Texas Eagle: Chicago to Dallas

[cirdan]

The Amtrak Waiting Room you took Pictures of is Like a Basement and in the Bad Old Days of Segregation was where Black People had to Wait for Jim Crow Trains!

Interesting piece of history that.

Do you know if any of the decor / architcural features are original? Did they make it intentionally ugly and lacking in features for black folks? Or is that the result of modern refurbishments?

I've always been a bit disappointed by Dallas Union Station seeing its so historic and pretty on the outside that there's not much of interest inside. At least not in the parts that you get to see as a regular passenger.

 

[user 1215]

I was just wondering if the Grand Hall upstairs (see THIS old post) used to extend to the ground floor. It would (sadly) make sense that they added the new floor and made the upstairs private. It would also explain why the windows go all the way to the floor. Looks a bit odd from the inside. That being said, though, from the outside, it looks like it could go either way.

 

[SarahZ]

I didn't even try to get upstairs while I was there. It reminded me of a mall when it's closed. Kind of 1980s, air-conditioned, dim, fake plants, just that "mall" feeling. I liked the chandeliers, though, and the benches were rickety but looked nice. It even had a shoe shine station.

That's sad about Jim Crow, but I do like knowing that added history. I'll see if I can look around more tomorrow. It will depend on how quickly/slowly I travel in that ice storm.

 

[user 1215]

I finally got to see your pics (work internet blocks 'em). It looks WAY nicer than I remember!

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Whenever I had to catch a train at Dallas, the comfort level of those waiting room benches motivated me to wait on the platform area with the Human Debris. Though if you stay away from the DART boarding areas it is not so bad.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I honestly know Nothing about the Architcural or Decor Features and any Rehab of Union Station.I was lucky enough to be Given a Station Tour by AU Member saxman when he Voluntered @ the Station! I agree that the Benches arent very Comfortable to Wait on, if the Weather is Nice just Waiting on the Platform helps Pass the Time! Plenty of Trains to Watch! Another Feature that may be of Interest is the Tunnel that Runs from the Station under the Tracks (lots of times the Elevator Up to the Platforms is Out of Service) over to the Reunion Hotel and where the Reunion Tower with it's Wolfgang Puck Restaurant is Located/Pricey but a Nice View of Dallas! (there Used to be a Sports and Special Events Hall called Reunion Arena here also but it was Torn Down when the American Airlines Arena was Built)

Since we have a Thread about Boarding and Platform Access Running, @ Dallas Union Station Passengers (and Homeless Folks looking for a Little Help) are Allowed to Access the Platforms by Crossing the Several Tracks(shared by Amtrak/UP Freights/DART and TRE Trains!) to the Trains! (Several Folks have been Hit by Trains whether intentional or Not!

As for the Old T&P Station in Ft. Worth which is Located on the UP Mainline a few Blocks West of Ft. Worths Intermodel Station. it Was and Is a Beautiful Building, with Free Parking Across the Tracks, and Since It Is an Active TRE Station a Good Place to Park and Catch the Train Without Going to the Intermodel Station where Amtrak Stops. The Big Hall , like in Chicago, is Rented Out for Events but you Can Visit during TRE Operating Hours! (The Condos Entrance is via a Seperate Door) Next Door there is also One of the Grand Old Post Offices and Mail Handling Facilities with Platforms where Mail used to be Loaded/Unloaded, also Worth a look!

At one time Ft. Worth had 5 Rail Stations and was the Cross Roads of Texas Railroading! Only 2 are Left (the T&P and the Old Santa Fe Station which is Located Next to the intermodel Station!) The Ft. Worth Station has some interesting Pictures and History about this plus you can Google Up Info on Ft. Worth Rail and History if you are Interested in the Details!

It's Worth Buying a Day Pass that's Good on TRE, DART and Buses in Ft. Worth and Dallas! A Great Way to Sightsee in the Metroplex (it will even get you To/From DFW Airport)and only $5 for Seniors!( Note; TRE Doesn't Run on Sunday!)

Lastly, the Jim Crow and Segregation Stuff (the Aftermath of the Civil War) Was and Is the Shame of America, it's Great that it's Gone, but Let's Don't Ever Forget So it Doesn't Happen Again!

 

[MnMotherMary]

Thanks for the great story/trip report! I felt like I was riding along with you. I especially like the way you don't abbreviate so us rookies can understand what you are talking about

 

[SarahZ]

After I arrived at Union Station, I waited a little while to drop my bags off with the counter agents. They were busy unloading checked baggage and assisting passengers, but it was swift and orderly. There weren't very many signs, but the agents were good at corralling people and explaining the process. I used that time to shove my winter coat into my suitcase (it was 66 degrees that day!) and change my shoes.

Once they were finished, I asked an agent if I could leave my bags so I could walk around and wait for Hertz to open. She was surprised to hear Hertz was open on Sunday. I told her they were open from 1:30 - 5:00, and maybe it was just for the Thanksgiving holiday. She said she'd check into it because it would be good information for passengers. She informed me the fee would be $4 per bag and then checked my ID against my ticket. She did not collect the fee right away and said I could just pay her when I came to pick them up. She didn't tag the bags, but they were the only ones back there, so I didn't worry.

I walked outside and soaked up the gorgeous temperature for a while. It was amazing. I haven't felt 66-degree weather in months. It smelled like spring. I do love having a crisp, snowy Christmas season, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate a break from the cold. ^_^

I went to Cindi's for lunch. Several people had recommended it, and it did not disappoint!

It is directly across from Union Station, on Houston St. You really cannot miss it.

I ordered a tuna salad sandwich, which comes with fries and coleslaw (which I skipped). The waitress reminded me of Flo from "Alice". She was friendly, but she was a bit older and had that "kiss my grits" attitude. When I ordered a Coke, I expected her to ask, "What kind," but maybe it's somewhere else in the South that they refer to all soda as "Coke"? I couldn't remember if Texas was included in that. Anyway, she didn't ask and just brought me a regular Coke (which is what I wanted).

The tuna salad sandwich was delicious. It was FULL of tuna, as you can see:

The counter had a large selection of fresh baked goods. They were HUGE, so I didn't get anything. The pie "slices" were about a 1/4 of a whole pie, and the cinnamon rolls were as big as my face. Even though it's a New York diner, it truly shows everything is big in Texas.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Now my secret is out! One of my Lunch Run Destinations has been exposed! I usually order an Omelet at Cindi's and it is more than a Washtub full! But that Tuna Platter looks good-I may have to do a run in a few days and find out

 

[SarahZ]

After I finished my lunch, I started walking toward Dealey Plaza. It's not far from the station at all, so I recommend it to history buffs. It's also a very pretty walk, with a lot of scenery.

I saw some cool buildings:

And a pretty fountain (this is Dealey Plaza) with the new bridge in the background:

This is where it gets weird. I was expecting to see people, yes, but I figured most would be walking around, looking at the area, and just being sort of solemn and respectful.

HA.

The place was a circus. It was sort of horrifying, really. I wasn't alive when JFK was assassinated, but I learned about it in history classes and have seen a lot of documentaries about it. It's very sad, and even though I was looking forward to seeing Dealey Plaza, it wasn't because I was excited - it was because of it's importance.

Unfortunately, the place was a bit of a zoo. They had a neon sign that said "GRASSY KNOLL", a bunch of people wandering around selling conspiracy theory pamphlets, some guy with a portable PA going on and on about the conspiracy, and tourists blocking traffic to stand on the X and smile while someone took a picture of them.

Who on earth smiles when they stand in a place where someone was murdered? :angry:

Anyway, here are some pictures:

The X on the street is not official. No one really knows who painted it. Some people think it was just more "fans" of the whole JFK incident. They repaved the street before the anniversary the week before, and someone re-painted the X in the meantime.

The book depository has a "Sixth Floor Museum" now, and you can stand in the window to see Lee Harvey Oswald's point of view. I did not take a tour, as I was still pretty sickened by people who were excited for the wrong reasons. I thought about going to the store to buy something for my parents, but then I realized buying a souvenir from a place where someone was murdered is kind of tacky. I mean, could you imagine if they had 9/11 snow globes 40 years from now?

One thing that really struck me was that the area is much smaller than it looks in pictures. The photos from that time period are taken down the hill a ways, so everything sort of looms. When you're actually there, it's not a very big area at all. In fact, the distance from Houston St to the overpass is so short that I kept thinking that maybe he'd be alive if they'd been going just a bit faster (unless that overpass wasn't there at the time?)

 

[SarahZ]

This is what Brent and I had to say about the ridiculous circus and that tacky banner:

After I finished wandering around Dealey Plaza, I walked back to the train station to get my bags. I had completely forgotten about the bag fee and used cash to pay for lunch. I was so embarrassed. I had $3 in my pocket, and I owed her $8. I asked if there was an ATM nearby, and she said there wasn't, but not to worry about it. She didn't charge me. I still felt bad, since she'd just told me about it an hour before. I wondered if she thought I'd pulled a fast one on her. It was just really embarrassing. I gave her the $3 and told her to keep it as a tip. Then I kind of scurried out of there. :blush:

I saw this really cool building, which I think is my favorite building in Dallas, second only to the Omni Hotel at night (more on that later). I love the shape and glass:

I also really liked this peaceful water feature and statue of Rosa Parks. Coincidentally (or not), it was at a major bus/rail hub:

Hertz was about a mile-ish from the train station. In retrospect, I probably should have taken a cab or taxi, because walking in the humidity with a huge carry-on and my heavy backpack proved to be a bit tedious. On the other hand, I doubt they would have been able to get away because it was pretty busy when I showed up. The group at the counter was foreign and didn't understand a single thing about rental cars or their contract, so it took them 15-20 minutes to check out. The guy behind them was huffing and puffing like the Big, Bad Wolf, making it SUPER OBVIOUS that he did not want to wait a second longer.

So then, it was that guy's turn, and he didn't understand his contract either. All of that huffing and puffing, and he created the same problems!

Once it was finally my turn, I smiled at the clerk to show him I wasn't mad at him and gave him my name. Once he saw I was with The Good Neighbor, he was all smiles. Hertz gets a lot of our customers, so we're on the phone with them quite a bit. He relaxed and chatted with me while he ran my card and got everything set up. He said, "I noticed you have bags, so I'm going to give you a car with lots of trunk space." He put me in a Nissan Versa (which I love) and gave that first, angry, awful group a Chevy Aveo. Hahaha. To be fair, he'd tried to talk them into a larger vehicle, but they refused to spend more money, so... they got a compact. I also got a compact, but my compact was better because I'm better. You see what happens when you're nice to the customer service rep? You get PERKS.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Nice Pics as always! As to Dealy Plaza and the Book Depository, originally the Rulers of Dallas wanted to Tear Down the Book Depository and Pave the Grassy Knoll for More Parking! (Dallas is About Money!!!)Sometimes the Trains stop on the Railroad Overpass while waiting to get to Union Station and you can get the Perspective of the People that were on the Overpass and Grassy Knoll on that sad Day when President Kennedy was Murdered! As you said, Dealy Plaza Really is Small and Compact, in other Words a Perfect Place for an Ambush! Not to get into all the Conspiracy Theories (there are Lots and this has Become an Industry as you Mentioned! )but if you want a Pretty Good Idea of all the Various Theories and Events Rent or Download "JFK" by Oliver Stone!

Cindis does serve Large Portions, it's sort of a Texas/Southern Thing! Nice of you to tip the Agent also, :hi: (as Alan had said, Lot sof them Waive the $4 Fee for Sleeper Pax that have a Good Attitude) Lots of Folks forget about this around the Stations for those other than Red Caps! Agents can give Rides, help with Luggage etc etc. As you've said, When it comes to Service A Smile and a Kind Word can Work Wonders Compared to Scowls and Rudeness!

 

[SarahZ]

I was booked at the Doubletree near DFW, so it was maybe a 15-20 minute drive from Hertz to my hotel. The first thing I noticed was that 1) the speed limit on the highways is 60 mph and 2) unlike Chicago and Detroit, people actually stick to 55-60 mph. :angry:

Okay, so I know it's safe, and legal, and what-have-you, but come on. At least go 60-65.

I really liked the High Five. I didn't know the name of it until I looked it up later, but I loved the designs on the pillars. Albuquerque does a similar thing, using turquoise stripes down the middle, and then areas like Pojoaque paint symbols and such on theirs to show their cultural pride. I couldn't take pictures while driving, obviously, so I grabbed these online:

I couldn't find a picture of my favorite part. When you get near the end of the interchange, there's a cowboy "etched" into the pillar. It looks really neat.

Traffic was pretty light, so I got to my hotel quickly. I got a warm chocolate-chip & walnut cookie at check-in and went straight to my room. The rooms are pretty nice. The bed has been quite comfortable, and I'm close to the highway, restaurants, and shopping. It's also just a mile from the new training facility, which is where my classes have been held all week.

 

[SarahZ]

Sometimes the Trains stop on the Railroad Overpass while waiting to get to Union Station and you can get the Perspective of the People that were on the Overpass and Grassy Knoll on that sad Day when President Kennedy was Murdered!

That reminds me. I got a great video of the TE departing over that overpass, and a DART train passed by at the same time. It looked really cool, and I was pleased to see a lot of people paused to watch it go by.

Anyway, I'll upload that once I can get it switched to the proper format. It looks great on my phone and in Windows Live Movie Maker, but when I convert it to a file that'll work with YouTube, it's super blurry and awful.

 

[user 1215]

Just stop it! You are making me homesick! I remember when the High Five (named for the I-635 and US-75 junction) was being built. It was really scary seeing that height disconnected....

Thanks for the memories!

 

[user 1215]

Just stop it! You are making me homesick! I remember when the High Five (named for the I-635 and US-75 junction) was being built. It was really scary seeing that height disconnected....

Thanks for the memories!

 

[MARC Rider]

\

The first thing I noticed was the lack of a closet:

I was a bit surprised, but I actually kind of liked this. It opened up the space next to the seat and made the room feel a little bigger, and I still had plenty of room for my coat and shoes. Plus, I usually have to open the closet door at night to keep it from rattling, so this eradicated one rattle.

You know, I could do very well with no closet in my roomette.

When I went to the gathering, my outbound trip was in a Viewliner (the Cardinal). I has able to fit mu big roller-bag where the closet is found on the Superliners, securing it with a srp, and having all of my stuff available for me. When I went home on the Capitol in a Superliner roomette, my bag wouldn't fit in the room, and I had to leave it n the rack downstairs. That's OK, except that I had to rummage through the bag during the trip to find stuff I needed for the night.

I think the sell rooms in the transdorm on the Capitol. How can I reserve a transdorm room?

 

[SarahZ]

I would probably call and ask the agent to book you in the transdorm. The transdorm car numbers on the Capitol are 2909 and 3009.