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Will be riding the Starlight between Portland and Emeryville in early May. Naturally, I am looking forward to enjoying the Pacific Parlor Car.
If (hopefully NOT), one is unavailable that day what is Amtrak's "normal" procedure ?
I have heard that sometimes an extra Sight-seer Lounge Car is added as a substitute. If that is the case , is this extra car accessible to first-class passengers only ?
I have also heard that sometimes no extra car is added at all and that the Dining-Car is used for the wine/cheese tastings.
Which usually seems to happen---or is there another "scenario" ?
Just curious.
PaulB Member # 4258
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You're correct in your assumptions.
It all depends on what's available in the Los Angeles yard. Sometimes you will get a Sightseer Lounge, sometimes nothing at all. On rare occasions, a dining car has substituted for the Parlour car.
CoastStarlight99 Member # 2734
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I just got off the Coast Starlight, as you see in my other thread we did not have a parlour car, nor a substitute.
mr williams Member # 1928
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I'm taking the CS from Portland to San Luis Obispo in 10 days time so I'll let you know. As an aside, when I first started reading Trainweb about five years ago the CS seemed to be very much the "Jewel in the Crown", with the wine tasting, parlour car, good timekeeping and excellent service etc. Now reports seem to suggest it is tired, clapped out and perpetually late. Given that I have "realistic" expectations of Amtrak, what can I expect?
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