I’m traveling to Texas today from LV via thruway bus & Texas Eagle

[iliketrains]

We have reached Temple,TX and I will be signing off. This has been a great Thanksgiving vacation for me. I love riding Amtrak. I can honestly say that all Amtrak employees were pleasant and helped make my trip fun and enjoyable. Also all people I met on this trip were pleasant. I was apprehensive about riding the thruway bus from Las Vegas to Las Angeles because it was Greyhound and not an Amtrak bus. Please read the beginning of this thread and you will see I had nothing to be apprehensive about. The bus ride was fantastic.

I decided to document my trip in a thread not only to allow others to ride along but at the same time I created a lasting memory of my trip as long as this forum exists.

If anyone has any questions about this trip or route please don’t hesitate to ask.

Here is a pic of the world famous BaylorScottWhite Medical Center in Tempe, TX as we slowly move toward the Temple, TX Sante Fe train station.

 

[iliketrains]

Oh wow I have never seen a crowd boarding in Temple. The attendant commented to me that the train is overcrowded. I had to grab a pic of this. The first pic is after most of the people had boarded and the remaining were waiting.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Big lesson learned. Get on the train when you are asked to. Not one but several passengers were left at LA because they left train for something. The attendant said he hopes they can catch up to the train at one of the next two stops. That is very sad.

Did the train leave before the published departure time? If not it's hard to blame Amtrak, unless they blocked passengers from entering the platform area, which I don't think happens at LAUS.

At least there's a shed! Sanderson,Texas has nothing but a Gravel platform since they tore down the old Station.

At first I was confused why Amtrak would give Sanderson full stop status after that. If anything I thought they might simply remove the stop altogether. But I guess the primary benefit for Amtrak and Union Pacific is that it gives the dispatcher a known time and location where they can schedule a cross traffic meet.

Pics from El Paso,TX. The fence is actually the US-Mexico border. You are looking toward Juarez, Mexico. My phone thinks I’m in Mexico. I received a message welcoming me to Mexico and informing me that my international calling benefits are active. LOL

The fence is not the border. The middle of the riverbed is the actual border. The fence merely divides reason from insanity.

 

[pennyk]

Thanks for an entertaining and informative trip report. I am glad that you had many positive experiences.

 

[user 6862]

The fence merely divides reason from insanity.

Which side is which?

 

[W6ORZ]

Thanks for posting your adventure. It was interesting and enjoyable!

 

[F900ElCapitan]

Thanks for posting all the details of your trip!! I’ll be on the TE from DAL-LAX and then the CS from LAX-SLO in early June. I’m really looking forward to experiencing the switching in SAT.

To add a bit of information, ideally the sleeper is moved to the front to accommodate ADDING coaches at STL. But, if the SL is running late, then yes, the sleeper is left on the rear of the TE and the switching in STL is adjusted.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Thank you for such a terrific report! I will be on the Texas Eagle for the first time ever this fall (on my way to the Gathering) and really appreciate the photos of what I will be seeing.

The lounge at LAX looks lovely, and the attendant sounds wonderful--even in the nicest lounges I've been in (PHL and BOS), I have never had the attendant show me around.

I especially like that you obviously were enthusiastic and enjoyed the whole trip and had a great attitude! (Parts of Amtrak travel have made some of us a bit pessimistic, and it's great to see an optimist again).