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[quote user="4merroad4man"] I agree that the ideas put forth are not only admirable, but well intentioned and designed to assist the long distance system rather than tear it apart.  I also agree that the problems involved in creating proposals from these ideas revolves around significant logistical and financial issues contained in the information which is well beyond the authorized grasp of the public and a lot of Amtrak employees.I do not believe that Amtrak personnel are any more resistant to change than anyone else, and in fact their history shows them in many cases to be more accepting of change, starting with their coming to Amtrak from relatively secure freight jobs, and goes through acceptance of an hourly wage when such was not common, train offs during the Carter Administration and on and on.The trains mentioned could be placed on the routes suggested and in fact many of these ideas have been investigated internally over the years, most recently when Amtrak crews were sent out on KCS freight trains to qualify in anticipation of the proposed service between Dallas and a Crescent Connection via Shreveport and Vicksburg.  I still have my KCS timetables and special instructions from that event.  That fell through due to funding issues, and the Amtrak folks stopped the qualifying, but the intent was there.For many years there has been talk of rerouting either the Sunset or the Eagle via Ft. Worth and Dallas, but the issues I mentioned earlier and a host of others have always put a damper on things.  I am certain the idea will be revisited again, in different configurations and maybe one day a solution which is logisticaly and financially viable will appear.Harvey, leave it sufficient to say that the crewing issues ARE significant, especially when you speak of eliminating a tri-weekly train between San Antonio and El Paso and replacing it with a daily train on a new route.  Just by frequencies alone, the number of crews increases, not to mention logistics in promoting reliability with resposnbile crewing of these trains.  Not to say it can't be done, but Amtrak probably would have to get its checkbook out.Also, just as info, UP now tends to run, by my observations, anywhere between 20 and 35 trains a day over the ex-T&P.  The number gets larger east of Sweetwater, with BNSF trackage rights trains adding to the mix.  The line has largely been rebuilt but as you can see, there is a significant amount of traffic already out there, and just as much, if not more density as the Sunset Route between ELP and SAS.Toyah Canyon last had flooding issues in 2007, and a major washout occurred, if I am not mistaken in either 2005 or 2006.  Samantha, No. 1 and 2 do use two units west of San Antonio, and any Eagle reroute would likely require the addition of a second unit, to the aforementioned daily train.To the positive, a daily train would be the end result, and that can only increase ridership, as that is the only means in these days of limited equipment, to gain additional seats.As to a Laredo job, unfortunately, the line to Laredo is also saturated, and it has, I believe, only five sidings over the course of some 185 miles.  Not good capacity, which explains the burgeoning  Eagle Pass gateway.I don't mean to be a party pooper, but if we are going to discuss these things, then a shot of reality can't hurt, for those who come up with the ideas can then use the new information to search for solutions to the issues which prevent implementation.  That cannot be a bad thing. [/quote]It is nice to have the well expressed views of an Amtrak employee.  At the end of the day, most of us only know what we read about Amtrak or from trips that we have taken on the trains.  Your views, as a working insider, are invaluable.  Do you only work the Eagle or do you also work the Sunset Limited?
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