What is going on Texas Eagle?

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Gingee

OBS Chief
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Nov 21, 2004
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I have checked the last couple days and the Texas Eagle has been running around three hours late. Due to take it next week and wondering what is going on.
 
The OTP Problems with the Eagles, when they Occur, usually are Due to Bad weather Between St. Louis and Little Rock! This is Basically a Wilderness in the Ozarks, and as Dave said, Subject to Ice, Signal Problems and Downed Trees when Storms Hit! The Other Major Source of Delays Generally Comes When they Leave Chicago and san Antonio Late and UP's Dispatchers Put the Eagle into the Hole for the Many,Many Freights that Run Between Texas and Chicago on the UP Lines!

Generally this only happens a Few days in the Winter! In the Spring and Summer the Problems on this Line are from Flooding North of Little Rock, the One Engine Breaking Down and UP Dispatchers Disrespecting Amtrak! You Didn't Say where you were Riding From and To but There is Padding in the Schedule from Dallas South and the Eagle Usually makes it to San Antonio Close to on Time or Even Early! Going North, if the Eagle is Late by Little Rock, It Usually Doesn't Make Up Much Time by Arrival into Chicago!!!

You should be OK unless Something Out of the Ordinary Happens, Kick Back and Leave the Holiday Driving to Amtrak and Happy Holidays! ;)
 
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On Thursday, a rock train laid down climbing the hill into Longview off of the DAllas sub. Blocked Palestine sub as well.
 
jimhudson said:
The OTP Problems with the Eagles, when they Occur, usually are Due to Bad weather Between St. Louis and Little Rock! This is Basically a Wilderness in the Ozarks, and as Dave said, Subject to Ice, Signal Problems and Downed Trees when Storms Hit! The Other Major Source of Delays Generally Comes When they Leave Chicago and san Antonio Late and UP's Dispatchers Put the Eagle into the Hole for the Many,Many Freights that Run Between Texas and Chicago on the UP Lines!

Generally this only happens a Few days in the Winter! In the Spring and Summer the Problems on this Line are from Flooding North of Little Rock, the One Engine Breaking Down and UP Dispatchers Disrespecting Amtrak! You Didn't Say where you were Riding From and To but There is Padding in the Schedule from Dallas South and the Eagle Usually makes it to San Antonio Close to on Time or Even Early! Going North, if the Eagle is Late by Little Rock, It Usually Doesn't Make Up Much Time by Arrival into Chicago!!!

You should be OK unless Something Out of the Ordinary Happens, Kick Back and Leave the Holiday Driving to Amtrak and Happy Holidays! ;)
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I agree with Jim. However, I have one nit to pick.....Why in the world does the Eagle sit in the station at SAS so long and the crew starts the boarding line so close to departure time? We have left there many times when they had the train ready to go sitting on the track at the station and waited until about 10 minutes before departure to load pax, and with that small of a window, any little hiccup can cause the train to leave late and be in the hole all the way to Ft. Worth. Once some people we met had a roomette that was out of commission and there was a hold up for about twenty minutes getting them sorted out, so we left 15 minutes late, and just got later all the way to Ft. Worth. Same thing happened once when a coach pax had problems with the ticket, train left late and we were always late.

Now, had they started boarding a bit earlier, there would have been time to work these problems out and still leave on time.

Just my two cents.
 
I had wondered the same thing. On my trip out of there, it was very much a "hurry up and wait" affair. It seemed rather pointless.

But, I will say that I encountered some of the greatest crew members on that route, both south and north. They more than made up for some of the hiccups.
 
Don't look now, but train 21 is stuck just north of Marshall, Texas and now running over 5 hours late. It left Texarkana only 31 minutes late.
 
Oh great on running late again. FYI We are first taking the train from Bloomington, IL to San Antonio and then few days back from San Antonio to Bloomington.

Oh what is a rock train?
 
Also, our train got cancelled this same time period last Christmas due to debrie on the track from a storm. Little apprehensive here.
 
Gingee said:
Oh great on running late again. FYI We are first taking the train from Bloomington, IL to San Antonio and then few days back from San Antonio to Bloomington.

Oh what is a rock train?
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A Rock Train is a Gravel Train with Hoppers, similar to a Coal Train as was Said! UP Runs LOTS of These on the Line from SAS-FTW as well as the Coal on the Coal Trains that he City of San Antonio Uses to Fuel it's Power Plants!

I Wouldn't Worry Too Much, Things Can Happen on Any Route but they are Rare Unlike the Current Mess on the Hi-Line! If the Weather is OK in the Ozarks, baring any Unusual Occurences, Ya'lls Trip Should Be Fine! Sit Back and Leave the Driving to Amtrak, it's Sunny and 70 Here Today! Happy Holidays!
 
RichardK said:
Don't look now, but train 21 is stuck just north of Marshall, Texas and now running over 5 hours late. It left Texarkana only 31 minutes late.
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Amtrak now giving "no status" on this train-which apparently has been stuck in the same spot all day (more than 9 hours now). Anyone know what happened?
 
Well, I always say about the delays on Amtrak that it's either a host-railroad glitch, or a renegade freight dog-hate-Amtrak thing*, or, someone at Amtrak has played an AmTrick** on a whole darn train-load of folks who are tired of yet one more obstacle on an increasingly goofy and delayed trip with food supplies running out in the middle of California, on a train that should have arrived in LAX from Chicago four hours ago!

*You know the renegade freight dog-hate-Amtrak thing, don't you? That's a conductor or engineer on a freight train passing an Amtrak train at night when everyone is sound asleep, blasting on the horn the whole time the engines are passing Amtrak going in the opposite direction. No Diss intended, I was a airline freight dog my whole career and we were mischievous too.

**Happily, I really haven't seen any AmTricks for many years and crews have seemingly become more aware and willing to update passengers on any issues that affect the schedule of the train. Classic AmTrick: Cali Zephyr, it's midnight, between Reno and SLC, middle of winter, 1AM... All 3 Amtrak F40PH's crap out at the snap of a finger. We get no info or heat in the

cars for several hours. !!!

I have been late on Amtrak several times and don't really care! I have seen beautiful scenery all over the USA, some very cool new road diesels, have met some nice people along the way.
 
Wow Now nine and half hours late getting in at sevenish in the morning. That's awful.
 
Are they busing pax from ftw to sat to catch the Sunset going to Cali? I have friends getting on in Temple headed for Phoenix.
 
13 hours down, I betting they call it a day at FTW and bus the rest. San Antonio has an extra coach and sleeper they can attach to the Sunset. Connecting pax off the Eagle may be bused from FTW to El Paso to catch the Sunset heading west.
 
What is Amtrak thinking? Its still heading to for San Antonio, expecting an Austin 8Am arrival headng SOUTH! They held the Sunset that got to San Antonio ONE HOUR EARLY!!!

22 will be four late leaving San Antonio after they turn it there. Have friends on that 21 heading west, they are in good spirits.

Feel for the Sunset pax that went to sleep an hour early into SAT and woke up wondering why they are still in San Antonio.
 
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