Passenger Trains > Texas Eagle Train Set Rotation amd Car Numbers

I'll be on No. 21 this Thursday. Question? Does it's equipment turn from No. 22 the previous day....or from the City of NO arriving same morning as I believe it has done in the past. Also southbound I'm in Car No. 2120 which makes sense (wanting to avoid the Transition Car). But on the return, I'm in Car No. 2299, room 4. So hopefully its not the Transition car (which I specifically told the agent I didn't want). To avoid any confusion when booking, why can't Amtrak show each cars layout on the web site and you pick your room from what's available...just as is done with most airlines. That way it could all be done without speaking to an agent...just like Amtrak seems to want with the endless messages while on hold about "giving Julie a try." And unlike the airlines, all Superliner sleepers excepting the Transition car are laid out the same so I wouldn't think it would be that hard. Thanks in advance for any answers.

Currently I believe the same trainset is turning at Chicago and Dallas or Fort Worth, depending on the day. South of Ft. Worth is a bus.

The swapout with the City of New Orleans is during the winter months.

The 20 car sounds right, but never heard of a 99 car. Somebody else can enlighten.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/14 06:47 by NewRiverGeorge.

Unfortunately the "09" or "99" car is the step down transition car.

What is wrong with a transition car? I have never been on or even in one?

Gerry Gaugl
Ottawa ON

Nothing wrong with them per-se. In fact I like them because there is a shower on the top level.

The rooms sold to the public are at the rear of the car, with the transition end facing the locomotive. There is a curtain separating the public area from the crew area.

The only issue for me is the proximity to the locomotive and the source of road crossing horn noise. Of the trains that are superliner equipped, which include all of the "transcontinental routes" on 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8, and 58/59 + 21/22, probably the Eagle and the CNO have the most rural road crossings at night. For most first-time riders, there is very little sleep the first night (the only night for Eagle/CNO). For most first-timers on two-night transcon rides, by the second night the sleep is usually pretty good despite any horn noise.

You also do not receive as much service from the car attendant, who thanks to Amtrak cost cutting moves, now has to take care of at least two and possibly three other, often widely separated, cars. The attendant generally will be at the rear of the train, and seldom has time or opportunity to take care of transdorm passengers. At station stops, the attendant will be operating the doors and boarding/deboarding of one of the following coaches. Unless there is somebody getting on or off the transdorm, the doors will not be opened at station stops. A bummer if you are a smoker, desire some fresh air, or want to take a quick look at the surroundings. Incidentally, I was once the only revenue passenger in the crew car, and evidently the conductor never informed the attendant of said fact. I was pretty much on my own for that trip. These commenst are in no way intended to be a slap at the employees...they do the best they can.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/14 09:03 by NewRiverGeorge.

Due to the ongoing work at the Tower 55 interlocking at Fort Worth, the Eagle can not be run
to/from San Antonio, nor be physically turned at Ft. Worth. The train is operating
between Dallas and Ft. Worth on Trinity Railway Express trackage, avoiding the UP line
through Arlington and Tower 55 entirely.

It is being assigned two engines, back-to-back and the coach seats are turned, not the entire
train. So in one direction...apparently east/northbound...the Transition Sleeper is at the
rear of the train. "Ken Z" at Little Rock has posted a video showing the consist lined this
way on Train 22. Go to YouTube and search for:

Amtrak Texas Eagle 22LeavingLRKwithUP 4244-335am-072014

Thanks for all the answers. That's pretty much what I thought although the Amtrak agent I booked with told me it was not the Transition car. I don't require any assistance from the attendant, but don't like the idea of being directly behind the loco in case we hit something as was the case with this train last week. The Transition car looked pretty much trashed as a result. But in my case, it looks like I'll be a the rear of the train... sleepers should be as Pullman intended. And with no baggage car on the Eagle or C of NO, there is no reason they couldn't be run that way which would also put the transcon sleeper near the diner avoiding having to walk through the coaches.

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ...why can't Amtrak show each
> cars layout on the web site and you pick your room
> from what's available...just as is done with most
> airlines. That way it could all be done without
> speaking to an agent...just like Amtrak seems to
> want with the endless messages while on hold about
> "giving Julie a try." And unlike the airlines,
> all Superliner sleepers excepting the Transition
> car are laid out the same so I wouldn't think it
> would be that hard. Thanks in advance for any
> answers.

========================================================

Amtrak wants its booking algorithm to be able to most efficiently "dovetail" Sleeping Car
bookings to make best use of the limited space. They feel that if passengers were to be
able to make their own room selections, they would have more empty and unsalable space than
if their own computer program were to assign the space.

For example, say that on Train 21, there are few rooms available: Room 9 is available
from Chicago to Walnut Ridge, Room 10 from Poplar Bluff to San Antonio. Room 4 is available
from Chicago to San Antonio. You are going from Little Rock to Dallas and want a sleeper
for the mostly-day trip; and prefer the room in the center of the car. So although the algorithm
would have put you in Room 10, you take Room 4, Little Rock-Dallas.

This leaves Room 9 from Chicago to Walnut Ridge, Room 10 from Poplar Bluff to San Antonio,
and Room 4 from Chicago to Little Rock and from Dallas to San Antonio.

The next passenger, a high-yield one traveling the entire CHI-SAS route, now has to change rooms
enroute in the middle of the night and possibly have the itinerary specially priced to get a
through Chicago-San Antonio fare (the computer will try to charge separately for two
segments, which comes out higher); or say, "the hell with it, I'll FLY." Considering a
middle-of-the-night change, even most railfans would fly.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/14 11:21 by GenePoon.

I actually like the transition sleeper because there is less foot traffic (usually) through the car.

Yes but they are a very rowdy bunch.

chendermi Wrote:
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> I actually like the transition sleeper because
> there is less foot traffic (usually) through the
> car.