Nostalgia & History > Lone Star at Sealy,Tx -- May 77

The Lone Star is northbound on the Santa Fe just entering Sealy,Tx.
The train left Houston earlier that morning (50 miles east by interstate or 65 miles by rail).
Fast speeds were the norm through this area -- I guess 79 was the official limit. I've talked to old Santa Fe employees who said that between Sealy and Rosenberg they used to haul the Texas Chief at whatever speeds they needed to (100 mph they said).
This was a typical consist for the Lone Star ---
Two SDP40F
baggage
10-6 sleeper
diner
lounge
two ex-Santa Fe hi-level coaches.
This train appears to have an extra coach.
Not very far in the future , one engine, and the lounge would be dropped.
A lot of times the entire consist would be ex-Santa Fe equipment.
It's hard to believe it has been over 25 years since any passenger service on this line.

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Did this train stop at Bellville or Rosenberg?

Rosenberg.
As a matter of fact I'm scanning a couple of shots of the Lone Star at Rosenberg I'll post later this week.

Gary

gcm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rosenberg.
> As a matter of fact I'm scanning a couple of shots
> of the Lone Star at Rosenberg I'll post later this
> week.
>
> Gary

gcm:

Please LOAD HER DOWN with LONE STAR photos!!! Thank you for this beautiful shot.

Ironically, Amtrak 523 was on the point of the LONE STAR I rode on my first two-part train ride when I was 13 years old...so the picture is particularly enjoyable for me. I think the 523 was a regular on the LONE STAR and SOUTHWEST LIMITED (as it was then called).

Odd thing...I'll have to go back and check some pix...but I THINK that just a year later, 523 had white number boards with black numerals...but I might be thinking about another unit. I am certain that 523 was the unit that pulled me on the 2nd leg of my first train ride, however (first leg was the INTERAMERICAN).

In 1978, the LONE STAR ran from Dallas to Fort Worth (there were then TWO Amtrak trains running between Dallas and Fort Worth) with one SDP and 4 or 5 cars, where it was switched into a larger consist which went on up to OKC, KC, and Chicago, at Fort Worth, resulting in 2 SDP's, and 9 cars...strangely...and this seemed to be common...there was a baggage car on BOTH ends of the train.

The Dallas to Fort Worth section of the LONE STAR was referred to by the MP/T&P crews, ironically, as the "Baby Eagle", and, was a VERY GOOD turnaround job...they ended up back at home after a relatively short work day.