What is the difference between 421 Texas Eagle and 1 Sunset Limited trains?

Answer 1

Although I'm not an expert, this is what I have concluded after asking myself - and Amtrak - the same question. Between Los Angeles and San Antonio, the Sunset Limited and the Texas Eagle are different cars all hooked together and transported by the same engine (or locomotive or whatever they call the equipment that powers the train}. At San Antonio there is a split, if you are eastbound, or a merge, if you are westbound, because the route changes here. When I asked the question of Amtrak, a very polite woman told me "not to worry" about it. I just had to get on the number one train and not think about any others. Since I'm boarding the westbound train in Yuma, AZ, where there is no staff, it might be a problem if there were two trains. However, since the Texas Eagle and the Sunset Limited are the only scheduled passenger trains into and out of Yuma and each only comes once a day, three days a week (in each direction) and both the TE and the SL arrive at the same times on the same days, I have to believe there is only a problem if one is eastbound and traveling beyond San Antonio (where they split). Then one would need to be in the correct car so when some cars are detached in San Antonio to continue on the Texas Eagle route one doesn't end up going to an unintended destination.