Transfers from TX Eagle to Sunset Ltd?

[sonny]

Hello -

This will be my first big trip on Amtrak that does not involve just the TX Eagle. We are travelling from DAL to ORL, and were curious if there was a transfer between the two trains going Westbound, or if that was simply for the Eastbound passengers (I've read reports on here from folks going CHI to L.A. that did not have to transfer trains)?

Any help you all can provide would be appreciated. Also, if we do have to get off in SAS, is there anything nearby for food/whatnot that would be open at those hours? How's the station that late at night?

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

If I am understanding your question correctly, you will be arriving SA about midnight, leaving the next morning about 6 a.m. for Orlando. In that case no there is no through service. The through service is for going the other way, Chi to LA.

I have had a long station stop at SA once and it seemed to me like the station was pretty much on the edge of town. I suspect you can find a hotel/motel quite nearby. You will need one unless you want to sit up in the station all night, assuming it is open. I think your main concern should be for sleep, not food, though I think there are vending machines in the station.

If the train(the w.b. Sunset) had been on time when I rode it, I would definately have strolled away from the station and investigated the city more. As it was, it was extremely late and I did not dare venture away, since it could have left at any time.

 

[Superliner Diner]

Back in 1998 I intended to do the same thing -- that is, take #21 south from Dallas to San Antonio, and then #2 from San Antonio to Florida (Jacksonville). Before I got on Train #21 at Dallas, I was told that #2 was extremely late. We ended up coming into San Antonio almost 4 hours late, which would have been just in time for the connection had #2 been on time. Since the latter was now running ten hours late, they sent us by bus all the way across Texas and Louisiana, and then a make-up #2 left New Orleans for Florida on time (using the equipment that had come from the City of New Orleans #59).

The bottom line here is that either one of those trains can be late, possibly very late. I wish you well, and you should know that they can and do run on time. Personally, I would not invest in a hotel for under 6 hours, since you have such a long trip ahead of you where you can catch up on your sleep. But then, should the second train (#2) be very late, you might just get a decent 8-9 hours of sleep before heading back to the station.

Keep in mind too that while I definitely advocate taking the train over connecting buses when I have the choice, the way Amtrak would like you to make this trip is a little different. They run a Thruway bus from Dallas Union Station to the station in Houston, and they intend for you to make the connection there rather than San Antonio. Besides not wishing to ride this bus, I rejected the idea because its calling time in Dallas is not too friendly, a 3:20 AM departure.

 

[battalion51]

SD does have a point on that front. One suggestion is for you to drive to Houston the day before, stay overnight in Houston and then you can stay in the hotel until the Sunnyset gets close. That's just my advice though.

 

[RandyJay]

Regarding the station and surrounding area at SAS - unfortunately there isn't much close by. The station is on the east fringe of downtown, separated by a major highway and apart from all of the attractions. There is a Best Western hotel about a block north and another block west of the station on Commerce Street, and a 24 hour Denny's another block west of there. That's about your only food and lodging option in the early a.m. without a cab ride. The area is pretty well lit and OK for walking as long as you don't venture east of the station - which would be across the tracks. The station itself is only a small "Amshack" with snack and soft drink machines, restrooms, and a few wood benches. As mentioned above, I suppose the status of #2 would determine whether to opt for the hotel. This is not by any means in the prime "tourist" area of the city, so getting a room without a prior reservation would likely not be a problem.

 

[Amtrak Watcher]

I've made this trip several times. The Best Western hotel close to the station is the "BW Sunset Suites - Riverwalk" (210-223-4400). It is a 15-minute walk to the riverwalk and a very nice hotel. There are three or four nice restaurants (lunch and dinner only) within a block of the hotel, and the hotel has a full hot breakfast for free.

You may want to consider taking the Texas Eagle to san Antonio a day early, take in the riverwalk (and other things) the day after you arrive in SAS, and then get on the eastbound Sunset Limited the following morning; the Sunset Limited does not run every day as the Texas Eagel does.

 

[Amtrak Watcher]

I frequently take the Texas Eagle south to San Antonio, and then transfer the next morning at 06:00 going east on business trips. I’ve found that the Texas Eagle is usually on time arriving in San Antonio from the north. I do not do well after sleeping on Amshack floors. Therefore, I check into the Best Western close to the San Antonio train station (see my earlier posting) on a reservation, and then check out of the hotel at 05:30 in plenty of time to get on the Sunset Limited. The Texas Eagle from the north blocks Commerce Street (where the hotel is) on its arrival into San Antonio. Just exit the train, and head toward the locomotives. Somebody will be fuelling the locomotives as they block Commerce Street. Just walk toward downtown from the locomotives two short blocks to the hotel; it is a three-minute walk at most.

 

[railman]

The better schedule for Dallas to Orlando is the Thruway service DAL-HOU with only a 2+ hour layover to connect to train #2 HOU-ORL. I realize that the bus ride is not conducive to "railfanning" but I'd rather not have to sit up all night in San Antonio or pay for a hotel room that is unneeded.