Which 2 cars get decoupled from Eagle and added to Sunset Lmtd?

[iliketrains]

On train #421 the southbound Texas Eagle, is it always the last two cars (a sleeper and a coach) that are decoupled and added to the end of the Sunset Limited in San Antonio? In other words, if you board before San Antonio and traveling west of San Antonio, you will be seated in the last two cars of the Texas Eagle and still will be in the last two cars when your car is joined with the Sunset Limited?

 

[bratkinson]

Departing Chicago, the order of the train, from front to back has been (whenever I've ridden it 2-3 times in the last 4-5 years) is:
Train #21 - San Antonio - baggage (maybe), trans dorm, 1-2 sleepers, diner, lounge, 2-3 coaches. Maybe only 1 sleeper + 2 coaches. My memory is slipping these days.
Train #421 - Los Angeles - 1 coach, 1 sleeper
Train #321 - St Louis - 1 coach, dropped at St Louis.

Of note is that this past April, arriving from LAX in the #422 sleeper, we were switched in directly behind the trans dorm at SAS and there was NO regular #22 sleeper other than the trans dorm on that train! Perhaps that's the way they run it in non-peak travel periods. There wasn't a baggage car on the train either. I think it was the first coach that was actually a bag/coach.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Yes, unless your just that lucky and something weird happens.

Also Amtrak has in the past run a Superliner Coach between St Louis and Chicago. So if this were to occur you may have a car behind you.

 

[iliketrains]

Ok thanks!!

One more question:. I was watching YouTube videos of the southbound Texas Eagle. After the train was past St. Louis, it appeared the last coach (the one that is added to the Sunset Limited was jam packed compared to the other coaches. Once the last coach is added to the Sunset Limited, if the coaches further to the front are less crowded can you move to the less crowded cars? I'm thinking this might not be permitted because the seats in up-front cars might be all accounted for at some point.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

You can ask but it’s unlikely. Loading of passenger into a certain coach is for easy unloading further down the line. Conductor needs to find the people and open a door nearby at there stop.
The Conductor will keep people bunch up based on where and when they get unloaded. No need to disturb all the passengers if you limited the passenger get off and on at night to a single coach.

Never hurts to ask the staff, just don’t expect it. That group of Boyscouts get on the train at 2am need space somewhere.