Texas Eagle Consists

[Lonestar648]

When I rode the other day the full sleeper was behind the engine, the DC/Cafe, 21 Coach, 421 Coach. There were no seats or rooms for sale according to the conductor. I really missed going to the SSL to watch the Texas landscape race by. At least with COVID seating, everyone gets the seat next to you.

 

[tonys96]

No SSL?

My guess is it will never return. Where is the cafe? It was downstairs of SSL before

 

[Bob Dylan]

No SSL?

My guess is it will never return. Where is the cafe? It was downstairs of SSL before

It's in the CCC( Diner) Tony, the Small end of the Car where the Counter is.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

If the Eagle comes back, I see it running three days direct to LA and the SL eliminated. This would speed up the dwell time is San Antonio. Amtrak might run a daytime coach to from NOL. If the SL remains, the TE is eliminated.

Any reduction in dwell time will require approval from a host that is famously hostile toward even minor schedule changes.

This has always made sense to me - the continuous train part. I've often wondered why it wasn't the "focus" train over the Sunset. Similarly a daytime New Orleans - San Antonio trains with cross-platform transfer to the Eagle makes perfect sense. All it would really take is switching the westbound NOL departure to a schedule similar to the eastbound from SAS.

Sunset Station it is not currently setup to handle easy cross platform transfers without cutting off station access on one end or dumping passengers into a street crossing on the other end. This is why they hold one train back if two arrive at the same time. Cross platform transfers might work with today's tiny trains but if they ever go back to the original size it will probably become impractical again.

That was the original plan under Boardman, a Daily CHI- LAX Eagle with a stub Train from SAS- NOL. UP wanted a Fortune for the Trains and as the story goes, an Amtrak Exec refused to negotiate,Blowing the Deal!!

If someone opens the bidding at 100x a moderately rational estimate it's safe to assume they're not interested in finding common ground.

 

[Lonestar648]

The bound dwell time in SAS is workable, but the almost five hours westbound is long, though working as a buffer it could keep the westbound departure on time even with long delays. I some how feel this discussion is pointless, since Amtrak management has no interest in accommodating the traveling public for LD travel.

 

[tonys96]

It's in the CCC( Diner) Tony, the Small end of the Car where the Counter is.

On the same level as the tables?
So, I don't understand the set up at all. Where do they give you the new improvement meals, then?

 

[Bob Dylan]

On the same level as the tables?
So, I don't understand the set up at all. Where do they give you the new improvement meals, then?

It depends on the Crew and the Route Tony.

Based on reports on AU and other RR sites, some LSAs are letting Sleeper Passengers have a choice as to whether they eat in the "Sleeper Lounge" or have food delivered to their Room, others are only allowing delivery by the SCA to the rooms.

As for the Eagle, the Sleeping Car Pax ( so far) can choose to eat in the regular Diner end of the CCC, or have Room Delivery by the SCA, and the Coach Passengers go the Cafe in the Small Upstsirs " Lounge" of the CCC, and take their food and drink back to their seat since there is no Sightseer Lounge.( same thing on the City of New Orleans and the Cap Ltd.)

 

[tonys96]

It depends on the Crew and the Route Tony.

Based on reports on AU and other RR sites, some LSAs are letting Sleeper Passengers have a choice as to whether they eat in the "Sleeper Lounge" or have food delivered to their Room, others are only allowing delivery by the SCA to the rooms.

As for the Eagle, the Sleeping Car Pax ( so far) can choose to eat in the regular Diner end of the CCC, or have Room Delivery by the SCA, and the Coach Passengers go the Cafe in the Small Upstsirs " Lounge" of the CCC, and take their food and drink back to their seat since there is no Sightseer Lounge.( same thing on the City of New Orleans and the Cap Ltd.)

Oh, screw that! I shall refrain from the TE for the immediate to mid-term.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Oh, screw that! I shall refrain from the TE for the immediate to mid-term.

Ditto!

 

[manchacrr]

As for the Eagle, the Sleeping Car Pax ( so far) can choose to eat in the regular Diner end of the CCC, or have Room Delivery by the SCA, and the Coach Passengers go the Cafe in the Small Upstsirs " Lounge" of the CCC, and take their food and drink back to their seat since there is no Sightseer Lounge.( same thing on the City of New Orleans and the Cap Ltd.)

The City of New Orleans still has a Sightseer Lounge in the consist, but they do not use the lower level for the cafe. The CONO also never changed its consist due to the Pandemic, in part due to the CN's axle rule (All Amtrak Trains running on the CN main line must have a minimum 30 axles).

The consist for the CONO is as follows: P42, Trans-Dorm, Sleeper, CCC, Sightseer Lounge, Coach-Bag, Coach, Coach.

 

[Bob Dylan]

The City of New Orleans still has a Sightseer Lounge in the consist, but they do not use the lower level for the cafe. The CONO also never changed its consist due to the Pandemic, in part due to the CN's axle rule (All Amtrak Trains running on the CN main line must have a minimum 30 axles).

The consist for the CONO is as follows: P42, Trans-Dorm, Sleeper, CCC, Sightseer Lounge, Coach-Bag, Coach, Coach.

Thanks, I'd read that the CONO was the same as the Eagle and Cap!

 

[jimmrl]

The TE consist has changed again, it looks like they have added a trans-dorm sleeper.

We are now up to five normal cars (the other day there was six or seven). This mornings south bound was a P42, a Trans-dorm sleeper, a normal sleeper, one of the weird cross country lounge/diner/cafe things, a baggage coach, and a normal coach.

I have seen this a few times over the last week.

Jim

 

[Lonestar648]

I think the consist between CHI/STL has a third Coach car, based on recent videos I have seen. The consist when I picked up my granddaughter Saturday was P42, Trans-Dorm (21 sleeper), 421 Sleeper, Diner/Cafe, 21 Coach/Bag, 421 Coach.