Posted 2:51 pm Sunday, November 21, 2010
Dallas A Short Train Ride Away From Mineola On Texas Eagle
By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer
The silver Texas Eagle pulled into the Mineola Amtrak station on a recent Saturday morning and hissed as it came to a stop.
Staff Writer
The silver Texas Eagle pulled into the Mineola Amtrak station on a recent Saturday morning and hissed as it came to a stop.
Steam rose from under the engine and met the cool crisp air as passengers waited to climb aboard, and 2-year-old Nathan Vance held his father Richard's hand like he does many Saturday mornings to watch the train come in and depart.
Vance, a Smith County assistant district attorney, said he takes Nathan to the depot because his son loves trains and the depot manager, Martha Moreland, makes it a lot of fun.
"My dad and I to this day take a train trip each year. I did this with my dad, so I continued with my son and it's just a father-son bonding experience," he said.
For the past several years Mrs. Moreland has gotten out of bed, driven to the Mineola Amtrak train depot and has greeted passengers traveling to other destinations on the Texas Eagle.
This morning was no different as she said hello with a warm smile as waiting passengers looked at some of the memorabilia inside the depot, which also serves as a museum.
Mrs. Moreland explained that she began serving as the manager after losing her husband to a lengthy illness.
"This was my outing you might say," she chuckled and then waived at Nathan and his father.
Mrs. Moreland said her grandfather was a conductor on the Missouri Pacific and her grandson is a conductor on Amtrak.
"I guess you can say it's in my blood," she said.
Mrs. Moreland said the ridership on the train out of her depot is up over recent years and Amtrak Media Relations Manager Marc Magliari said ridership on the Texas Eagle is up 10 percent from last year.
The Texas Eagle runs daily on a route from Chicago to San Antonio, with stops in Marshall, Longview, Mineola and Dallas.
With the Sunset Limited partnering with the Eagle, one can ride from Chicago to Los Angeles for a total of 722 different trips possible with the two lines.
The coach seats are roomy and recline, making it easy to catch a snooze as the car smoothly rocks back and forth on the tracks while reaching speeds of more than 80 mph.
For those who want to see the scenery there is an observation car with windows extending from waist level to the ceiling on both sides allowing great views.
For longer trips, one can reserve one of several sizes of sleeper units complete with restroom facilities or shared facilities.
There is a dining car for cooked meals, usually requiring reservations to the train personnel, or a snack car for those wanting something quick such as a bowl of cereal and juice.
The conductor, dressed in a blue uniform and wearing the traditional conductor's hat, stepped from the train, looked at each passenger's ticket, punched it and then directed the passenger to the correct car according to where they were headed.
A group of colon cancer survivors from the Pittsburg area posed for pictures to document their day trip to Dallas.
Their plans included a little shopping in West End and lunch before hopping back on the train and heading back to East Texas.
"It just sounded so fun, and many of us have never ridden a train," Karen Newsom said. "This trip is actually on my bucket list."
Mrs. Newsom learned she had colon cancer in 2008 and has since gone into remission.
Her group of eight women, still looking for a name, is hoping to raise awareness to colon cancer and how important it is to have regular checkups and further testing if needed.
The group of women sat in the observation car and talked once the train began chugging down the line toward Dallas.
A group of men heading to San Antonio from Chicago played dominos as they talked about their plans once reaching their destination.
On the train, there were families and single riders on their way to different locations.
For one woman, who only wanted to be identified as Sarah, the train was carrying her to San Antonio where she was to meet her boyfriend after his completion of Air Force basic training at Lackland Air Force Base.
Sarah sighed as she thought of finally getting off the train and meeting her boyfriend after several months of being apart.
"It's going to be a great time while we are together, but then I have to go back to St. Louis, and I'm not sure where he will be heading," she said.
As the train slowed at several little towns, the engineer pulled the whistle to warn vehicles he was approaching railroad crossings. When he was clear of the town, the speed would once again increase as the train chugged on toward Dallas.
Finally seeing downtown Dallas out of the observation car on a sunny day is a beautiful and breathtaking view; and knowing the train is about to pull into Union Station in Dallas lets the imagination begin to think of the adventure about to be experienced.
The group of women from Pittsburg said the trip was wonderful and they agreed with Mrs. Moreland who said train travel had not lost its romance.
"If you have the time to travel and are not in a rush to get from one point to another, this is the way to go. It is a romantic way to travel," she said.
Stepping off the train in Dallas, it is only a short walk to historical sites such as the old Texas Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald set up his rifle and fired the shot that killed President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963.
Below the widow on Elm Street between the grassy knoll and Dealey Plaza, an X marks the exact spot where Kennedy was shot.
A few blocks away, one can find multiple restaurants and specialty shops, the Dallas Aquarium and the DART trains station to hop a city train and head to various spots within the city.
After a day of train riding and roaming the streets of downtown Dallas, one can find a nice, peaceful sleep in The Lawrence Hotel, which has the 1920s style charm of the era it was built.
Quaint and in a prime location for hitting the sights, The Lawrence's staff is friendly and knowledgeable about area attractions.
A Sunday afternoon train ride back to Mineola ends a quick getaway weekend and leaves one ready to ride the rails again.
