CS Without PPC But Two SSL

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.

seat38a

Engineer
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
2,025
Location
Orange County California
I was going through the videos of the CS on youtube and ran into couple videos where the train is missing the PPC but has two SSL. I'm guessing this is a substitute for when the PPC is broken down and being repaired. During the substitution, do they still run it just like the PPC? Cafe downstairs used for selling wine, espresso etc.?
 
When I took the CS from LAX to EMY last fall, there were two SSL's and no PPC. The LSA in charge of the Pseudo-PPC was very apologetic about the substitution.

We still had one special dinner entree served there and still had the (free-at-that-time) wine and cheese tasting. In fact, she was very liberal with the pours due to the bad-ordered PPC. I don't recall being able to go downstairs though.
 
When I took the CS from LAX to EMY last fall, there were two SSL's and no PPC. The LSA in charge of the Pseudo-PPC was very apologetic about the substitution.

We still had one special dinner entree served there and still had the (free-at-that-time) wine and cheese tasting. In fact, she was very liberal with the pours due to the bad-ordered PPC. I don't recall being able to go downstairs though.
Thanks for the info. So other than the missing movie theatre downstairs and the bar area upstairs really no difference? Plus the different seating of course.
 
I was on the coast starlight with SSL as PPC once and yes the car is operated the same way. One benefit... The SSL has much larger windows!
 
The first time I took the CS an SSL was substituted for a PPC and it too was run like a regular PPC. It was disappointing on one hand but on the other hand there were very few passengers using it so I had my choice of seats for the downhill run on Cuesta Grade into San Luis Obispo.
 
The first time I took the CS an SSL was substituted for a PPC and it too was run like a regular PPC. It was disappointing on one hand but on the other hand there were very few passengers using it so I had my choice of seats for the downhill run on Cuesta Grade into San Luis Obispo.
Thanks for the info! So it sounds like since it was not the PPC, people decided not to use it as much.
 
Better a SSL as a substitute for a bad ordered PPC than a CCC which is a hybrid Diner/ Lounge Car that is run on the Texas Eagle and the City of New Orleans in place of a Diner!

One of Amtrak's lousier ideas, a Superliner version of a Diner Lite like the Cardinal has!
 
On a recent CS trip, no one signed on for the Wine and Cheese event, obviously because they had to pay for it. After more announcements, the car attendent finally said Amtrak told employees that if the car could not make money, Amtrak would remove the PPC from the train. That remark had little influence as few persons attended the event. Not like when it was free. People flock to free stuff, but eight bucks is a different issue. The cheese tray is an additional five bucks.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
On a recent CS trip, no one signed on for the Wine and Cheese event, obviously because they had to pay for it. After more announcements, the car attendent finally said Amtrak told employees that if the car could not make money, Amtrak would remove the PPC from the train. That remark had little influence as few persons attended the event. Not like when it was free. People flock to free stuff, but eight bucks is a different issue. The cheese tray is an additional five bucks.
The few times I have ridden the Starlight and GREATLY enjoyed the PPC I have noticed MANY Sleeper pax seem to avoid the car like the plague and hide in their rooms. When they come and go from the Diner they scurry through the PPC like they do not belong, even though they are entitled to use it.
 
On a recent CS trip, no one signed on for the Wine and Cheese event, obviously because they had to pay for it. After more announcements, the car attendent finally said Amtrak told employees that if the car could not make money, Amtrak would remove the PPC from the train. That remark had little influence as few persons attended the event. Not like when it was free. People flock to free stuff, but eight bucks is a different issue. The cheese tray is an additional five bucks.
8 bucks is nothing. That is the average cost for tasting at any tasting room in Paso Robles or Santa Barbara.
 
Better a SSL as a substitute for a bad ordered PPC than a CCC
Yes. We had a CCC a few years ago on 14. Lame. The only thing it had going for it was that we had it pretty much to ourselves much

of the time, and the only reason we hung out there was because our room was facing inland. We retreated back to our rooms near SBO..

Definitely would have preferred a SSL...and yes, I know we could have walked through the diner to the SSL, but at least in the CCC we

had guaranteed seating.
 
In the future when the wheels fall off of the PPC, do you guys think the SSL would be converted into the NEW PPC? Remove the cafe from the LL and put a big screen down there etc.
 
On a recent CS trip, no one signed on for the Wine and Cheese event, obviously because they had to pay for it. After more announcements, the car attendent finally said Amtrak told employees that if the car could not make money, Amtrak would remove the PPC from the train. That remark had little influence as few persons attended the event. Not like when it was free. People flock to free stuff, but eight bucks is a different issue. The cheese tray is an additional five bucks.
The few times I have ridden the Starlight and GREATLY enjoyed the PPC I have noticed MANY Sleeper pax seem to avoid the car like the plague and hide in their rooms. When they come and go from the Diner they scurry through the PPC like they do not belong, even though they are entitled to use it.
Some people are just anti-social. Even the dining car community seating can be tough for people who are anti-social, especially the ones who get seated with the chatty ones.
 
One of Amtrak's lousier ideas, a Superliner version of a Diner Lite like the Cardinal has!
A CCC car has a full dining car kitchen, a Diner Lite car does not. The 2 are totally different.

The CCC cars originally had the Lounge booths with too small for dining tables, that has now been fixed. I'm not sure what the problem is now, I think the CCC cars are quite nice. They were never really used as intended, but I feel like they are good multiple use cars that can be used as either a Diner or Lounge as needed.

On this topic however I agree they would make a lousy substitute for a PPC car.
 
In the future when the wheels fall off of the PPC, do you guys think the SSL would be converted into the NEW PPC? Remove the cafe from the LL and put a big screen down there etc.
Are there 5 extra SSL's that can be permanently dedicated to the CS? Hopefully not, as that might encourage Amtrak to keep the PPC's running a bit longer.

OTOH, my guess is that when the PPC's finally become too unreliable to make them an advertised amenity, then the concept will disappear entirely. It would

be just like any other LD train with one lounge for all. (except the AT, which is too different to really count).
 
In the future when the wheels fall off of the PPC, do you guys think the SSL would be converted into the NEW PPC? Remove the cafe from the LL and put a big screen down there etc.
Are there 5 extra SSL's that can be permanently dedicated to the CS? Hopefully not, as that might encourage Amtrak to keep the PPC's running a bit longer.

OTOH, my guess is that when the PPC's finally become too unreliable to make them an advertised amenity, then the concept will disappear entirely. It would

be just like any other LD train with one lounge for all. (except the AT, which is too different to really count).
Hopefully they won't scrap it completely and keep the second SSL around. Second SSL lounge exclusively for sleeper passengers, while not the PPC is 1000% times better than not having anything. Won't have to worry about trying to find a seat in the main SSL or deal with the people who decide to roll out their sleeping bags and blankets on the floor and use it for sleeping. When I was on the SL, the SSL was not the most pleasant place to hangout in due to the reasons just mentioned and couple people who just had to be nosy about everyones business including mine.
 
8 bucks is nothing. That is the average cost for tasting at any tasting room in Paso Robles or Santa Barbara.

For 8 bucks, I hope the wine quality improved, the free pours were generally poor. The free cheeses, on the other hand, were quite good!
 
On a recent CS trip, no one signed on for the Wine and Cheese event, obviously because they had to pay for it. After more announcements, the car attendent finally said Amtrak told employees that if the car could not make money, Amtrak would remove the PPC from the train. That remark had little influence as few persons attended the event. Not like when it was free. People flock to free stuff, but eight bucks is a different issue. The cheese tray is an additional five bucks.
8 bucks is nothing. That is the average cost for tasting at any tasting room in Paso Robles or Santa Barbara.
and if you purchase cheese in the ssl it's 13 bucks total(wine + cheese). for a couple that is $26. if you go both days that is double the amount. for a round trip for our hypothetical couple that is over a hundred dollars(4 wine tastings). my wife and i used to enjoy the wine taste(she doesn't drink wine so she just had the cheese). north of $100 for what used to be included in the fare is pretty steep for our tax bracket
 
I "splurged" on the Cheese Pack on the Cap this Summer and found it to be very good and quite filling at that. 2 people can easily share 1 pack.
 
I frankly, enjoy the PPC, I love to sit in the chair and watch the world go by. I had a bottom sleeper, so I stayed up top, in the car. I agree that many persons are anti-social and do not wish to converse with others. That is their problem. I really only used my room to stretch out and snooze. Late at night, its so cool to be in the PPC, alone and listen to music and wonder whats outside, if I snooze, so be it. This train is sleeper crazy as it had 4 sleepers attached with 4 coach cars as well. I booked late, but caught a fare that was 75 bucks less than the high bucket. Wow, what a find!

The train is always a new adventure and I take it whenever I can. Not many people talk to me except at dinner. I had dinner with 2 young girls coming from a summer camp. The other man a the table was the silent type and said little. I could not stand the silence so I did a cool opener and broke the ice and chatted about lots of stuff, including summer camp. The guy still kept quiet and woofed his food down and left. The girls and I laughed after he was gone. I bought them cheesecake as they were on a budget and split a cheese burger. Dad was picking them up in Emeryville. That was a nice meal with them, see total strangers, even young people can be sociable in the diner.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
On a recent CS trip, no one signed on for the Wine and Cheese event, obviously because they had to pay for it. After more announcements, the car attendent finally said Amtrak told employees that if the car could not make money, Amtrak would remove the PPC from the train. That remark had little influence as few persons attended the event. Not like when it was free. People flock to free stuff, but eight bucks is a different issue. The cheese tray is an additional five bucks.
8 bucks is nothing. That is the average cost for tasting at any tasting room in Paso Robles or Santa Barbara.
and if you purchase cheese in the ssl it's 13 bucks total(wine + cheese). for a couple that is $26. if you go both days that is double the amount. for a round trip for our hypothetical couple that is over a hundred dollars(4 wine tastings). my wife and i used to enjoy the wine taste(she doesn't drink wine so she just had the cheese). north of $100 for what used to be included in the fare is pretty steep for our tax bracket
Or perhaps your just stingy. Fair and balanced? You decide.
 
On a recent CS trip, no one signed on for the Wine and Cheese event, obviously because they had to pay for it. After more announcements, the car attendent finally said Amtrak told employees that if the car could not make money, Amtrak would remove the PPC from the train. That remark had little influence as few persons attended the event. Not like when it was free. People flock to free stuff, but eight bucks is a different issue. The cheese tray is an additional five bucks.
8 bucks is nothing. That is the average cost for tasting at any tasting room in Paso Robles or Santa Barbara.
and if you purchase cheese in the ssl it's 13 bucks total(wine + cheese). for a couple that is $26. if you go both days that is double the amount. for a round trip for our hypothetical couple that is over a hundred dollars(4 wine tastings). my wife and i used to enjoy the wine taste(she doesn't drink wine so she just had the cheese). north of $100 for what used to be included in the fare is pretty steep for our tax bracket
Or perhaps your just stingy. Fair and balanced? You decide.
just poor, gml. retired after 30+ years as an rn(not a big bucks profession). have put 2 and a half of our 3 kids through college. live in a "manufactured" home with dial-up internet in the woods and love it. train travel is our one big splurge. a priced bump of $100 is real money to us. you figure it's a crime to be poor,gml?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top