Railroad Forums
Wanted to take the Texas Eagle to LAX
- Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
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by dwmoore1416
There are several problems with using the T&P west from Fort Worth/Dallas for a "West Texas Eagle".
1. Freight traffic as mentioned earlier. This line has historically run two or three trains each way. UP and BNSF run many more trains across this route. Sidings and signalling are such that Amtrak would almost assuredly be delayed further.
2. Connection at El Paso. It takes roughly 12 hours for the Sunset to go from San Antonio to El Paso. It would take approximately the same 12 hours for a "West Texas Eagle" to go from Fort Worth to El Paso. #21 leaves Fort Worth at 4:00pm which would put it into El Paso about 4:00am. The westbound Sunset comes through El Paso about 3:30pm. So instead of having a three hour layover you would have a 12 hour layover. I guess one might say that with the Sunset's timekeeping problem that a 12 hour layover would be better. In fact, the only way the connection between the Sunset and the Eagle works is to go through San Antonio. The Network Growth Strategy of rerouting the Sunset would have been a terrible idea ( as much as I would like to see it in Fort Worth). The connections at Fort Worth would be bad or altering the schedule of the Sunset would have given poor arrival and departure times at LA and Orlando.
1. Freight traffic as mentioned earlier. This line has historically run two or three trains each way. UP and BNSF run many more trains across this route. Sidings and signalling are such that Amtrak would almost assuredly be delayed further.
2. Connection at El Paso. It takes roughly 12 hours for the Sunset to go from San Antonio to El Paso. It would take approximately the same 12 hours for a "West Texas Eagle" to go from Fort Worth to El Paso. #21 leaves Fort Worth at 4:00pm which would put it into El Paso about 4:00am. The westbound Sunset comes through El Paso about 3:30pm. So instead of having a three hour layover you would have a 12 hour layover. I guess one might say that with the Sunset's timekeeping problem that a 12 hour layover would be better. In fact, the only way the connection between the Sunset and the Eagle works is to go through San Antonio. The Network Growth Strategy of rerouting the Sunset would have been a terrible idea ( as much as I would like to see it in Fort Worth). The connections at Fort Worth would be bad or altering the schedule of the Sunset would have given poor arrival and departure times at LA and Orlando.
by Gilbert B Norman
For what it be worth, during August 1964, the MP Texas Eagle #21 (yup, that was its #) departed Ft Worth 1055ACT and arrived El Paso 1115PMT, or 13'20".
By then, the Sleeper was adios; consist was a dome,coach, and Grill-Coach. There was likely still a hefty collection of Mail & Express cars. The connection onward to LA was with SP #39, a no-name coach only Mail & Express (the Golden State-Sunset was then "roundly" on its existing schedule)
"Downgraditis" had clearly set in.
By then, the Sleeper was adios; consist was a dome,coach, and Grill-Coach. There was likely still a hefty collection of Mail & Express cars. The connection onward to LA was with SP #39, a no-name coach only Mail & Express (the Golden State-Sunset was then "roundly" on its existing schedule)
"Downgraditis" had clearly set in.