Texas Eagle discussion 2025

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Keeping things restricted to food options available on Amtrak itself, personally I much prefer the cold sandwiches available in the cafe to Flex. Even the Flex-with-a-flower on the LSL.

The ham and Swiss on a pretzel roll one is decent especially if you have them heat it up. Not a huge fan of the turkey and cheddar one.
 
Got the e-mail today: bus from Marshall to Mineola on the return trip. Eh, that's a lot better than "St. Louis to Ft. Worth is cancelled, enjoy making your own alternate plans"

I can deal witha maybe an hour and a half bus ride...
Interesting point about the length of the bus ride. In the 1975 Oregon intercity bus study, we discovered a useful rule of thumb: 100% of people are willing to ride 1 hour, 50% 2 hours, 25% 4 hours, 12 ½% 8 hours, etc. Of course, there are other factors.
 
Got the e-mail today: bus from Marshall to Mineola on the return trip. Eh, that's a lot better than "St. Louis to Ft. Worth is cancelled, enjoy making your own alternate plans"

I can deal witha maybe an hour and a half bus ride...
The I-20/US 80 Route between Marshall and Mineola is EZ as you said. ( I've probably been bustituted in East Texas 25 times thru the years during Trackwork!)
 
The I-20/US 80 Route between Marshall and Mineola is EZ as you said. ( I've probably been bustituted in East Texas 25 times thru the years during Trackwork!)
There wasn't any trackwork going on when the hubby and I rode the TE last fall, although there were delays due to freight traffic. I haven't had to deal with an Amtrak bustitution myself yet, but Son #1 did once when a tree fell on the Illini/Saluki/CONO tracks when he was taking the Illini (or Saluki) home for Thanksgiving one year. (The hubby and I had time to go watch a movie in Kankakee while we were waiting for his train to get here!)
 
There wasn't any trackwork going on when the hubby and I rode the TE last fall, although there were delays due to freight traffic. I haven't had to deal with an Amtrak bustitution myself yet, but Son #1 did once when a tree fell on the Illini/Saluki/CONO tracks when he was taking the Illini (or Saluki) home for Thanksgiving one year. (The hubby and I had time to go watch a movie in Kankakee while we were waiting for his train to get here!)
There are bustitutions and there are bustitutions. I've done Longview or Marshall to Mineola several times, it's simple. I've also done St Louis to Bloomington when they were doing the high-speed upgrades. That was a little less fun.

I once had to ride a bus (on fairly short notice, flooding) from St Louis to Mineola. That was overnight, it was terrible, and because it was short notice they were basically city buses and were uncomfortable. I was a lot younger then, and I actually drove the 2 1/2 hours home from Mineola after it and then went and taught the next day. Now I'd take the day off and stay overnight at a motel.

The driver also played loud, shoot-em-up movies all night on the tv system in the bus for the passengers, even with earplugs it was miserably loud.
 
There are bustitutions and there are bustitutions. I've done Longview or Marshall to Mineola several times, it's simple. I've also done St Louis to Bloomington when they were doing the high-speed upgrades. That was a little less fun.

I once had to ride a bus (on fairly short notice, flooding) from St Louis to Mineola. That was overnight, it was terrible, and because it was short notice they were basically city buses and were uncomfortable. I was a lot younger then, and I actually drove the 2 1/2 hours home from Mineola after it and then went and taught the next day. Now I'd take the day off and stay overnight at a motel.

The driver also played loud, shoot-em-up movies all night on the tv system in the bus for the passengers, even with earplugs it was miserably loud.
I think Son #1's bustitution only lasted an hour or so until the tree was cleared from the tracks; then the train caught back up to the bus and everyone reboarded for the rest of their journey.
 
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