Amtraks tri-weekly Chicago - San Antonio Texas Eagle will make its last run from San Antonio to Chicago on Sunday, November 10., Thus ending a 22-year service career and leaving Fort Worth and Dallas without passenger rail service, and removing another part of American History and Fort Worth's Railroad Heritage.
Some of us remember this train when it first started as theSt. Louis to Laredo Inter-American. With the demise of the Chicago - Houston Lone Star, this was Fort Worth's only Amtrak Train. When started service to Dallas Returned aftger a long draught left by the cancellation of the Texas and Pacific Texas Eagle. Ironically, Amtrak assigned the same numbers (21 and 22) as the old Texas Eagle.
When the train was renamed Eagle, its daily service was cut to tri-weekly status and service to Laredo was cancelled. Instead, the Eagle would offer thru-car service in San Antonio to Los Angeles via the New Orleans - Los Angeles Sunset Limited.
Between November 1988 up until 1994, the again renamed ran a section from Dallas to Houston via the Southern Pacific. I feel for the men and women whose seniority on Amtrak wont let them keeptheri jobs. I sure will the people who cut the Texas Eagle's throat would look at the human element before passing judgement.
Long live the Texas Eagle.
Danny is a Fort Worth railroad enthusiast.
Editor' Note: The Eagle has been given a reprieve of unknown duration since this letter was written.