posted
I rarely venture into Texas, but I have some business near Austin in a few weeks. I am thinking of taking the #2 Sunset Ltd./#22/422 Texas Eagle from El Paso, then continuing on to Austin. I see that the train is scheduled to arrive at 10:25 pm in San Antonio, yet doesn't leave San Antonio for Austin until 8 am, arriving Austin 10:31 am. So, if one had a sleeper, where do they put you during this time? Do you stay in your sleeper, or do you have to get off and hang around San Antonio during the wee hours till morning?
Posts: 72 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Your Sleeper is your Hotel while you sit and wait for the Eagle to back in. I'll be doing the same thing in March for Spring break taking #422 to Austin and #421 back to ELP. Also expect the Eagle to be EXTREMELY late and the Sunset to be on-time.
posted
The Eagle will be extremely late? San Antonio is the origin point. So late would only be likely if the inbound Eagle is extremely late. I had been of the impression that the Eagle was reasonably reliable by Amtrak standards. If it is very late, and whatever is taking you to Austin needs you there, there should be the possibility of Greyhound, or Kerrville Bus, which runs a lot of the East Texas routes, but out of Greyhound stations where both operate. After all, it is only about 80 miles from San Antonio to Austin, which Texas style is next door.
George
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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A fair idea; since it's only 80 miles, an alternative might be to get a night's sleep in San Antonio and then either take a bus or rent a car in the morning.
Posts: 72 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Originally posted by SunsetLtd: Your Sleeper is your Hotel while you sit and wait for the Eagle to back in. I'll be doing the same thing in March for Spring break taking #422 to Austin and #421 back to ELP. Also expect the Eagle to be EXTREMELY late and the Sunset to be on-time.
You're kidding, right?! The Eagle (from my limited experience) tends to be more on time (read: under several hours late) than the Sunset.
One other thing, which I'm not too certain about, is that I believe the southbound Eagle now arrives into San Antonio facing back to Chicago again, because of the one-way system north of San Antonio. However, it still backs out for a mile to Tower 112 and then forward again.
Geoff M.
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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This past July I was aboard the 422 sleeper El Paso - St. Louis.
We arrived in San Antonio about two hours late (around 12:25am). I stepped off, walked a little, and got back inside to bed around 1:00am. I was awakened by the conductor and his radio in the hallway about 7:40am. He wanted to board the 'Eagle' ASAP before their path to the train was blocked by a late-running westbound 'Sunset Limited' expected at 7:55am.
We were delayed slightly (10-15 minutes) by the Sunset but did depart (as Geoff indicates) by backing out the first mile. For the remainder of the trip the 'Eagle' was relatively on-time (ie: no more than 20 minutes late at any station) all the way to St. Louis. I was impressed.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Lots of good insights and tips here folks; thanks. I don't anticipate getting out of Texas on this trip, but it's good to have first hand experience on how the connection often goes between the two trains/routes.
Posts: 72 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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till morning?
