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On Saturday I took the Eagle from Temple to San Antonio and returned today.  I have a couple of observations to share and a couple of questions. My meal in the dining car (pasta and a glass of wine) was respectable Denny's quality.  The server was pleasant, efficient, and effective.  My table mates were congenial, and we had a good conversation. The train arrived in San Antonio about 10 minutes ahead of schedule. Breakfast on the return trip this morning was awful. I had the scrambled eggs, raisin toast, and coffe.  Should have stayed with cereal, etc.  The car had a lead service attendant and one server, who quickly fell behind in serving the customers, in no small part because the lead service attendant did not help her.  My table mates reminded me of the Simpsons, which is always a risk, but the train was on time into Temple.   Amtrak is a riddle.  Sometimes the staff provides excellent service, but on other occasions it is awful. I got the best and the worst on this trip.   This morning the Sunset was nearly two hours late arriving into San Antonio.  Turns out the lead Amtrak engine failed near Lordsburg, N.M. Apparently the Sunset limped into El Paso, where it acquired a UP locomotive for run to San Antonio.  It looked like an SD70M, but I could not be sure.   To my questions:  Can the SD70M run 79 mph, which is the maximum speed for the Sunset?  Also, would the Amtrak engineer be permitted to pilot the UP locomotive, or would it have been operated by a UP engineer?  Any idea how much Amtrak would have to pay UP for the use of one of its locomotives and maybe one of its engineers? Just before the Eagle arrives in San Antonio, the passengers in the through sleeper and coach are advised to return to their cars.  The coach passengers are further advised to gather up their belongings from the seat pockets, etc. because the seats are going to be turned around in San Antonio.  The through sleeper and coach are at the back of the train.  When the train arrives in San Antonio, they are cut off the Eagle.  As far as I can tell, when the westbound Sunset arrives from NO and Houston, after detraining its San Antonio passengers, the SA crew moves the train forward, beyond a switch, and then backs down the track where the through cars are spotted to couple them onto the back of the Sunset.  Would the Amtrak engineer crew get any extra compensation for this move? The improved schedule for the eastbound Sunset and the through cars for the Eagle comes at a price.  I notices a sleeper and coach parked just beyond Commerce Street, which is near the San Antonio station.  They are protect cars in case the Sunset is running terribly late, whatever that means.  It looks like Amtrak had to have a hefty power source constructed to keep the cars warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  Presumably the power is provided by San Antonio Public Service. It appears this additional cost could have been avoided had Amtrak made the Eagle a through train, with a connecting coach train from NO and Houston, even if it had only been a three day a week train.
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