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.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!
My guess it's a train carrying a cargo of rocks. Like a coal train carries a cargo of coal.Oh what is a rock train?
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!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?
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?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.
Yesterdays #21/#421Just left Taylor ONLY 14 Hours Down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #1 Shown as still Waiting in SAS!!!!What is Amtrak thinking? Its still heading to for San Antonio, expecting an 8Am arrival headng SOUTH! They held the Sunset that got to San Antonio ONE HOUR EARLY!!!
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