Passenger Trains > Thank You Trainorders!

I learn much more from this site than I do from the National Association of Railroad Passengers. NARP tells us after things happen, such as the change from coach pillows and the new Amtrak website. Today we learn of the Silver Star disruption October-November, thanks to this site and Gene Poon. Did I just miss this news on the NARP hotline? I am also hearing rumors that there is a Texas disruption coming for the Texas Eagle very soon. Neither Amtrak nor NARP has said anything but I hear that trains 21 and 22 will either not run Fort Worth to Longview in lieu of a bus-bridge....or...Train 21 will operate as scheduled, with train 22 operating Taylor-Milano-Hearne-Palestine-Troup-Longview with a bus route operating Austin-Taylor-Temple-Fort Worth-Dallas-Longview. The Milano route is the former Mopac main line of the Texas Eagle from the 60's, now Untion Pacific. It is shorter, so the train will have to wait in Longview for several hours if this plan indeed materializes. Amtrak is still selling train space during the October-November window, so any news on this would be appreciated.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/13 08:16 by railaddict.

Don't forget to watch for what happens at Crescent stations between New Orleans and Anniston
for the NS planned shutdown this January.

You do need to sort it out from a lot of subjective opinions here, including mine, but at least you know what is on other people's minds with similar interests.

I would like to know more about this texas eagle reroute as it develops, ive never heard anything of it yet but that is some rare milage for the eagle i'd like to see if so!

Posted from Android

I don't think NARP sees, as one of it's primary functions, the providing of hour-by-hour info on specific train operations. NARP's primary (and critical) function is to provide a voice in DC for rail passengers. So, if you're looking for up to the minute info on Amtrak train performance you are right to go to TO. And, yes, thank you TO for providing that space.

John Webb
Trinidad, CA

NARP blog and hotline rather timely.

The railfan internet sites (and there are plenty of 'em) are always faster than NARP. Even NARP's online updates (I think they read the blogs, and just copy what they see---so they are always last to the party). I used to donate to them regularly, but I gave up two years ago. Every envelope I get (and I still get plenty of junk mail from them) has some sort of quote on the outside of the envelope that talks about "Amtrak will disappear if you don't give us money!". I got tired of the same doom and gloom, year after year, decade after decade.

I know there are plenty of NARP members here who can give a list of things they've done. I, however, have never found the list impressive. I also found that, when I was a heavy donor (how stupid of me!), if I called them for information, they had NO CLUE what I was talking about---every time. It was always a mad rush to find someone who "might know what I'm talking about". I have no love for them, obviously.

The only bad part is guys like BNSF1088 that shows up and for some unknown reason announce the end of Amtrak and all that and they always don't last long!

You have a good memory Danny. That had to be five years ago!

Yeah and I wish he didn't get canned, because the day after, everything was fine, and I would've been one of the 1St to tell him that his so called prediction wasn't true, what happened!

railaddict Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I learn much more from this site than I do from the National Association of Railroad Passengers.
> NARP tells us after things happen, such as the change from coach pillows and the new Amtrak
> website. Today we learn of the Silver Star disruption October-November, thanks to this site
> and Gene Poon. Did I just miss this news on the NARP hotline? I am also hearing rumors that there
> is a Texas disruption coming for the Texas Eagle very soon. Neither Amtrak nor NARP has said
> anything but I hear that trains 21 and 22 will either not run Fort Worth to Longview in lieu of a
> bus-bridge....or...Train 21 will operate as scheduled, with train 22 operating
> Taylor-Milano-Hearne-Palestine-Troup-Longview with a bus route operating Austin-Taylor-Temple-Fort
> Worth-Dallas-Longview. The Milano route is the former Mopac main line of the Texas Eagle from the
> 60's, now Untion Pacific. It is shorter, so the train will have to wait in Longview for several
> hours if this plan indeed materializes. Amtrak is still selling train space during the
> October-November window, so any news on this would be appreciated.

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

Both of the above plus other options are being considered. No decision yet. Part of it depends on the
progress of platform work at Longview. It's pretty well ripped out now and it would be difficult to
transfer entire trainloads of passengers.

NARP won't admit to knowins squat, unless you are one of their "IN" crowd. To be among them you have
to be a 100% loyal Amtrak supporter, as in "Amtrak can do no wrong." That is a lie, so I'm not part
of the NARP "IN" crowd.