Sunset Limited discussion

[Railspike]

I couldn't find anything about it but did the SL hit a vehicle stuck on the tracks near Vinton, LA yesterday afternoon?

 

[Cal]

I couldn't find anything about it but did the SL hit a vehicle stuck on the tracks near Vinton, LA yesterday afternoon?

I believe they disconnected the leading locomotive.

 

[ref5035]

I believe they disconnected the leading locomotive.

Just saw it pass my house 6.5 hours late into LA with a UP freight engine on the lead and 1 less passenger car than normal

 

[Railspike]

Last Saturday "Train Status" (Amtrak's website train #1) said there was going to be a long delay due to a vehicle incident at a crossing. Location was just outside Vinton, LA. I have not been able to find any mention of the accident.

 

[Railspike]

Need to confirm if dinner is served on #2 leaving LAX at 7PM
Thanks

 

[trimetbusfan]

Need to confirm if dinner is served on #2 leaving LAX at 7PM
Thanks

Yes, only when the departure is 7pm.

 

[hmy1]

As of 8:50 pm PT Sunset Limited Train 2/Texas Eagle Train 422 scheduled to depart Los Angeles (LAX) on 4/26 will hold in Ontario (ONA) for late connecting passengers with an estimated 2hr delay.

They ended up departing Ontario over three hours late. What connections are there in Ontario at that time of night?

 

[trimetbusfan]

They ended up departing Ontario over three hours late. What connections are there in Ontario at that time of night?

Probably connections from 11 (25).

 

[hmy1]

That's what I would have thought (and a dicey connection that I would never book), but 11 (25) was already running over 12 hours late into the Bay Area last night.

https://dixielandsoftware.net/cgi-bin/gettrain.pl?seltrain=11&selyear=2024&selmonth=04&selday=25

 

[trimetbusfan]

That's what I would have thought (and a dicey connection that I would never book), but 11 (25) was already running over 12 hours late into the Bay Area last night.

https://dixielandsoftware.net/cgi-bin/gettrain.pl?seltrain=11&selyear=2024&selmonth=04&selday=25

I’m guessing it was more for passengers who got on before Sacramento. I noticed 11 made a long stop there. Part of that might have been to transfer connecting passengers to take the inland round to meet up with #2. Passengers from SLO onwards could have been accommodated by the Surfliner. Of course I should make it clear that this is just speculation.

 

[Railspike]

Bad week or two for # 2. Disabled freight train issues caused # 2 to be cancelled at San Antonio 2 out of the last 5 trips east, including tomorrow.
Bus transportation to NOL.
Amtrak roulette strikes again.

 

[F900ElCapitan]

The good news out of the delays is 22 has been waiting for the 422 cars. No more bus bridge or overnight delays for the 422 pax.

 

[Maglev]

I have been digitizing some pictures recently, and found these two of the Sunset Limited. I think they were around 1998; the train we were on went to Orlando.

This first picture captures the luxury of Bedroom travel: breakfast in bed. This was our third Superliner trip, having ridden the California Zephyr Oakland to Chicago in 1994, and the Coast Starlight Seattle to Los Angeles in 1996; and my wife didn't like the communal dining car experience. The flowers were bought on Olvera Street, where we had dinner before catching the train.



The second picture shows what I thought were people wading across the Rio Grande; and a few minutes later we saw what I thought was a border patrol helicopter. But on my last Sunset Limited (actually Texas Eagle) trip in 2019, we never seemed to run along a river. Has the train been re-routed?

 

[Cal]

The second picture shows what I thought were people wading across the Rio Grande; and a few minutes later we saw what I thought was a border patrol helicopter. But on my last Sunset Limited (actually Texas Eagle) trip in 2019, we never seemed to run along a river. Has the train been re-routed?

I think that is the Rio Grande, looks as if you were on the bridge that crosses it.

 

[marcoloco]

I have been digitizing some pictures recently, and found these two of the Sunset Limited. I think they were around 1998; the train we were on went to Orlando.

This first picture captures the luxury of Bedroom travel: breakfast in bed. This was our third Superliner trip, having ridden the California Zephyr Oakland to Chicago in 1994, and the Coast Starlight Seattle to Los Angeles in 1996; and my wife didn't like the communal dining car experience. The flowers were bought on Olvera Street, where we had dinner before catching the train.

View attachment 38566

The second picture shows what I thought were people wading across the Rio Grande; and a few minutes later we saw what I thought was a border patrol helicopter. But on my last Sunset Limited (actually Texas Eagle) trip in 2019, we never seemed to run along a river. Has the train been re-routed?

View attachment 38567

no the train has not been rerouted, I guess you just missed this spot that you pictured on your first trip. I travel this route 10 times a year for the past 25 years.

 

[zephyr17]

I think that is the Rio Grande, looks as if you were on the bridge that crosses it.

It runs parallel to the Rio Grande west of Del Rio. But not for terribly long distance. Otherwise it isn't that close to the Rio Grande (except right around El Paso).

It never crosses the Rio Grande beyond the crossing just north of El Paso where it goes from New Mexico into Texas, as any crossing past there would put it in Mexico. It may be on a bridge over a tributary.

Del Rio is at 5:52 am westbound and 1:12 am eastbound on the current schedule.

But on my last Sunset Limited (actually Texas Eagle) trip in 2019, we never seemed to run along a river. Has the train been re-routed?

It has never been rerouted between Picacho Jct, AZ, where the Maricopa and Phoenix lines rejoin, and Houston, where they do directional running on the former MoPac and former SP, since before Amtrak. The schedule has shifted, at one time, during the height of the merger meltdown, 2 left LA at about 2:30 pm and did much of the El Paso-San Antonio segment in the daytime eastbound.

 

[Cal]

beyond the crossing just north of El Paso where it goes from New Mexico into Texas,

I think that's where the picture is

 

[zephyr17]

I think that's where the picture is

If its from the Rio Grande bridge there, then whoever is crossing the river isn't crossing from Mexico...

 

[limux tec]

Why does the Sunset Limited #1 have a 2 hr 45 minute stop in San Antonio? Seems a bit long for fueling or crew change.

The Sunset Limited #1 has a lengthy 2 hour 45 minute stop in San Antonio primarily because it combines with the southbound Texas Eagle train during this time. This stop allows for the necessary logistics to merge the two trains together before continuing the journey to Los Angeles.

 

[Rasputin]

The Sunset Limited #1 has a lengthy 2 hour 45 minute stop in San Antonio primarily because it combines with the southbound Texas Eagle train during this time. This stop allows for the necessary logistics to merge the two trains together before continuing the journey to Los Angeles.

Pre-Amtrak and in early Amtrak, the actual switching would likely take about 20 minutes I suspect.

 

[Rasputin]

The schedule has shifted, at one time, during the height of the merger meltdown, 2 left LA at about 2:30 pm and did much of the El Paso-San Antonio segment in the daytime eastbound.

The last significant schedule change I believe was in early May 2012. My daughter and I were on the next to the last eastbound train leaving Tucson under the old schedule. The train left Tucson around 1:00 a.m. and arrived in El Paso around breakfast time. Arrival in Del Rio was in the early evening (still daylight).

Alpine was late morning and the train must have been quite early because we stopped there for about an hour. Passengers enjoyed a visit to the town. My daughter found a bakery or candy store and brought back some delicious chocolates.

I don't know if the westbound schedule was changed at that time or not.

 

[zephyr17]

The last significant schedule change I believe was in early May 2012. My daughter and I were on the next to the last eastbound train leaving Tucson under the old schedule. The train left Tucson around 1:00 a.m. and arrived in El Paso around breakfast time. Arrival in Del Rio was in the early evening (still daylight).

That's the schedule I remember that left LA mid afternoon. I didn't remember when they reverted to the traditional 10 pm LA departure, though.

I quite liked that schedule. I thought you got better scenery with it, Beaumont Pass, the Salton Sea, Pecos High Bridge, though it didn't work well for connections.

 

[UserNameRequired]

I think this is the view, the ridge lines match. It is from the bridge over the Rio Grande between New Mexico and Texas. However, Mexico is just 1/4 mile downstream there in the picture (I think Google Earth put a yellow line there and you can see the fence), and the the objects in the previous picture are about halfway so 1/8 mile to wade up stream from Mexico, if that really was the case.

 

[zephyr17]

I think this is the view, the ridge lines match. It is from the bridge over the Rio Grande between New Mexico and Texas. However, Mexico is just 1/4 mile downstream there in the picture (I think Google Earth put a yellow line there and you can see the fence), and the the objects in the previous picture are about halfway so 1/8 mile to wade up stream from Mexico, if that really was the case.
View attachment 38573

Border is just past that dam, the "American Diversion Dam" according to maps.

 

[Cal]

Pre-Amtrak and in early Amtrak, the actual switching would likely take about 20 minutes I suspect.

I doubt the switching takes the full time today, probably 30-45. I think the SL has such a long dwell for padding to ensure that #22 can depart on time and so that if #21 is delayed significantly it won't effect the Sunset too much (if they decide to hold the Sunset).