Texas Eagle
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This article's factual accuracy is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. (March 2009) |
| Texas Eagle | |
 Amtrak's westbound Texas Eagle at the restored Texas and Pacific station in Marshall, Texas, in October 2005. |
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| Info | |
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| Type | Inter-city rail |
| System | Amtrak |
| Termini | Chicago (Union Station) – San Antonio – Los Angeles |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1974 |
| Owner | Union Pacific (track) |
| Operator(s) | Amtrak |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 2,728 mi (4,390 km) |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) |
| Amtrak Texas Eagle route[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Texas Eagle is a 1306-mile (2102 km) passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the central and western United States. Trains run daily between Chicago, Illinois, and San Antonio, Texas, and continue to Los Angeles, California, 2728 miles (4390 km) total, three days a week (incorporated as part of the Sunset Limited).
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[edit] History
Amtrak's Texas Eagle is the direct successor of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and Texas and Pacific Railway train of the same name, which was inaugurated August 15, 1948. For thirteen years, the Texas Eagle operated as two separate sections, leaving St. Louis in the late afternoon, one following behind the other at an approximately 10 minute interval. At Longview, the routes diverged. The west Texas section continued to Dallas and El Paso, while the south Texas section operated to Austin and San Antonio, where a connection was made to the Aztec Eagle for Laredo, Texas and Mexico City. In 1952, dome cars were added to the train. After 1961, the Texas Eagle was consolidated as a single, very long train, between St. Louis and Longview, Texas, where the train was split into several sections, each serving different Texas cities. The west Texas section of the Texas Eagle continued from Longview to Dallas, Fort Worth, and El Paso; the south Texas section served Palestine, Austin, San Antonio, and Laredo, with a through Pullman continuing to Mexico City. A third section of the Texas Eagle split from the main train at Palestine, providing service to Houston.
A 1952 consist of the train:[citation needed]
- A-A Set of EMD E8 diesel units
- Railway Post Office-baggage #100 (the only car in the consist with 6-wheel trucks)
- Baggage-dormitory #300
- Divided deluxe coach #400
- Deluxe coach #450
- Divided grill coach #480
- Grill coach #481
- Buffet-lounge #525
- Diner #500
- ‘Planetarium’ Dome #200
- 14-roomette, 4-double bedroom sleeper Eagle Rest
- 14-roomette, 2-double bedroom, 1-drawing room sleeper Eagle Flight
- 14-roomette, 4-double bedroom sleeper Eagle Country
- 10-roomette, 6-double bedroom sleeper Eagle Eye
- Parlor-observation #740
The route of Amtrak's Texas Eagle is longer (Chicago to San Antonio versus St. Louis to San Antonio), but much of today's route is historically a part of the original Texas Eagle route. St. Louis to Texarkana and Taylor, Texas to San Antonio is over former Missouri Pacific Railroad trackage, while the Texarkana to Fort Worth segment traverses the former Texas and Pacific Railway.
[edit] Consist
The normally assigned consist on the Texas Eagle includes:
- 1 P42,
- 1 dorm-sleeper,
- 1 sleeper,
- 1 Cross Country Cafe (limited dining service),
- 1 Sightseer Lounge,
- 1 coach-baggage, and
- 2 coaches.
On a tri-weekly basis, a coach and sleeping car operate from Chicago through San Antonio to Los Angeles, in conjunction with the Sunset Limited.[2]
[edit] References
- Goen, Steve Allen (1997). Texas & Pacific Color Pictorial. La Mirada, California: Four Ways West Publications. ISBN 1-885614-17-9.
- Stout, Greg (1995). Route of the Eagles, Missouri Pacific in the Streamlined Era. Bucklin, Missouri: White River Productions. ISBN 0-9659040-3-2.
- Runte, Alfred (2006). Allies of the Earth, Railroads and the Soul of Preservation. Kirksville, Missouri: Truman State University Press. ISBN 1-931112-52-5.
- ^ Amtrak (2007-04-02). "Texas Eagle / Heartland Flyer timetable". http://www.amtrak.com/timetable/apr07/P21.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
- ^ Amtrak National Consist Book, May 1, 2008
[edit] External links
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