The Pacific Parlor Car.....

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R

Rick

Train Attendant
Joined
Mar 10, 2005
Messages
44
Does anyone know the current status of the "Pacific Parlor Car" on the "Coast Starlight"? I've seen a few posts stating that it wasn't in service at times for whatever reason. We will be riding the "Coast Starlight" on the second leg of our trip (Oakland to Los Angeles, March 19th).....having booked a family bedroom so we could have access to the "PPC". Does anyone have any info. on this? Thanks!
 
At present Amtrak is running the PPC cars on the Starlight. During part of January and most of February, the cars were not running thanks to the flooding that knocked out service between LA and Emeryville.

That said, Amtrak only has 5 of the PPC cars. Four are required for daily service, leaving one car as a spare. Often that spare is out for regularly scheduled maintenance and the spare is regularly rotated for this purpose. Therefore, if one of the remaining cars unexpectedly gets bad ordered for a problem and it does happen from time to time, it is possible that the train will run without a PPC.
 
Alan....Thanks for the information! We will be crossing our fingers that a PCC will be in service! Thanks again! Also, I would like to say that this is an outstanding site! An absolute wealth of information!!! I am grateful!
 
Rick said:
Alan....Thanks for the information! We will be crossing our fingers that a PCC will be in service! Thanks again! Also, I would like to say that this is an outstanding site! An absolute wealth of information!!! I am grateful!
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Your welcome and thanks for the kind words about the forums. :)

One minor correction though. You should be hoping for a PPC (Pacific Parlour Car). Cause you won't be happy with a PCC car, which is an old style street car, if you're expecting a Parlour Car. :lol:
 
WHAT!!!!! No old style street car jammed into the middle of the Starlight consist!!!! I am appalled!!! Actually...I am embarrassed at my slip-up but I know you guys will let me off the hook...the "new guy" y'know......... :unsure:
 
Well now I really feel foolish...I can't even log in properly. Sheeesh. The hazards of being new! Ha! :p
 
Rick, the Parlour cars were also taken out of the Starlight consist recently during the washout shortened train. When it was only running from SEA-OKJ the Parlour Cars were removed for whatever reason (likely staffing issues, and it gave Mechanical time to catch up on repairs).
 
battalion51 said:
Rick, the Parlour cars were also taken out of the Starlight consist recently during the washout shortened train. When it was only running from SEA-OKJ the Parlour Cars were removed for whatever reason (likely staffing issues, and it gave Mechanical time to catch up on repairs).
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Well, whatever repairs they caught up on didn't last long. Two of them were bad-ordered in the last couple of days, leaving one trainset without it.
 
I'm so busted.....no, actually I just need to remember to log on each time...jeepers creepers! :ph34r:
 
Guest said:
I'm so busted.....no, actually I just need to remember to log on each time...jeepers creepers! :ph34r:
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No problem. :)

You do know however, that unless you are using a public computer, it's not necessary to logout when you leave. That way, when you do return to the forums, you'll automatically be logged back in. Just make sure that the next time you login in, you check the yes button on the "Remeber me" question.

Then when you want to leave the forums, just close your browser window or head to another website. When you come back, your computer will automatically log you in, so you won't have to remember to do it.
 
Last year, the PPC was taken out of service during my trip from Seattle to Emeryville. :( However, an extra Observation Lounge car was put in its place for first class passengers only, and a free breakfast served, with the wine tasting and amenities. It sucked not having the PPC, but at least there was something.
 
Sutton....Well at least an effort was made to pick up the slack of the missing PPC. My family and I are only on the Starlight 12 hours approx. from Oakland to Los Angeles. We could have simply booked coach but we, or should I more correctly say "I" wanted access to the PPC. If it is not in service, I will be really disappointed. Some 1st class lounge space and amenities would be nice if, indeed, the PPC is absent........I'm hoping for the best though. What I REALLY don't understand is why this service is not offered on all of Amtrak's long distance runs...at least when overnight sleeper service is involved. I'm sure it comes down to funding or lack of it. I am not really dialed in on the political hoops Amtrak has to jump through. All I know is that WHEN I CAN...I LOVE to travel across country in a sleeper of some sort. The cost makes it a "once in a great while" thing. The PPC will add that extra touch that I KNOW I will just love. My wife and I just adopted two twin boys in their early teens who have never been anywhere in their young lives, let alone on a cross country passenger train. It is my DUTY to see that they experience this.....I know that they will love it and we will create a family memory that will last a lifetime........and my thanks to all the fine folks HERE and in the Amtrak organization who keep the magic alive...........because that is really what it is, isn't it.....pure magic!
 
Since service was restored all the way to/from LA from/to Seattle, the Pacific Parlour Cars have generally been on the train, and I'm glad to see them again. I like seeing a fully-equipped Starlight, and number of cars have gone back to normal: 10-11 cars (during the shortened run, there were only 7-8 cars). Although, I think I've seen a couple of train consists without the Parlour Car; sometimes Amtrak substitutes a sightseer/lounge car (a second one on the train) for the Parlour car. The train has been running pretty close (mostly) to published scheduled times. :)

One more thing: if you have time both trains are scheduled to be at the station for 20 minutes), there is a nice display about the Empire Builder inside the station near the snack stand. It features a huge photo of the inaugeral (GN) Builder with a pair of E7s at the head of the train. There are also photos of GN's advertisements for the Builder, Western Star, and other GN trains over the years. Be sure to take a look at it while it is still there. I don't know how long it will stay. This display is in honor of the train's 75th anniversary.
 
My appologies: The Empire Builder display is still up at Portland Union Station inside near the news/snack stand. It features a huge photo of the 1947 inaugeral of the streamlined version of the train--not the train as a whole, which began service (as the Empire Builder) shortly after the opening of the new Cascade Tunnel (1929). The photo shows the Builder headed by a pair of E7s. The E7s were used for only a short while on the train, because there were problems with them in the mountains. The locomotives were obviously built more for speed. F units became the standard motive power until the late 60s.

Other interesting tidbits: when the train was streamlined, the SP&S portion (between Spokane and Portland) was still operated by steam locomotives (such as the #700 Northern), so the streamlined coaches and sleepers would be behind the steamers. In the Cascades, the electrics were still operating--and this is before the installation of the ventilation systems--the streamliners still had to have the assist of the electrics through the tunnel (from Wenatchee to Skykomish).

The display also has advertising artwork over the years of the Empire Builder and other GN trains and GN dining car menus. So, if you do get a chance to see this display, please do. It's very interesting both for the Builder and from streamlined passenger train service during the late 40s, 50s and into the 60s.
 
Steve---Thanks for sharing this. I would love to see the display myself.

One thought--it was not too completely unusual for streamlined trains to be hauled by steam, esp. in the early days (though it is worthy of mention--in fact I did not know that the Portland section was hauled by steam at first myself---i.e.,this old goat learned something from you!!).

And for a train to be hauled part of its run by diesel, part by steam was not unknown.

Diesels and streamlining were invented about the same time, it is true, but they were, after all, separate inventions. World War II slowed down production of all rail equipment. Some trains might have received both diesels and streamlining sooner than actually happened, and also more simultaneously than actually happened, had finances and energy (taken away by the war effort) allowed it.

Some early streamliners had steam locomotives rebuilt to a streamlined appearance just for them.

Soon enough, by the late 40's and early 50's virtually all trains in the country were diselized but many of them never became streamliners.
 

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