So the selling of three repairs need superliner lounge cars had nothing to do with it? Got to maintain a 80% fleet available and when you sell three wreck cars you can justify pulling more cars off the road?

Yes, it’s a conspiracy theory statement, but use the pandemic as a excuse is growing old.

 

[joelkfla]

What does cage service mean in this context? I'm pretty sure it doesn't have anything to do with my Amazon parrot even though that's what Google told me.

I think it was a mistype of café.

 

[daybeers]

Ah, well look on the bright side. Whatever excuse they're making as CYA, they're committing the return of the Sightseer. In the indefinite, unspecified future.

Isn’t that what they said about Sunset Limited East?

 

[toddinde]

Please keep the pressure up. RPA has reported that Amtrak is saying the SSL on the Texas Eagle will be returned, but with no timeline. They also say the Texas Eagle won’t get the traditional dining, but the enhanced dining of the eastern trains which has yet to be developed. Take this info for what it’s worth. There is a scenario in Amtrak’s daily Sunset plan that would run the Texas Eagle daily from Chicago to LA with a daily connecting train from NOLA to San Antonio. The daily Sunset project is very much alive, and with pressure on Congress, we can get a daily Cardinal and Sunset. I think that would help the Eagle immensely. Now is the time to push for these things. We’ve got a good chance.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

I would just point out that for the last fifty years several attempts (admittedly some would say not serious, but as required by legislation) have been made to hand over select long distance trains to private enterprise and there have been no takers.

Plenty of interest just no takers. So many issues both of legal, equipment, liability that needs to be address first. It could be done just not how it has been addressed in the past.

 

[zephyr17]

What does cage service mean in this context? I'm pretty sure it doesn't have anything to do with my Amazon parrot even though that's what Google told me.

Damn spellcheck. Meant lounge service.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Please keep the pressure up. RPA has reported that Amtrak is saying the SSL on the Texas Eagle will be returned, but with no timeline. They also say the Texas Eagle won’t get the traditional dining, but the enhanced dining of the eastern trains which has yet to be developed. Take this info for what it’s worth. There is a scenario in Amtrak’s daily Sunset plan that would run the Texas Eagle daily from Chicago to LA with a daily connecting train from NOLA to San Antonio. The daily Sunset project is very much alive, and with pressure on Congress, we can get a daily Cardinal and Sunset. I think that would help the Eagle immensely. Now is the time to push for these things. We’ve got a good chance.

Oh please! Please! Bring back the SSC and full dining to the TE before my journey next October! But I'm thinking things could go the other way... they will cut something else. But, what's left to cut???

Oh - I got the railroad blues! Nobody understands that better than Woody Guthrie!

 

[Sidney]

On the TE now. Sure miss the SSL car. You can sit in the diner during your meal. If you want to linger,I'm pretty sure no one will bother you,unless all the tables are taken. There are two sleeper cars,roomettes are pretty full and several empty bedrooms,but this is before Dal and FTW. The flex menu is missing the shrimp in lobster sauce. I think this is the menu used on the Eastern trains,another indication full service dining may be history.

Still I am enjoying the trip,as I always do. Looking forward to the Sunset portion tomorrow when we will have a sightseer car.

 

[20th Century Rider]

On the TE now. Sure miss the SSL car. You can sit in the diner during your meal. If you want to linger,I'm pretty sure no one will bother you,unless all the tables are taken. There are two sleeper cars,roomettes are pretty full and several empty bedrooms,but this is before Dal and FTW. The flex menu is missing the shrimp in lobster sauce. I think this is the menu used on the Eastern trains,another indication full service dining may be history.

Still I am enjoying the trip,as I always do. Looking forward to the Sunset portion tomorrow when we will have a sightseer car.

The garlic and herb cod got decent reviews from blogger Jeb Brooks. Did they have that???

 

[jiml]

There is a scenario in Amtrak’s daily Sunset plan that would run the Texas Eagle daily from Chicago to LA with a daily connecting train from NOLA to San Antonio.

Yes, people have been advocating for exactly that for some time independent of these more recent events - including in previous AU threads. If it came to fruition the Eagle might get its lounge back at the expense of the New Orleans - San Antonio leg, which would not be a bad thing. A whole new discussion could probably be started on NOL-SAS... extension of the Crescent or CONO or a separate train? Part of new Gulf Coast service? Lots of possibilities.

 

[Sidney]

No. Like I said,I think is the flex menu for the Eastern trains which has a more limited menu. Why,I don't know. Just had the pasta and meatballs. Poor. The roll wasn't even warm. Hopefully things will be a bit better on the Sunset tomorrow. We have a nice layover in Fort Worth. There is a Subway close to the station. You would think after almost three years of flexible dining there would be some improvements.

 

[20th Century Rider]

No. Like I said,I think is the flex menu for the Eastern trains which has a more limited menu. Why,I don't know. Just had the pasta and meatballs. Poor. The roll wasn't even warm. Hopefully things will be a bit better on the Sunset tomorrow. We have a nice layover in Fort Worth. There is a Subway close to the station. You would think after almost three years of flexible dining there would be some improvements.

Improvements? Amtrak is known for it's consistent deterioration of service. It's always downhill and they haven't reached the bottom yet! BTW there's a 'Cindi's New York Deli right next to Subway. I've clipped on a PDF of the menu below. Not sure if you can access it on your device... but you may want to drop in there and check it out!

 

[20th Century Rider]

No. Like I said,I think is the flex menu for the Eastern trains which has a more limited menu. Why,I don't know. Just had the pasta and meatballs. Poor. The roll wasn't even warm. Hopefully things will be a bit better on the Sunset tomorrow. We have a nice layover in Fort Worth. There is a Subway close to the station. You would think after almost three years of flexible dining there would be some improvements.

Here's a map of the station area with restaurants nearby. The Texas Spice looks 'spicy' and 'pricy.'

 

[Sidney]

Improvements? Amtrak is known for it's consistent deterioration of service. It's always downhill and they haven't reached the bottom yet! BTW there's a 'Cindi's New York Deli right next to Subway. I've clipped on a PDF of the menu below. Not sure if you can access it on your device... but you may want to drop in there and check it out!

Thanks. I will check it out. We just left Dallas. Kind of sad when food is included in your fare and you have to go elsewhere and pay for it. Traditional dining can't return soon enough.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Thanks. I will check it out. We just left Dallas. Kind of sad when food is included in your fare and you have to go elsewhere and pay for it. Traditional dining can't return soon enough.

We all feel that way about Amtrak's food disaster... like... everyone at AU is upset with it so know you're not alone. Good luck with finding edible food and let us know how you're doing!

 

[Rasputin]

Just had the pasta and meatballs. Poor. The roll wasn't even warm.

I suppose, Sidney, that it just never occurred to you to place your roll in the sun for 5 or 10 minutes so it would warm up. Honestly some people expect Amtrak to do everything!

(P.S. Sidney, this is a sarcastic comment and I hope you have a nice trip.)

 

[Sidney]

We all feel that way about Amtrak's food disaster... like... everyone at AU is upset with it so know you're not alone. Good luck with finding edible food and let us know how you're doing!

Sadly,we lost a bit of time after Dallas and we were in FTW for 20 minutes,not enough time to head out. On the plus side,I have three little bottles of wine and a bag of popcorn to hold me until the next stellar meal. Those little bottles of wine cost $8. I bought a four pack for $7;at my local grocery last week.

 

[me_little_me]

“While temporary, we do not yet have a defined timeline for increasing Sightseer Lounge availability, and have placed the other five Western LD routes at a higher priority for deploying these popular cars,” Larry Chestler, the VP in charge of the Long-Distance business unit, told Rail Passengers’ CEO, Jim Mathews. “We also are maintaining the Sightseer Lounge on the City of New Orleans due to our long-standing axle count requirements in Illinois.”

Of course, Mr. Chester made that a public announcement at the time they planned to remove the SSL, didn't he? NOT! Sleazy executives try to hide things then open up only when people make a big stink.

They have no morals, no ethics, no customer interest, do they?

Hey, Mr. Chester! The stock in Amtrak and all your equipment and "good will" value are owned by the federal government, which means it is owned by the people of the United States and as stockholders, we are owed honesty and openness.
/S/ Marshall Dillon

 

[jis]

Here's a map of the station area with restaurants nearby. The Texas Spice looks 'spicy' and 'pricy.'
View attachment 22547

That is a map of Dallas Amtrak Station. Not of Fort Worth. I hope that is clear to all concerned.

BTW, I have had Breakfast at that NY Deli many times. It is quite good, and it is a short walk from the West End hotels where I usually stay, unless I have enough points to splurge at the Hyatt Regency across from the station.

 

[Cal]

Sadly,we lost a bit of time after Dallas and we were in FTW for 20 minutes,not enough time to head out. On the plus side,I have three little bottles of wine and a bag of popcorn to hold me until the next stellar meal. Those little bottles of wine cost $8. I bought a four pack for $7;at my local grocery last week.

I thought they always stayed at FTW 50 minutes. I was on a five hour late TE in late March and we stayed at FTW for 50 minutes....

Edit: Just checked, we stayed 30.

 

[ShiningTimeStL]

Well, my hunches turned out more or less correct it seems, hahaha. Lots of questions remaining, though. We have to continue praying that an infrastructure bill and/or reauthorization bill passes with "transformational" funding for new equipment that doesn't just get eaten up by corridor-vision. The prospect of a daily Sunset and Cardinal gives me lots of hope, but the dining situation really concerns me. I suppose we might expect this "enhanced dining" on the Coast Starlight at some point as well, as it's a one-night train.

 

[Sidney]

I thought they always stayed at FTW 50 minutes. I was on a five hour late TE in late March and we stayed at FTW for 50 minutes....

Edit: Just checked, we stayed 30.

Departure on the app was 20 minutes after we arrived. Didn't want to risk walking away from the platform

 

[jis]

Well, my hunches turned out more or less correct it seems, hahaha. Lots of questions remaining, though. We have to continue praying that an infrastructure bill and/or reauthorization bill passes with "transformational" funding for new equipment that doesn't just get eaten up by corridor-vision. The prospect of a daily Sunset and Cardinal gives me lots of hope, but the dining situation really concerns me. I suppose we might expect this "enhanced dining" on the Coast Starlight at some point as well, as it's a one-night train.

Reauthorization Bills don’t have any actual funding appropriation. They only have expressions of intent to appropriate, which they may or may not actually follow through on.

 

[Sidney]

My Westward journey continues on the TE. We got into SAS on time with an over five and a half hour layover,gave me plenty of time to explore Riverwalk and take one of those mini cruises.

Up at 5:30 and now "enjoying" a wonderful Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwich that makes an Egg McMuffin seem like a gourmet meal. So good to see the SSL car again. The flex menu has the cod and shrimp in lobster sauce. The Texas Eagle was using the Eastern menu which makes me think they are not going back to traditional dining.

Best time of day on a train..early in the morning and the whole day is ahead. SSL car visits and if on time a chance to walk in Alpine and El Paso and check out the Burrito lady. This is the only LD train I don't mind being late. That 5AM,even earlier arrival time into LA is tough.

 

[20th Century Rider]

That is a map od Dallas Amtrak Station. Not of Fort Worth. I hope that is clear to all concerned.

BTW, I have had Breakfast at that NY Deli many times. It is quite good, and it is a short walk from the West End hotels where I usually stay, unless I have enough points to splurge at the Hyatt Regency across from the station.

My mistake. But now I know that there is a Subway restaurant right at the FW station... and while their sandwiches have gone downhill recently, it's certainly vastly better than the disgusting flex puddle meals... and may try them out if 'edible dining' is permanently gone from the TE.



Additionally, here is some info on how long that Subway Sandwich will keep... the dryer the sandwich will last a little longer but one shouldn't risk getting sick on the train! Eat it right away!

https://www.stilltasty.com/articles/how-long-can-a-sandwich-be-left-out