Train 21 of 6/28/13

[dart330]

Train came to a stop 5 miles West of Taylor, TX around 6:30pm. The motor died while we were going 60mph, turns over but won't catch. Sounds like a freight is going to push us back into Taylor and they are going to bus everyone. Not sure how this will play out for those of us in 421 heading towards LAX as train 1 is completely sold out.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Train came to a stop 5 miles West of Taylor, TX around 6:30pm. The motor died while we were going 60mph, turns over but won't catch. Sounds like a freight is going to push us back into Taylor and they are going to bus everyone. Not sure how this will play out for those of us in 421 heading towards LAX as train 1 is completely sold out.

Perfect example of why the Eagle needs Two Engines! Good thing it wasn't between LRK and STL in the Middle of the Night in the Wild hills!Please keep us Posted! You probably know that the Heat is Brutal down here and across the Dessert! I would think that UP might pull the Eagle Train set to SAS and the Cutout #421 Sleeper and Coach will be Switched to #1 as Normal! There is enough Padding in the Schedule between AUS and SAS for this to be possible! Good Luck!

 

[dart330]

That is my hope as well, we are heading to CA for a two week vacation. No sleeper to LA would be a pretty rough start.

There are several groups on board heading to SAS and they are getting a little unruly as the conductor announcements aren't working in the 421 cars. So far they passed out bottled water to all the coach passengers and opened the windows on the lower level of each car. A mechanic is currently looking at the engine and a freight is on it's way from the North to tow us back to the station.

 

[Bob Dylan]

That is my hope as well, we are heading to CA for a two week vacation. No sleeper to LA would be a pretty rough start.
There are several groups on board heading to SAS and they are getting a little unruly as the conductor announcements aren't working in the 421 cars. So far they passed out bottled water to all the coach passengers and opened the windows on the lower level of each car. A mechanic is currently looking at the engine and a freight is on it's way from the North to tow us back to the station.

Did ya'll get to eat yet? Usually Last call is @ Austin for the Diner? And if you make it into the Taylor "Station" maybe thyll let you havw a Stretch/Frsh Air Break whil waiting on the Buses! There are Vending Machines and Restrooms inside the UP Building (old MP Station) and it has AC! (The Amtrak "Station" is Two Picnic Tables under a Shed!) The Conductors on this Route are Usually Pretty Good as are the Austin Agents so hopefully y'all will be on #1 in your Sleeper in SAS Rolling out for LAX in the Wee Hours Right on Time!!

Please keep us Posted and Good Luck!

 

[dart330]

The conductor just ordered 6 cases of water and 6 bags of ice. Completely exhausted the revenue water and running low on potable. Asked the dispatcher if we should make a run for Austin under freight power with no HEP. Currently 102° outside.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I imagine Amtrak is working closely with Omaha to get a "slot" so your train can be rolled on into SAS with time to spare. Be sure to hunt down the Pizza Guy on the platform at SAS if you are still hungry. Last time he had nice large Pizzas for $5! Do you have a Scanner-this is the time when they are worth their weight in gold.

 

[dart330]

The power went out while we were waiting for dinner. My wife and I were the last ones to receive our entrees. Actually one of the better steaks I have ever had on the train.

Conductor announced that paramedics are here and will be walking the entire train seeing if anyone needs assistance. Perhaps that is a sign we will be going to Austin.

I never take my scanner with us, have had it for years. This time I said what the heck and threw it in my bag. Glad I put fresh batteries in it!

 

[Bob Dylan]

The conductor just ordered 6 cases of water and 6 bags of ice. Completely exhausted the revenue water and running low on potable. Asked the dispatcher if we should make a run for Austin under freight power with no HEP. Currently 102° outside.

That may not be a bad idea! It will be Much easier to handle the throngs in Austin where there is an Agent and Larger Platform with an Actual Station! And the trip down I35 to SAS from Austin isnt too bad this time of Evening on the Weekend! (The Traffic on 79 between Taylor and Round Rock is a Mess!!) The pizza is a good idea and If you get to SAS on time Dennys might not be so bad either!

 

[Bob Dylan]

The power went out while we were waiting for dinner. My wife and I were the last ones to receive our entrees. Actually one of the better steaks I have ever had on the train.
Conductor announced that paramedics are here and will be walking the entire train seeing if anyone needs assistance. Perhaps that is a sign we will be going to Austin.

I never take my scanner with us, have had it for years. This time I said what the heck and threw it in my bag. Glad I put fresh batteries in it!

Excellent! Sounds like they're getting it together! The Conductors sound like Good ones! Do you Have their Names??

 

[dart330]

I didn't catch any names. Dispatcher said they are pushing us back to Taylor. Diner crew just handed out all the leftover ice cream and sorbet (both are not as good as the old ones).

 

[dart330]

While waiting for the freight from Round Rock to go through all the red signals and get ready to couple up they got the engine started and idling. Hopefully they will go ahead and have the freight tow us all the way in since the AC is running again.

One teenage girl had to be taken off onto an ambulance due to heat exhaustion. The Taylor fire department has been handing out cold water and walking the train to provide assistance as needed.

And the busses are here....

 

[Bob Dylan]

While waiting for the freight from Round Rock to go through all the red signals and get ready to couple up they got the engine started and idling. Hopefully they will go ahead and have the freight tow us all the way in since the AC is running again.
One teenage girl had to be taken off onto an ambulance due to heat exhaustion. The Taylor fire department has been handing out cold water and walking the train to provide assistance as needed.

And the busses are here....

Sounds like yall will make it to SAS in time to grab a Pizza or hit Dennys! it will still be Hot! when you arrive in SAS! Hopefully UP will get the train set to SAS fairly Quickly and ya'll can board before #1 Rolls in from SAS! I just checked IH 35 and the traffic is Heavy in Both Directions but Moving! Sounds like a Voucher might be in ya'lls future from CR!! Volunteer FDs do a Great Job everywhere! :hi: Ben Franklin called them: "America's Heroes!"

 

[dart330]

Well we are rolling once again after 3.5 hours. Picking up a freight in Snead(sp?, I couldn't find it on google maps) for a protect to take us into SAS.

There were 9 school buses, 3 fire trucks, several law enforcement vehicles and a ton of people who came to help waving as we left. Everyone is very glad we didn't have to be bussed.

I believe the conductors names are John and JJ. They are passing out stew to the coach passengers.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Well we are rolling once again after 3.5 hours. Picking up a freight in Snead(sp?, I couldn't find it on google maps) for a protect to take us into SAS.
There were 9 school buses, 3 fire trucks, several law enforcement vehicles and a ton of people who came to help waving as we left. Everyone is very glad we didn't have to be bussed.

I believe the conductors names are John and JJ. They are passing out stew to the coach passengers.

Great News! Sneed is a Siding between Taylor and Austin, the Eagles hold there often when UP is running Lots of Freights! And JJ and John are a Couple of Good Guys! Look forward to Updates as ya'll continue your Western Adventure! #1 is on time out of Houston, should be Early into SAS!

 

[The Chief]

Well we are rolling once again after 3.5 hours. Picking up a freight in Snead(sp?, I couldn't find it on google maps) for a protect to take us into SAS.
There were 9 school buses, 3 fire trucks, several law enforcement vehicles and a ton of people who came to help waving as we left. Everyone is very glad we didn't have to be bussed.

Nathan, hope you make your BR connect to LA. You did a Great Job on reporting this incident. Temps are "cooling" down next week here. You had more facts than the Austin American-Statesman report

"It was an uncomfortable stop for 244 Amtrak train passengers in Hutto on Saturday evening."

 

[dart330]

Thanks for link, will send that to my friends, they will get a laugh out of that.

We "went into the hole" at Round Rock until 11:40 waiting for two freights to pass. Then again on the South side of Austin and just north of San Marcos which is why we didn't get in until after 4AM. They had some switching issues in SAS and there was a lot of commotion between 4 & 5am. They also reversed the direction of the sleeper which I thought was strange.

Hopefully we will make up some time with the padding, but I wouldn't mind getting into LA late as long as we catch the CS.

 

[zepherdude]

These are great comments on how Amtrak made a hard issue, good. Really liked the part where the EMS guys were helping out.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Well we are rolling once again after 3.5 hours. Picking up a freight in Snead(sp?, I couldn't find it on google maps) for a protect to take us into SAS.
There were 9 school buses, 3 fire trucks, several law enforcement vehicles and a ton of people who came to help waving as we left. Everyone is very glad we didn't have to be bussed.

Nathan, hope you make your BR connect to LA. You did a Great Job on reporting this incident. Temps are "cooling" down next week here. You had more facts than the Austin American-Statesman report

"It was an uncomfortable stop for 244 Amtrak train passengers in Hutto on Saturday evening."

We call the Local Rag "The Real Estatesman" because it hustles Real Estate instead of doing News! The TV Stations did a better job of Reporting the story but used Stock footage of the Eagle arriving into AUS by showing it pulling in in the Daylight with Only an Amtrak Engine on the Point!

I saw that #1 left SAS 2+ Hours down which will be mostly Made up by the time it gets to LAX since theres not much between sAS and LAX except Sand and Immigration Officers! <_< Getting into lAX @ 4:30AM is Not Fun, Phillipes doesnt open until 6AM and Big Bucks Coffee isnt an Alternative! Props to all the People involved in this Incident, as I said the Conductors are especially Good! It Rained this Morning and is Cooling off into the 90s Today so perhaps the Trip across the Desert will be a little more Tolerable!

 

[Melinda]

I'm a bit curious, as I was driving past this, and it didn't appear that a train had lost power. All the lights were on, and there were scores of police, fire trucks, and buses to block view, which in my experience was because something gruesome has occurred. And, at close to 10pm, there was no pushing back into Taylor, it was still sitting just on the outskirts.

 

[dart330]

All the lights were on battery power until they got the engine running again around 9:15. So at 10 we had full power and AC going.

We can't say much about the attendant Ernesto (been with Amtrak 4 years), this is the 2nd time we had him on the TE. He did no cleaning or restocking of the bathrooms.

Lisa, who got on in SAS was pretty pissed how dirty the car was. She has been cleaning since she got on. Probably the most by the book SCA I have ever seen. Only complaint so far from people is she moved the ice into her room and no morning papers.

The dining car is still serving breakfast from the waiting list that began at 8am, they are really on top of things. Large group of scouts getting off in Alpine that should reduce the dining demand. Hopefully smooth rolling from here on out.

 

[Melinda]

Glad to hear it wasn't anything tragic and everyone got on their way!

 

[guest in the west]

Speaking of switching issue in SAS, can someone here, perhaps Mr. Hudson, explain why the Texas Eagle backs out of the San Antonio station about 5 miles or so, and then starts the other way toward Austin and Ft. Worth-Dallas?

 

[greatcats]

I had Ernestonorthbound last fall. He was not exactly a ball of fire and received my minimal tip of $5. Glad you are underway to LA.

 

[greatcats]

Others can explain it better, but the Approach to SAS is complicated due to trackage arrangements and deletions over the years. I recall backing out of San Antonio as you say, and expecting to be switched to the left, but when we pulled forward we were switched to the right to go north. I have heard there ae a couple of ways to do this.

 

[TinCan782]

Speaking of switching issue in SAS, can someone here, perhaps Mr. Hudson, explain why the Texas Eagle backs out of the San Antonio station about 5 miles or so, and then starts the other way toward Austin and Ft. Worth-Dallas?

Don't think its 5 miles but, #22 backs out of SAS so it may pull forward on Austin Sub Main #2 to go north. On the return, #22 arrives via Austin Sub Main #1 (head end first). That is how 21/22 is "turned" in San Antonio. The Sunset Limited #2 arrives from the Del Rio Sub and pulls into the station the same as #21. Austin Sub #1 and #2 are not particularly close to each other until they merge into a single main north of New Braunfels at Centex. Maps would behelpful to get an idea of whats going on around San Antonio, especially the area just south of the station.