quote:Thank you for contacting us. You are correct. As of October 30th, the Pacific Parlor Car on the Coast Starlight will be taken off the train. (It may not be available of every train even before the 30th.)
posted
From what I understand there will still be one operating just with nothing in it. No attendant, bar, on board sales or theater. People would just go into the car and enjoy the scenery. I'm suprised they even know what a Parlour is! Normally when you ask one of the agents over the phone they give you the number of the Dining Car. I guess this will give them a chance to overhaul all of them.
I'm glad that I had the opportunity to spend as much time in the Pacific Parlour as I did on a trip in 2005.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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What a shame !! The Parlour Car made travel on the Coast Starlight special. I was lucky enough to ride it last Spring (2006). --- Dee
Posts: 460 | From: North Central CT | Registered: May 2004
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quote:Originally posted by DeeCT: What a shame !! The Parlour Car made travel on the Coast Starlight special. I was lucky enough to ride it last Spring (2006). --- Dee
I was lucky to have ridden the COAST STARTLIGHT round trip with Parlour Car when it was a new service, back in 1995.
Posts: 134 | From: New York, New York USA | Registered: Oct 2001
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I rarley travelled 1st Class on Amtrak L/D service. Loved travelling Coach. But one of the few times I did travel 1st Class and felt like it was truly a 'First-class' experience was on the Coast Starlight and being able to experience the beautiful Pacific Parlour Car.
My favorite part?
Or even the...
Or was it the ...
Amtrak is truly making a mistake in their decision to cut out this one truly unique service that it offers on this amazing route.
Posts: 497 | From: Clarksburg, West Virginia | Registered: Oct 2003
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Currently, only 2 of 5 cars are running. One was vandalized while in storage, apparently being completely trashed It is currently at Beech Grove. The other 2 apparently have Air Conditioning problems and I have heard these cars get up to 100 degrees with no A/C. That is the full scoop from what I have been hearing. Furthermore, another board reported that Kummant will be riding the Starlight this week (Wednseday) for his tour of the Amtrak system. He apparentely wants to see a Parlour Car... After Oct. 30 I am hoping there is a chance Amtrak will continue running the cars if they are available. This is indeed very sad news.
dmwnc1959, your pictures are magnificent!
PS. By away, you may want to take a look at this website in a few weeks: www.pacificparlourcar.com .
Posts: 1082 | From: Los Angeles, CA. USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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It was the swivel lounge chairs. I got to see Mt. Shasta and the Oregon Cascades from one of those cushy chairs.....and it was like I never left my own living room.
Absolutely magnificent.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Amen, David!! We rode the cs back in "97" from LA to Oakland. It was really wonderful.After getting stowed away in our room( where a vase of carnations was awaiting us along with a white wicker basket filled with "stuff" and a gold key ring) we wandered down to the parlor car settled in one of the cushy chairs and enjoyed the scenery along with wonderful pastries and coffee. In the afternoon we went back for the wine tasting. I am fatally allergic to alchol so while others enjoyed the wine I munched on cheese, crackers, friut and pastry. Then we were entertained by the magician, I have great pictures of the scenery and the train to remind me of "those days". I am sorry a new generation can't enjoy that kind of train as well. I also mourn the demise of the luxuries we had on the Super Chief and other famous trains but I suppose that will never return.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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I took a trip up to Portland last summer but rode in coach to save money. I was hoping to take the same trip this coming January and get a sleeping car room so I could experience the Pacific Parlour Car. If they're not going to be using them then there's not much point for me to upgrade since I do fine in coach. A perk like the Pacific Parlour Car definatly provides an incentive for travelers to upgrade to 1st class.
-------------------- Remember no matter where you go, there you are - Buckaroo Bonzai Posts: 45 | From: Fullerton, CA | Registered: Jun 2005
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A pity. My only time in California was in June '95. I rode the CS from Oakland to L.A. in coach. A nice, scenic trip, but I wasn't aware of the Parlor Car's existence. Was Amtrak running the Parlor Car in 1995?
Posts: 510 | From: Richmond VA USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Jerome Nicholson: A pity. My only time in California was in June '95. I rode the CS from Oakland to L.A. in coach. A nice, scenic trip, but I wasn't aware of the Parlor Car's existence. Was Amtrak running the Parlor Car in 1995?
It sure was, that's when I took it and experienced the Parlour Car, it was new then.
Posts: 134 | From: New York, New York USA | Registered: Oct 2001
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We only took it once but I thought the parlor car was for the use of sleeping car passengers only which may be the reason Mr. Nicholson wasn't aware of it
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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I took a trip from San Luis Obispo to LA in a roomette this past Sunday on #11, since I saw from the Olympia webcam that this train had a Parlour Car.
Train arrived into SLO right at 3:08PM!!!
I headed right for the Parlour Car, where they were already doing the wine tasting. There was an attendant from the extra board manning the car. While he wasn't as good as Richard was, if this was my first trip I wouldn't have known that he was from the extra board. He read off the wine tasting card then poured the wine, and we still used real glasses and cheese and crackers on real plates.
The attendant served drinks, and went through periodically to clean up. Newspapers were also set out. He showed one movie that night since we were going to arrive on-time into LA.
The Parlour Car operating on this train was 39975. 39972 is also supposed to be operating, and left LA on #14 yesterday (Tuesday).
Great trip, even with the reduced service and my second encounter with Simplified Dining!
Posts: 286 | From: Knee deep in the retention tank | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
Hmmm. Paul, if My estimates are correct, those two parlour cars, if they do end up remaining in service on the same trainsets, will depart LA next week on Tuesday and Wednesday. And I'm leaving Monday 10/30. Sigh. But, again if the cars keep running, I may be able to catch one on the return when I board southbound on Friday 11/3 (which also happens to be my birthday ).
I won't get my hopes up though. If there's no Parlour Car I will enjoy mingling with the coach passengers in the Sightseer Lounge. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to get one of the refurbished lounges.
posted
The placement of a third car back in service doesn't sound like the action of a company that is planning to eliminate the service next week.
The rumors I read elsewhere said the cars would remain in service, but be unstaffed after Nov 1. Sleeper attendants would be responsible for keeping it clean.
Posts: 2649 | From: California's Monterey Peninsula | Registered: Dec 2000
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I think they have been given life support for a few more weeks. Kummant has been riding the Coast Starlight these past few days.
Posts: 286 | From: Knee deep in the retention tank | Registered: Jan 2006
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PaulB, I was on the Parlor Car with you on Sunday. That was some sunset, hunh? Yeah, the attendant could have been better. He was nice and heavy handed with the wine though...
Posts: 54 | Registered: Oct 2006
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Hey the Starlight was actually about 45 minutes early getting in last night! I was at Union Station waiting for my return trip on Metrolink when it came in. There were 3 Parlour Cars I noticed in LA. One on the arriving CS and 2 in the service yard. I didn't get the car numbers (sorry) but there were at least 3 there.
Posts: 45 | From: Fullerton, CA | Registered: Jun 2005
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At some point these cars will be retired from the fleet and sold off.
They are 50 years old, and now almost absolutely unique in the fleet. Every single part must be hand crafted. That's big bucks for a firm/agency which doesn't get enough money from Congress to maintain the State of Good Repair.
-------------------- The City of Saint Louis (UP, 1967) is still my standard for passenger operations Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001
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A friend found some "train stuff" at a yard sale, and bought it for a dollar and sent it to me. It is several issues of RAILWAY PROGRESS published by the Federation for Railway Progress. The August 1956 issue has an article about these cars, titled "Hi-Level Strategy" by Edward A. Herron.
It says that the Santa Fe ordered 47 hi-level cars for $ 13 million, and the first El Capitan outfitted with these new cars departed Chicago in July 1956. The cars weighed 79 tons per car, yet have only 2,300 pounds "per seat" in weight due to the increased passenger capacity. The article mentions the dual night lights, and the design of the seats. It is promoted as a smooth ride with the "swing hanger trucks."
The Parlour Cars are impressive to have achieved a 50 year life span.
Posts: 76 | From: Steubenville, OH | Registered: Oct 2004
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Yes - it is impressive for a 50 year life span. It is tender loving care that keeps such cars on the road.
Such cars of 50 years form the backbone of VIA Rail Canada's long distance fleet in the West and the onboard service on these cars is hardly comparable to Amtrak (VIA wins hands down). There are also private rail car owners and Class 1 passenger rail cars (that the Class 1 RR's retained) from the glory days of the Streamliner era of the 1940s-1950s.
I think the lesson is this - with proper funding, cars 50+ years old can still operate if they are maintained with proper funding. Yes, parts will have to fabricated for these cars, as they are for a large part of Amtrak's fleet, as no one is producing Viewliners, Superliners or Amfleets any more.
VIA practically rebuilt the infrastucture of their Budd stainless steel streamliner fleet from bottom to top beginning in the 1990s.
The notion that just because a rail car is x years old it, needs further scrutiny before such a decisionis made on such.
Yes - it would be nice very nice to have new rail equipment every 10 years or so - but trends are such that this ain't happening in North America folks!
Posts: 337 | Registered: Jun 2003
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I agree with Mr jp1822, up to a point. Had Amtrak retained the Budd-built Heritage fleet, and particularly the ex-ATSF Hi Level fleet, there would be a parts inventory to maintain the Pacific Parlour Cars, nee the El Capitan Kachina Lounges.
Amtrak didn't. Most cars are sold off. How many are actually in private hands and how many are scrapped seems to be a problematic question.
Amtrak's Federal subsidy hasn't met its own submitted requirements for some years now, pre-dating the current Administration. My question remains: Is retaining and maintaining to standard five near orphan cars the best use of Amtrak dollars?
quote:Originally posted by jp1822: I think the lesson is this - with proper funding, cars 50+ years old can still operate if they are maintained with proper funding. Yes, parts will have to fabricated for these cars, as they are for a large part of Amtrak's fleet, as no one is producing Viewliners, Superliners or Amfleets any more.
<snip>
The notion that just because a rail car is x years old it, needs further scrutiny before such a decisionis made on such.
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The reason to keep the parlour cars is to help sell first class accomodations. On the CS I don't have a problem riding in coach however I'd consider getting a sleeping car room if there was a special perk for booking that room. Without the PPC, I have no reason to book a sleeping car room
Posts: 45 | From: Fullerton, CA | Registered: Jun 2005
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The whole idea of simple age-based obsolescence is a red herring, pure and simple. The questions that need asking are condition of systems and basic structure. Whether building or railcar it is almost always more cost effective to repair and upgrade than it is to replace. It is only if there is major frame and structure defects that replacement should be done. Re-wire, replumb, new carpet, re-wheel, new bearings, etc do a lot for the functional life of the vehicle at a small fraction of replacement cost.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by PullmanCo: ...Is retaining and maintaining to standard five near orphan cars the best use of Amtrak dollars?
That question came to mind on my trip last week on a Parlour-enhanced Starlight (that would be 14(7) for GBN, Car 39975 for those into Amtrak numerology, and LAX to PDX for you sicko's trying to track me down).
The most unusual thing I observed involved the catbird seats (you know, the eight cushy sofa-like chairs). There was always a butt-free seat available. That has never, ever happened before. These catbird seats are usually staked out, snatched up quickly, and hung onto aggressively. But not this trip. Always a seat available.
In general, patronage in the Parlour was light. Even the wine tastings did not draw much of a crowd (as evidence, the Parlour attendant had a very difficult time emptying the three bottles of wine, even with super-generous second servings).
The Parlour just ain't the same. Gone (certainly for now) are the days when this car was staffed by some of Amtrak's finest. Gone are the souvenir's, adult beverages, and other sundry items for sale in the car. You know, the revenue-generating stuff.
I checked out the no-longer-used downstair theater. Just empty, wasted space. Starting to smell a little musty. I closed my eyes, and tried to imagine bagpipers playing to a packed house (uh, did I say that out loud?).
The Parlour of yore is no more. I still enjoyed it. Love those catbird seats. But it ain't the same, and I got the sense people were spending more time in their rooms or the lounge.
Which brings me to PullmanCo's question. Should Amtrak devote resources to maintaining, repairing, and staffing these cars? Based on my experience last week, I sadly say no. There are much higher priorities for Amtrak's chronically limited resources.
Posts: 445 | Registered: May 2002
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