Traxx Lounge full, coffee and juice only, no pastries. Red Cap ready at 9:30 so we boarded to 1431 Room E. Jay is our attendant, Amtrak since 1991. Had to move train to pick up a replacement coach at the rear.
Little bag with soap, shampoo, etc., route guide and a nice notebook with the Parlour Car story, menus, list of coffee specialties (we'll see). Charley is female dining car lead. Jane in charge of PPC.
Departed at 10:45, half hour late. Jose in the snack bar likes to talk on the speaker. Got the menu, etc. several times. And the souvenirs.
Booked the PPC for lunch. Chicken Cobb Salad for me, salami/ham/provolone sandwich for Art. Both nice. Ice cream, pecan tart or brownie for dessert. Plastic plates. Art had the extra price hot chocolate and yes Smitty, the special coffee machines are working. However, when I ordered my salad, which you do at the time you make your reservation, it was the last one available. And she still had all the other bedrooms in our car and perhaps another sleeper to go. We have three sleepers and four rooms in the transdorm and all will be full by SAC.
Two movies today, The Soloist and Duplicity. Sat in the lovely PPC seats along the beach talking to a British tourist, a middle aged musician traveling on his own after visiting his son in LA. Only one or two others there. And Jose is regaling us again.
Met a Couple who were missionaries in Pakistan and Afganistan for 20 years. He is going blind from MD so sent home to Australia. Talking with man who lost his sight to RP at age 40.
Air stop in SLO. Quite warm. We are basically back on time. Seeing deer periodically. And plenty of cows.
Talkative new conductor, gives lots of scenic commentary. Dinner in the PC. Braised beef, pretty good. Cheesecake, fruit tart or ice cream for dessert. Skipped the wine tasting but had to leave the PC.
Met man who just retired and rode his bicycle from Vancouver to Mexico and back to San Diego. He was on the way home to Oakland. Took 26 days, averaged 75 miles per day.
Watched the movie. Room for 20. Just the two of us there. Sound was a bit echoey but picture good, seats comfy. Had a specialty coffee, mocha. Pretty good. To our room at 10:15. In Emeryville just about on time.
Klamath Falls early, 7:30. Will be here for an hour. We are in the PPC for scrambled eggs and sausage. Sunny with mist rising off all the ponds. Chicken maple sausage- ick. Preconstituted scrambled eggs. Oh well.
Into the Cascades. Clouds and fog take over. We came through here in May of 2008, the first week it was open after the slide. Now don't really see evidence of same although the fog is obscuring a lot. But nature does recover quickly.
Lunch in the diner with two senior ladies traveling alone. Burger and hot dog (yes, Art eats off the children's menu). OK but not great. A chocolate peanut butter tart was very good. Still on time through Albany, OR.
Dinner in PPC. Lamb in a sauce. The trend is clear. Various meats cooked a long time in various sauces. Can't be tough or dry that way. Add the same veges and rice. Realized that the salad bowls are cardboard. They are thrown out. But Jane says they are going back to china of which they have plenty. I guess they have to use up all the paper salad dishes first?
On time to Seattle. Very friendly and hard working staff. So-so food. Great scenery. Clean room. Interesting people. Overall a wonderful trip.
Up at 6:00 to get a cab back to King St Station and the 510 to VAC. My Business Class disappeared as the Talgos are off for the weekend. So we are in two level cars. There is a dome car between the two coaches. On board via cattle herding method and took a lower level seat in deference to Art's lungs and my back spasms. Train is quite full. Just barely daylight. And gets foggier the further north we go.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Wow, you typed all of that from an iPhone?? That is impressive!
I'm glad you got a Parlour Car--whew!
The crew you have sounds like the same crew I've had several times. Charley used to be the lounge car attendant, and she moved to the diner about 2 years ago. Jay is a very friendly guy, and if the Jose in the lounge is the one I'm thinking of, he used to be a PPC attendant. Does he still tell the same jokes? And the talkative conductor out of SLO---is he the one that says, "And remember, Bud does not make you wiser"? He's used the same line for many years now.
Glad you're having a good trip! Enjoy the cruise (I think that's where you're going).
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Thanks Vicki. Glad you had the parlor car. Is the menu the same in both the dining car and PC? I truly hope that you and ART have a wonderful trip.
Posts: 498 | From: New Hope, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Parlour Car menu is different and limited to two entrees. But I considered quality the same.
Smitty - I wrote the report up on the iPhone notepad and then copied it to my forum topic. As for the talkative conductor, his joke was the complete eclipse of the sun predicted any minute - and the tunnel came soon.
Using the iPhone on free wifi in our Vancouver hotel, the Pacific Palisades. Great place. Cruise ship tomorrow. And the sun is shining here! It's a miracle.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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I so need another trip on the Coast Starlight.
California Zephyr too. Might ought to get that one in before they decimate.....er....renovate..Denver Union Station!
-------------------- 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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I will say that my last three trips on the Coast Starlight - since its re-launch have been great. And they all featured a Pacific Parlor Car (at last). But on all three trips not once did I see the famed Coffee Machine working or anyone drinking coffee (except a regular cup)! I basically gave up on the western long haul trains from around 2005 to 2007. If on vacation for long periods of time, I was typically on VIA Rail - particularly the Canadian, Skeena, or Maritime trains as well as Rocky Mountaineer during those years.
Anyway, back to the Coast Starlight. On one trip I went all the way from San Diego (Pacific Surfliner/Coast Starlight) to Seattle (on-time even after waiting in Klamath Falls for a 1.5 hour planned UP work window). Another trip I just went to the Bay Area and then took the CA Zephyr eastbound. Then my September 2009 trip was the most recent, and as before, we arrived into Klamath Falls 1 hour early at 7:30 a.m. I can remember arriving into Klamath Falls at lunch time, after lunch, or frankly just "sitting there" for hours on end back during one period of time before the re-launch. Timekeeping of the Coast Starlight earlier this decade was horrible.
Anyway, interestingly enough we had the "Budd" conductor on my September trip and the solar eclipse! On the September trip I couldn't believe how low the water table seemed to be in the Cascades - especially that resevoir area before entering Eugene!
We arrived into Portland 20 minutes early. I think Amtrak should look into cutting out some of the padding in the Coast Starlight schedule, as we were often waiting at some stops and others were just extremely brief if not a little late on arrival. Perhaps some re-distribution of the padding at any rate. But definitely the Coast Starlight can be an hour late out of Sacramento and still make it into Klamath Falls an hour early! This was noted at a few other stations on my September trip - particularly at stations where there was known to be padding, we were arriving an hour early.
I also was at the Traxx lounge area and we had no pastries etc. Just something to drink, which was fine.
I foud that the Pacific Parlor Car definitely takes some stress off the Diner. So even though there is this huge debate about whether the Parlor Car should even continue, since it doesn't generate any revenue, I will say that between the wine tasting, which is a money maker (we were filled for both days) and the fact that meal seatings were filled for each of the Parlor Car offerings, it helped to relieve "stress" from the Diner (which was practically at reservation only at all meals) and provide an upgraded meal offering.
I guess breakfast in the Parlor Car varies, as the two previous trips I had, it was more of a "buffet" breakfast with first come first serve up until 10 a.m. While this time breakfast was promptly over at 9 a.m. I couldn't believe our Parlor Car attendant didn't make a last call or ask if anyone wanted any more breakfast as there was a "lot of food from breakfast" that was thrown out.
I hope they bring back real China on some of the long distance trains, as the disposable stuff, even though it may "look nice" and not so cheap and holds up quite well etc., Amtrak is generating a lot of trash since they have to throw out these plates and bowls, rather than have a dishwasher - well they have one, but they just eliminated that position for cost savings measures. Dumb! But this has been going on ever since they went back to plasticware. At least they kept the stainless steel knives, forks, and spoons.
And of course compared to years past, it was nice to have a Parlor Car, rather than a substitute Sightseer Lounge or even nothing at all. I was never aboard to have a Superliner Diner-Lounge sub in. So looks like they have all the Parlor cars running at present. But is the fifth Parlor Car (only four are required for the Coast Starlight train sets) still being used or rotated into a consist now and then? Someone had said they were using it for parts, which is what got Amtrak into trouble before wth the Pacific Parlor Cars.
I am happy to see the Pacific Parlor Cars running, but I definitely do not see a lot of "upgrading" that they supposedly did to these cars in Beech Grove. Perhaps it was mechanical and to ensure they buffet area could handle food items, but other than that they just put a new paint scheme on, spent money supposedly on a fancy coffee machine, and installed or upgraded the theater down below. I wish though, they'd get rid of hte window drapes. They are so annoying, block views and just not needed. Or if they are going to have them, they should have put in those thinner types that aren't as bulky. After all it is supposed to be for "sightseing" from this particular car. Maybe reserve them for the booth seating areas in case there is sun annoyance when you are trying to eat. Otherwise, something in their place or removal would have been just as well. There's also certainly more "wall" decorating they could have done in this car. For example there were framed areas where a picture should go in the Parlor Cars I've been on - only they've lacked a picture.
Anyway, the Coast Starlight experience is definitely better than what it was earlier in the decade. But is it as good as when Brian Rosenwald had first rolled it out? Different and debatable!
Posts: 337 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Count yourself lucky that Amtrak has not yet chosen to retire the 55 year old Santa Fe Hi-Level lounges. When they are uneconomical to repair, they'll be gone.
-------------------- The City of Saint Louis (UP, 1967) is still my standard for passenger operations Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001
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Rode the Starlight on one of its Tehachapi detours last fall. Booked a "roomette" so I would have use of the PPC. It was an absolutely delightful trip, with only about 60 people on the train, so there was plenty of room for everyone and excellent service by the crew. Jane was our PPC staffer and she was excellent. Wine tasting was delightful, food good in both diner and PPC (breakfast in diner, lunch in PPC). It's the best Amtrak train I've ever been on, and with a Pullman lounge (apologies to the Pullman Company, couldn't resist) reminded me of my trips on SAL and ACL Florida trains as a child.
Posts: 614 | From: Merchantville, NJ. USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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Thanks for the trip report, Vicki. I am off on a brief junket myself and was so busy I had no time to post, but hopefully in a few weeks I'll be "back on track"!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Had a great day in Vancouver. Beatiful hotel, the Pacific Palisades. Got it on Priceline for $95US. Boarded our ship on the 4th and sailed to Victoria where we visited the gardens. Sunny day!
We then sailed to San Diego arriving this morning. I think we passed Frank on the way. Disembarkation was delayed as many of the non-American passengers seemed to interpret mandatory presentation to immigration officials as voluntary. No one can leave the ship until all are cleared.
Finally got off at 9:10 so we took a pedicab to the train station. $13! Oh well, got there just in time to board our 9:30 Surfliner. Business Class for real this time. Now enjoying my coffee and the coastal scenery. Will have an hour drive once we get to LAX.
Glad you enjoyed the CS report. We enjoyed the trip.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Victoria, BC. My wife and I had a wonderful time there in April 2004. We arrived on a Pacific Coach bus from Vancouver via BC Ferries and stayed for three nights. It was just fun taking each day as it came and making plans as they struck our fancy.
The coming and going was great too.....in via the Cascade Talgo from Seattle and out to Winnipeg on VIA's Canadian. Fabulous, fabulous trip.
-------------------- 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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Frank, I found out that the Cascades 510 the next day, October 4th, didn't even get a train, they were bustituted. Per Dutch by Association's blog. He was on our trip but we did not meet him.
I will have a link to pictures for you all in a day or so.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Thanks for the pictures---looks like a great trip! I have got to get myself on a cruise ship one of these days. It looks like so much fun.
In your pictures, a couple of notes.....Inside the Parlour Car, I see that they have a new style of fabric covering the seats---I had not seen that before. Not the booth seating, and not the swivel lounge chairs, but the other seats that have the small tables in front of them. They must have just done that. And in your pictures of Klamath Falls, I'm pretty sure that first shot outside the station is Salinas, but the one with the train in front of the station is indeed KFS.
How do you pay for items in Canada---on your credit card? I took my first trip to Canada in August, and I used my Master Card. When I got my statement, there were additional charges for every purchase I made (a "conversion fee") which I didn't know would be there.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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quote:Originally posted by PullmanCo: Shot 12, did you take that about at Refugio SB???
Probably about there.
Smitty - Did I really take a picture of Salinas? Anything is possible. I got out at Klamath to get my tickets for the Cascades that the QuikTrak machine wouldn't cough up.
As for Canada - We got some Canadian money in Vancouver at a money exchange (our ATM card wasn't working in any ATM we tried) so we paid a premium for that. And we charged one meal at a Tim Horton's which has appeared on our card in USD for some odd reason. It is true that your credit card will charge you a fee for each conversion, usually about 3%. So it is best to get some quantity of cash to use. The border towns were open to using USD at a one for one rate, not quite favorable for us.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Vicki-loved the photos, much better than your average snapshot. Wish we had taken more on the train on our recent Starlight trip, so yours were especially nice to see.
Did you get a chance to stop by the Empress Hotel for tea - quite a landmark building.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Well I see Miss Vickie remains camera shy, you and Mr. Art will have to come to Chi and a dinner at Miller's Pub (I don't think we need the "funhouse' atmosphere at Nsvy Pier and Riva again) with me, so that Miss Vickie will be on camera again - and with "guess who'.
Posts: 9980 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Great photos, Vicki!!! It looks like you had a great trip. I wish I could take photos as well as you -- I used to be pretty good, but with our modern high-tech camcorder (which takes video as well as stills), I still haven't figured out how to focus it for the stills, so most of my stills come out blurred or dark.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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