Houston originally had three nice train stations prior to the horrific Amtrak station now. There was a “Grand Central Station” that was built in 1890 and a new Grand Central Station with a huge Southern Pacific sign on it was built in 1934 on Franklin St. where the old post office is now that was closed down in 2015, I believe it was. Then there was Union Station which is now Minute Maid Park over on Crawford St.. I believe this one was built in 1925. I have no idea why such beautiful ornate train stations are built only to be torn down decades later. I’m not sure why Minute Maid Park was not used for Amtrak prior to it being turned into the stadium. I originally thought this train was coming in from New Orleans, but when I saw the Transco (Williams) Tower in the background at about 1:18, I realized it was coming in from San Antonio. I have taken this train about 4 times I believe. Great video. I wished there were more videos like this of Amtrak coming to Houston. Thanks
@Shaken_AND_Stirred glad you enjoyed the video. You are correct when you said it was coming from San Antonio. Kind of funny we actually caught a flight right there to San Antonio (only 45 minutes) just to come back on the train. That was our 27th wedding anniversary weekend getaway. I love riding the trains. My wife isn't quite with it yet but will ride if I bring it up. We rode to El Paso on the train back in April and they were unbelievably on time with little to no delays. That was a 19 hour ride bit well worth it after hitting West Texas. I'm looking forward to making more videos of riding on these trains. That's my new thing to do when time and money permits. Thanks for watching. I have a few more videos that I did. Just go to the search and type in David Bashay Amtrak and those train videos should pop-up. I'm no professional at this but it creates memories that I can go back and watch at anytime.......
@@davidbashay6286 David, I like the way there is no talking in the videos or music. The sound of the rails and scenery do it all well enough in my opinion. My wife and I both love trains. I retired from one of the “Super Majors” in downtown Houston so it was always easy for us to get on a train. Although, it’s only been a handful of times. I will check out your other videos. Thanks very much. Cheers from Tomball
@Shaken_AND_Stirred I feel ya on that. I don't really talk on any of my videos... glad both of u like the trains. Maybe my wife will get there one day. She's used to flying everywhere. Must be nice being retired. I'm a 50 year old truck driver (home every night) and also a jazz and gospel musician (piano). Wife is an assistant principal in Katy..... Cheers right back at u from Manvel
@@davidbashay6286 Being retired opens up a new set of doors in life that you most often have no option, but to go through, and it started for me when I retired at 57. Often times, working is much easier. Keep that in mind. God is good though. Blessings to you, Brother
Nice video! Many changes have come to this former Southern Pacific line (now Union Pacific), one of which is CPKC utilizing part of the line. Looks like this video started a mile or so east of Lissie, TX which would mean that the Houston station stop is about 63 miles distant. Enjoyed seeing the Brazos River bridge at 34:27. At 1:08:19 the train reaches West Junction. The Lissie-West Junction part of the route was built by the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos & Colorado Railway. Construction began at Buffalo Bayou (Harrisburg) in 1851 and was extended as far as the Colorado River (at Alleyton) by 1860. About 80 miles, total. This was the oldest construction anywhere on the former Southern Pacific. After the Civil War, the BBB&C reorganized and became the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway. By the early 1880s the GH&SA became part of Collis P. Huntington's Southern Pacific. As Houston grew, Harrisburg essentially became a "backwater" with passenger trains passing through Houston as opposed to Harrisburg. To reach Houston, trackage rights from the BBB&C line to Houston were secured. Eventually the GH&SA built its own connecting line from the BBB&C line into Houston. By the early 1900s, Houston's growth was growing close to the connecting line. The GH&SA decided to relocate the connecting line further to the west to bypass the congestion. That line was double tracked with the Houston & Texas Central (another SP subsidiary) building one track and the GH&SA building the second track. Both tracks are utilized to this day connecting at West Junction with the original BBB&C line. Note that at 1:21:51 the train reaches Eureka Junction (note that the track on the right is the former H&TC line going to Dallas. At 1:27:22 the train reaches Cheney Junction which is the line that goes to Englewood Yard.
@sclm046 thanks for that historical perspective on the tracks. Very interesting. When you mentioned about the track the branches off to go to Dallas, I've been wondering why they can't setup Amtrak some kind of way to run between Houston & Dallas. Can't it just use that track? For years they e been talking about this bullet train service to go between Houston & Dallas but they'd have to lay down a whole different set of tracks for that. Well.... maybe one day
@@davidbashay6286 Actually there was Dallas-Houston Amtrak service in the late 1980s and early 1990s as I recall. There was even a stop at College Station (Texas A&M).
@sclm046 now that u mention that, I kinda remembered reading that somewhere. I wouldn't have known that at the time, first of all I'm from Louisiana, and being born in 1974, in the early 80s I was in elementary school and then starting high school in 88. But anyway if they had that route before, it'll be nice to get it back, otherwise you'd have to take a bus to Longview then ride from there to Dallas on the train, or go to San Antonio and catch it from there. Crazy.... lol
Kind of crazy, back in 2006 I would bring trains into Houston that had died on hos. Almost 20 years later and I don't even recognize the track anymore.
I was an Engineer with UP and use to bring trains from San Antone to Houston, remember knuckle hollow? No one wanted to make it to Houston yard because you had to put the puzzle together! A million ways to get fired in Houston yard! Been there done that
The first of June of this year we were 6 hours late into Houston....a stub-end station that was bereft of anything worth getting out to see. Head in....back out. At least the local authorities are allowing halfway decent housing to be built. 6.5 Hrs late into New Orleans....thank goodness we had a bedroom and not in coach. Last year were 6 hours late into Emeryville on #5.....3 hours late leaving ChiTown.
@paulkalff6408 yeah.... I've heard the horror stories about these trains being late. Luckily we were coming in from San Antonio and the train was on time. Maybe it was just our lucky day. Who knows???
They claim that they don't have enough siding capacity to support both freight and passenger service. The service will be restored to Mobile, Alabama soon. If Florida came up with some money I bet they could get it done.
there was that horrific accident back in September 1993 when the train jumped the tracks going over Bayou Canoe in Alabama at like 4 in the morning. I kinda heard that was a reason they're not quick to restore the Sunset Limited to Florida. Maybe I heard wrong but they've been talking about it forever
@@davidbashay6286 I remember that wreck, but I don't think it is related to the discontinuance of through service to Florida. If I recall a barge ran into the bridge and damaged it.
@@davidbashay6286Actually, it was after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, that Sunset Limited service was reduced to only running east to New Orleans. It wasn't because of that accident in Alabama, just to note. Also I have heard New Orleans to Mobile regional Amtrak train service(Gulf Coast Limited), will start running sometime in 2025. Hope one day, train service is restored all the way east to Orlando again, as was how Amtrak train service was ran up until Hurricane Katrina.
I've ridden this train once, I think via East Bernard and entering Houston from the southwest (this was when it made the San Antonio-Houston run overnight); did it go via that route here?
@@davidbashay6286 I made the trip in 2010, when I think the train's schedule was about 12 hours behind the current schedule, so it arrived in Houston very early in the morning.
@@dennisb9157 and what's also crazy is how small the station is in Houston, when you have much smaller cities with way larger train stations. I never understood that
There's a group of rail enthusiasts in Flatonia that have been pushing for a stop for several years. I think they have the city behind them, but they need money for a dedicated siding.
@@davidbashay6286 Southern Pacific had a beautiful passenger station in Houston, not too far from the present AmShack. But they tore it down and put in a post office.
GREAT footage! Thanks for sharing! 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
@@4ever_railfan glad you like it. Plan on doing some more soon
Houston originally had three nice train stations prior to the horrific Amtrak station now. There was a “Grand Central Station” that was built in 1890 and a new Grand Central Station with a huge Southern Pacific sign on it was built in 1934 on Franklin St. where the old post office is now that was closed down in 2015, I believe it was. Then there was Union Station which is now Minute Maid Park over on Crawford St.. I believe this one was built in 1925.
I have no idea why such beautiful ornate train stations are built only to be torn down decades later. I’m not sure why Minute Maid Park was not used for Amtrak prior to it being turned into the stadium.
I originally thought this train was coming in from New Orleans, but when I saw the Transco (Williams) Tower in the background at about 1:18, I realized it was coming in from San Antonio.
I have taken this train about 4 times I believe. Great video. I wished there were more videos like this of Amtrak coming to Houston.
Thanks
@Shaken_AND_Stirred glad you enjoyed the video. You are correct when you said it was coming from San Antonio. Kind of funny we actually caught a flight right there to San Antonio (only 45 minutes) just to come back on the train. That was our 27th wedding anniversary weekend getaway. I love riding the trains. My wife isn't quite with it yet but will ride if I bring it up. We rode to El Paso on the train back in April and they were unbelievably on time with little to no delays. That was a 19 hour ride bit well worth it after hitting West Texas. I'm looking forward to making more videos of riding on these trains. That's my new thing to do when time and money permits. Thanks for watching. I have a few more videos that I did. Just go to the search and type in David Bashay Amtrak and those train videos should pop-up. I'm no professional at this but it creates memories that I can go back and watch at anytime.......
@@davidbashay6286
David, I like the way there is no talking in the videos or music. The sound of the rails and scenery do it all well enough in my opinion.
My wife and I both love trains. I retired from one of the “Super Majors” in downtown Houston so it was always easy for us to get on a train. Although, it’s only been a handful of times.
I will check out your other videos.
Thanks very much.
Cheers from Tomball
@Shaken_AND_Stirred I feel ya on that. I don't really talk on any of my videos... glad both of u like the trains. Maybe my wife will get there one day. She's used to flying everywhere. Must be nice being retired. I'm a 50 year old truck driver (home every night) and also a jazz and gospel musician (piano). Wife is an assistant principal in Katy..... Cheers right back at u from Manvel
@@davidbashay6286
Being retired opens up a new set of doors in life that you most often have no option, but to go through, and it started for me when I retired at 57. Often times, working is much easier. Keep that in mind. God is good though.
Blessings to you, Brother
It's still the Transco Tower to me.
Excellent video my friends awesome like 👍🏻 Greeting 😊
@MarcelosalivaTRENESArg thanks for watching, glad yall like the video
Fantastic footage!
The constant crackling of food/candy wrappers was driving me nuts though 🤣
@ViewpointUnique yeah that was annoying but a really nice ride tho
Nice railway video, Like!!!
Nice video! Many changes have come to this former Southern Pacific line (now Union Pacific), one of which is CPKC utilizing part of the line. Looks like this video started a mile or so east of Lissie, TX which would mean that the Houston station stop is about 63 miles distant. Enjoyed seeing the Brazos River bridge at 34:27. At 1:08:19 the train reaches West Junction. The Lissie-West Junction part of the route was built by the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos & Colorado Railway. Construction began at Buffalo Bayou (Harrisburg) in 1851 and was extended as far as the Colorado River (at Alleyton) by 1860. About 80 miles, total. This was the oldest construction anywhere on the former Southern Pacific. After the Civil War, the BBB&C reorganized and became the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway. By the early 1880s the GH&SA became part of Collis P. Huntington's Southern Pacific. As Houston grew, Harrisburg essentially became a "backwater" with passenger trains passing through Houston as opposed to Harrisburg. To reach Houston, trackage rights from the BBB&C line to Houston were secured. Eventually the GH&SA built its own connecting line from the BBB&C line into Houston. By the early 1900s, Houston's growth was growing close to the connecting line. The GH&SA decided to relocate the connecting line further to the west to bypass the congestion. That line was double tracked with the Houston & Texas Central (another SP subsidiary) building one track and the GH&SA building the second track. Both tracks are utilized to this day connecting at West Junction with the original BBB&C line. Note that at 1:21:51 the train reaches Eureka Junction (note that the track on the right is the former H&TC line going to Dallas. At 1:27:22 the train reaches Cheney Junction which is the line that goes to Englewood Yard.
@sclm046 thanks for that historical perspective on the tracks. Very interesting. When you mentioned about the track the branches off to go to Dallas, I've been wondering why they can't setup Amtrak some kind of way to run between Houston & Dallas. Can't it just use that track? For years they e been talking about this bullet train service to go between Houston & Dallas but they'd have to lay down a whole different set of tracks for that. Well.... maybe one day
@@davidbashay6286 Actually there was Dallas-Houston Amtrak service in the late 1980s and early 1990s as I recall. There was even a stop at College Station (Texas A&M).
@sclm046 now that u mention that, I kinda remembered reading that somewhere. I wouldn't have known that at the time, first of all I'm from Louisiana, and being born in 1974, in the early 80s I was in elementary school and then starting high school in 88. But anyway if they had that route before, it'll be nice to get it back, otherwise you'd have to take a bus to Longview then ride from there to Dallas on the train, or go to San Antonio and catch it from there. Crazy.... lol
سكك حديد.ممتاذة ❤❤❤❤ 0:50
Glad u like it
People have forgotten, it was trains that helped build America.
Kind of crazy, back in 2006 I would bring trains into Houston that had died on hos. Almost 20 years later and I don't even recognize the track anymore.
@opiumextract2934 yes... things have changed
30:00 T17 Rosenberg
Not being a train man what is hos.
@@davekoz8284 Houston Amtrak station code
I was an Engineer with UP and use to bring trains from San Antone to Houston, remember knuckle hollow? No one wanted to make it to Houston yard because you had to put the puzzle together! A million ways to get fired in Houston yard! Been there done that
1:33:26 Intersection of 36 {the overpass train goes under) and Old 90 south of Rosenberg.
Passed right through my home town. Sugar Land. That old red brick building was the old Sugar Factory (Char House)
@russellterral29 oh ok, you're from Sugarland... yep, passed right on thru
The first of June of this year we were 6 hours late into Houston....a stub-end station that was bereft of anything worth getting out to see. Head in....back out. At least the local authorities are allowing halfway decent housing to be built. 6.5 Hrs late into New Orleans....thank goodness we had a bedroom and not in coach.
Last year were 6 hours late into Emeryville on #5.....3 hours late leaving ChiTown.
@paulkalff6408 yeah.... I've heard the horror stories about these trains being late. Luckily we were coming in from San Antonio and the train was on time. Maybe it was just our lucky day. Who knows???
How come the Sunset Limited no longer goes to Miami despite the fact that CSX repaired the track east of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina???
They claim that they don't have enough siding capacity to support both freight and passenger service. The service will be restored to Mobile, Alabama soon. If Florida came up with some money I bet they could get it done.
there was that horrific accident back in September 1993 when the train jumped the tracks going over Bayou Canoe in Alabama at like 4 in the morning. I kinda heard that was a reason they're not quick to restore the Sunset Limited to Florida. Maybe I heard wrong but they've been talking about it forever
@@davidbashay6286 I remember that wreck, but I don't think it is related to the discontinuance of through service to Florida. If I recall a barge ran into the bridge and damaged it.
@@billwilson6670 that's exactly what happened
@@davidbashay6286Actually, it was after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, that Sunset Limited service was reduced to only running east to New Orleans. It wasn't because of that accident in Alabama, just to note. Also I have heard New Orleans to Mobile regional Amtrak train service(Gulf Coast Limited), will start running sometime in 2025. Hope one day, train service is restored all the way east to Orlando again, as was how Amtrak train service was ran up until Hurricane Katrina.
I didn't hear any the horn when it pass on the crossing and i like UP & CPKC Freight
I've ridden this train once, I think via East Bernard and entering Houston from the southwest (this was when it made the San Antonio-Houston run overnight); did it go via that route here?
Going from Houston to San Antonio is overnight
Yes that's the route from the southwest
@@davidbashay6286 I made the trip in 2010, when I think the train's schedule was about 12 hours behind the current schedule, so it arrived in Houston very early in the morning.
Yes, this video starts just outside of East Bernard. EB is around 5:18 in the video.
It's crazy that this train has zero stops between San Antonio and Houston. They should stop in Luling and Columbus.
@@Crusader1815 maybe it's just not enough people willing to get on in those places. Who knows??? Lol
You have Luling, Waelder, Flatonia, and Schulenberg that could have a station stop.
@@dennisb9157 and what's also crazy is how small the station is in Houston, when you have much smaller cities with way larger train stations. I never understood that
There's a group of rail enthusiasts in Flatonia that have been pushing for a stop for several years. I think they have the city behind them, but they need money for a dedicated siding.
@@davidbashay6286 Southern Pacific had a beautiful passenger station in Houston, not too far from the present AmShack. But they tore it down and put in a post office.
Looks like it’s traveling in the railway track next to Alt 90. Coming into Houston from the southwest side
@Danny091709 yeah the tracks follows 90 for a long ways
Now I know for sure it wasn't on highway 90 leaving Beaumont heading to Houston.
I have a ticket for tomorrow!
@Jonathan-un7uq oh really where u headed?
@@davidbashay6286 Houston to El Paso.
@Jonathan-un7uq have fun.... that's a 19 hour journey. Luckily wheni did that route in April the train was on time
Its hard to get excited when theres so much trees and shrubs blocking your view.
55:20 Is someone eating candy? 😋
Yes and it was annoying
Houston Amtrak station is a tiny, dumpy little "thang" under a freeway.
It's called an "AmShack".
Narration would have been nice
@edwardkeaton4972 yeah you're right. I just don't like hearing myself on video
1:10:53 under south loop 610
1:12:54 crosses Bellaire Blvd