Where to find trains in Austin, Texas

[JohnMcL7]

I'm visiting Austin in Texas and wondering how to find some trains to go and get some shots of - is there anything like realtimetrains or any other good resources?

 

[DelW]

I'm visiting Austin in Texas and wondering how to find some trains to go and get some shots of - is there anything like realtimetrains or any other good resources?

Amtrak's Texas Eagle serves Austin, but only 3 times per week only once a day each way. Amtrak's tracker should show its live timings, but can be flaky at times. Long distance Amtrak trains often run many hours late, usually due to freight train interference.

For freight, there's no equivalent of RTT. In some areas radio traffic to\from dispatchers is available via a scanner or via internet streams*, but I have no knowledge of the Austin area. US enthusiasts manage to pick up transmissions from hot box detectors, which often include axle counts, but I don't know how they access them.

*You could try railroadradio.net or broadcastify.com for starters.

(edited to correct frequency)

 

[Sun Chariot]

@ac6000cw - your wonderful US freight photos does make me think you know how to "live-track" US freight workings.
Are you able to offer any insight to the OP?

 

[stadler]

I'm visiting Austin in Texas and wondering how to find some trains to go and get some shots of - is there anything like realtimetrains or any other good resources?

Austin has a suburban railway line called Austin Cap Metro Rail which runs from the City Centre to an area about 30 miles North of the city.

CapMetro Rail

CapMetro - Austin Public Transit - 550 Red Line commuter train service. Get to downtown Austin on the rail!

www.capmetro.org

It uses diesel multiple units. This is probably the easiest train to get photos of. There are plenty of places near the city centre where you could get photos. It goes over lots of level crossings.

If you want to take a ride then it costs USD3.50 for a single or USD7.00 for a day ticket that includes both the trains and the buses. The train runs about once every 60 minutes off peak and runs once every 30 minutes during peak hours. But not all off peak journeys go the entire length. But you could easily do a return journey in the peak hours along the full length from Austin to Leander and back again which takes about an hour in each direction.

 

[Taunton]

This map shows the trains per track per day density on Union Pacific, who are really the only show in town for Austin, on their onetime Missouri Pacific main line from the Midwest down to Laredo in Texas and into Mexico. It shows 20 trains per day on their line passing west of Downtown Austin through the city. That's a lot for a USA line. Within that they could show up anytime.

https://www.trains.com/trn/railroads/maps/union-pacific-trains-per-day/

 

[Herriot2021]

It's likely worth checking the local railfan Facebook pages, they're quite common in the states and tend to offer good information. Despite the lack of formal schedules, a lot of freight traffic is quite predictable and the local groups will guide you in the right direction.

I've never been to Texas, but I understand the freight industry there to be both busy and diverse.

In my travels to the US I have found that many cities have areas that are best avoided (and frequently railways pass through these areas) I'd research such areas in a Fromer's guide (or similar) before heading out.

 

[ac6000cw]

@ac6000cw - your wonderful US freight photos does make me think you know how to "live-track" US freight workings.
Are you able to offer any insight to the OP?

Not much I can add to the info and advice already posted - other than to say you need patience sometimes e.g. what should be busy places can go dead for hours due to daytime track maintenance (it's happened to me several times), so try and have a 'plan B'.

(And of course, 5 minutes after you've given up on a location due to lack of trains, one will roll through, horns blaring, when you're just too far away to get back there to see it... )

In case it's useful, this is the Austin area on OpenRailwayMap - https://www.openrailwaymap.org/?style=standard&lat=30.265294492973805&lon=-97.77900695800781&zoom=12 (AFAIK, the orange line is the Union Pacific (ex-Missouri Pacific/'MoPac') mainline through town, the yellow line heading north is the Cap Metro Rail line mentioned earlier (map of the route).

 

[agk2126]

Amtrak's Texas Eagle serves Austin, but only 3 times per week each way.

The Texas Eagle operates every day in both directions. Two intercity trains per day through Austin. Better than nothing!

 

[JohnMcL7]

The Texas Eagle operates every day in both directions. Two intercity trains per day through Austin. Better than nothing!

It would be good to see something for a change and with that one being scheduled makes it a lot easier.

I really appreciate all the replies, I have a few days in hand so will see if I can work something out.

 

[DelW]

The Texas Eagle operates every day in both directions. Two intercity trains per day through Austin. Better than nothing!

Sorry, yes, it's the continuation west beyond San Antonio to LA that's only three times a week, as through coaches attached to the 3tpw Sunset Limited.

 

[Taunton]

All the three onetime major railroads into Austin, the Missouri Pacific, the Katy, and the Southern Pacific, have ended up in the Union Pacific. The former Southern Pacific lines, a branch running up from Houston, were sold off to a local operator, the Austin Western, who run a typical modern "short line", very much running just for a few shippers with secondhand locomotives still in original livery, though it seems all overlaid with their logo, an (inevitably) Lone Star. They manage the commuter service described above

Austin Western Railroad - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[gazthomas]

I don't know when you're travelling but there is a Steam Train Association in Austin who run trains:

Austin Steam Train Association - Austin's Favorite Vintage Train

All aboard Austin’s moving museum! From family fun to wine tastings and themed adventures, our vintage train has something for everyone.

www.austinsteamtrain.org

 

[sh24]

Would echo the guidance to find a local group on social media and ask for help. They can advise on areas to avoid too! As someone who ended up in a some very rough parts of Chicago by dint of bad planning….get guidance. The US can be far scarier than anywhere in Europe.

 

[JohnMcL7]

I don't know when you're travelling but there is a Steam Train Association in Austin who run trains:

Austin Steam Train Association - Austin's Favorite Vintage Train

All aboard Austin’s moving museum! From family fun to wine tastings and themed adventures, our vintage train has something for everyone.

www.austinsteamtrain.org

I'm over at the moment and leaving at the end of next week. My original idea was to do a lot more travelling round the state which I'm less convinced about now so thought I'd see if there's anything worth looking for locally.

 

[DelW]

I'm over at the moment and leaving at the end of next week. My original idea was to do a lot more travelling round the state which I'm less convinced about now so thought I'd see if there's anything worth looking for locally.

Just a warning: Amtrak are currently showing the southbound Texas Eagle as terminating at Marshall, east of Dallas, with no upcoming departures at Austin (or Dallas). No idea why or for how long that will apply (I noticed it while looking for something else ).

 

[JohnMcL7]

Just a warning: Amtrak are currently showing the southbound Texas Eagle as terminating at Marshall, east of Dallas, with no upcoming departures at Austin (or Dallas). No idea why or for how long that will apply (I noticed it while looking for something else ).

Thanks for the warning which will avoid considerable disappointment if I'd gone looking for it.