Rail Freak
Engineer
I looked at the photos of the Parlour Car on Train Web and it appears there is a bar side and table service side. Is the table service side in place of dining car or in addition to (seperate menu)?
Coast Starlight Parlour Car
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MrEd
Conductor
This car is not related to the dining car.
Rail Freak
Engineer
Why the tables, it looked like food service?
p&sr
OBS Chief
The Parlor Car is unique to the Coast Starlight, and it is accessible only to Sleeping Car Passengers.
It's like an extra lounge car all their own, with some food service.
Found on the Amtrak Website:
"Sleeping car amenities include the Pacific Parlor Car with morning and
afternoon beverage and snack service and afternoon wine tastings..."
and also:
"Sleeping Car passengers can enjoy Happy Hour specials and a daily tasting of local wines in the refurbished Pacific Parlor Car, which also will offer a specialty coffee bar, on-board theater and alternative dining venue."
socalsteve
Train Attendant
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- Feb 15, 2003
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I hadn't heard about the "alternative dining." I suppose it means you can eat your dining car food there instead of the dining car.
The theater is on the lower level of the car. When I last rode on it, the upper floor was one big lounge with a bar at one end. I barely moved out of there for the whole trip--it was awesome!
Rail Freak
Engineer
That's funny!
While you were there all that time, did you notice anyone eating or being served!
the_traveler
Engineer
Which did you not move out of, the lounge or the bar! :lol: :lol:
In the past few years, the parlour car has not had food service, other than some packaged danishes in the morning and cheese&crackers with the wine tasting in the afternoon. I don't know what the bar served, other than juices and coffee- I never noticed beer or wine, but maybe? I'm not a drinker and neither are my 3 or 6 year old children, so I could have been oblivious. There used to be movies downstairs, but that had stopped before my first trip two years ago.
I'm looking forward to hearing about the relaunched Coast Starlight and what is done with Pacific Parlour Cars. I'd be looking forward to riding, but the lowest bucket price on the family bedrooms seems to have gone way, way up, out of reach, and I'm not sure I'm up for three in a roomette again.
I'm looking forward to hearing about the relaunched Coast Starlight and what is done with Pacific Parlour Cars. I'd be looking forward to riding, but the lowest bucket price on the family bedrooms seems to have gone way, way up, out of reach, and I'm not sure I'm up for three in a roomette again.
Next time I'm in SoCal, may plan is to ride the train from my grandfather's house in Simi Valley to my dad's house in Paso Robles, and if the Parlour Car is in the consist, attempt an on-board upgrade so I can enjoy the Parlour Car. I'm a little hesitant to book the sleeper in advance because it's never been a guarantee the PPC will be in the consist, although maybe that will change with the relaunch.
Hmm...with the relaunch, it appears fares have gone up. The formerly $35 coach fare is now $54 (picked two random dates next Feb.), and the roomette is $91 additional (IIRC, it used to be an additional $70 or so). I wouldn't do it regularly, but especially if the relaunch improves service and amenities, I might be willing to try it once...
Definitely. At least once when I rode, there was an extremely limited collection of liquors available.
Plenty of folks used to sit and talk over a few drinks after the sun went down, but before arriving in LA.
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
I can't wait to eventually ride the Starlight. How much is the price going to go up, though?
socalsteve
Train Attendant
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2003
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- 80
Yes.
Actually, it was a stand-up bar, so you got your drinks (yes, alcoholic), then sat in the lounge area that surrounded it.
Rail Freak
Engineer
What's the latest news on the CS?
Rafi
Conductor
Amtrak just announced last week that the CS will resume its full route (at restricted speeds through the landslide area) tomorrow (northbound) and Wednesday (southbound). Only two Pacific Parlours have been released from Beech Grove and may make spotted appearances right now; the full relaunch of the starlight, complete with all PPCs refurbished and running, won't happen until June now; this is from NARP:
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Rail Freak
Engineer
Thanx.
I was browsing train-web and a guy by the name of Chris Guezner ( I think ) had inside photos of a refurbished Parlour Car. I'll go look for them.
D.P. Roberts
Conductor
Newly Refurbished Pacific Parlour Cars
Scroll down towards the bottom of the page.
As others have mentioned, they really don't look that different. However, they'll be clean and functional.
And hopefully more reliable and less prone to failures.
Rail Freak
Engineer
Is the Parlour Car basicly a sightseer/lounge car for sleeper pax?
yarrow
Engineer
the ppcs are old santa fe high level cars built by edward budd co. in philadelphia. they are the type of car on which the superliner cars(including the sightseer lounge in based). imho, the views are better from a ppc and the ambience much different from a sightseer lounge. part of it is i am sure "riding in a bit of history". it is a first class lounge.
printman2000
Engineer
What makes the viewing better in a PPC? Aren't the windows smaller?
yarrow
Engineer
i don't know. the seating is certainly more varied and comfortable and conducive to viewing. it seems to me as if there is more glass toward the sky in a ppc. i read somewhere once that "the sightseer lounge is a reasonable facsimile but nothing beats a budd car". probably a lot of the "better viewing" is just being in the historic car
Rail Freak
Engineer
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
The PPC is a lot fancier, with the wood trim and all.
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