Future of the Pacific Parlour Cars?

[Bob Dylan]

In re: Getting rid of the PPCs.

Be careful what you wish for, people said the same thing about the Coach- Dome Cars that used to be on most non- Eastern Routes!

 

[Palmland]

If Amtrak decides to pull the PPC, I wonder if there is an opportunity for Iowa Pacific to try their type of operation now done on the CONO. Even if not daily, it would at least offer an upgraded service for those who can afford it. I read that the great ex-MILW 'Skytop lounge sleeper', Coffee Creek, is now owned by IP and awaiting restoration.

 

[afigg]

I agree with the Tennessee Traveler. After several trips on the CS, I like the idea of a sleeper-class lounge car, but I'm fine with getting rid of the PPC. The best seats are clearly the swivel seats, and on ALL my trips they were hogged by groups almost the whole time.

Some combination of the SSL's large windows with the PPC's swivel seats would be ideal.

Here's my other idea: replace the PPCs with a remodeled SSL. Some combination of the SSL's large windows with the PPC's swivel seats would be ideal. Use the downstairs area as a kitchen, & cook and serve "REAL FOOD" from there for the sleeper pax. Then, add this car to all LD trains for sleeper pax only. Then, redo the dining cars as a more casual, cheaper, take out" - style alternative, mainly for coach pax.

There are only 44 remaining Superliner SightSeer Lounge cars with 6 lost in wrecks. There are not enough to provide a second remodeled SSL car for sleeper class passengers on the western LD train unless you want to take the SSL away from coach passengers. Remodeling the downstairs of a SSL into a full service kitchen is probably a major and expensive job, if it can be be done at all.

If hogging the swivel seats is a problem, then Amtrak needs to set a policy with a time limit for people to use the seats when the PPC is busy. And tne policy needs to be enforced which is the hard part.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

If Amtrak decides to pull the PPC, I wonder if there is an opportunity for Iowa Pacific to try their type of operation now done on the CONO. Even if not daily, it would at least offer an upgraded service for those who can afford it. I read that the great ex-MILW 'Skytop lounge sleeper', Coffee Creek, is now owned by IP and awaiting restoration.

From some pics I saw a few years ago Coffee Creek was well into the restoration but I have heard nothing since. It has a longer glass enclosed Lounge on the tail and carries 8 Bedrooms. There were 6 Creek series Lounge Sleepers built for the Olympian Hiawatha sets.

 

[neroden]

But in the meantime, the movie theater should be converted into an electronics lounge. How about providing a direct HDMI hookup from the screen and letting passengers plug their own devices into the "big screen", first-come first-serve (or taking reservations)? This requires minimal adaptation and would probably be attractive.

So, one person would grab exclusive control of the "big screen" and display on it what ever they wanted, and everyone else, including children, would be at their mercy?

Movies? Porn? Single player games? Stock reports? Anything!

Stock reports! The horror! (Actually, this is what I'd *expect*.)
It would be pretty easy to prohibit porn.

Some combination of the SSL's large windows with the PPC's swivel seats would be ideal.

Maybe getting the SSL swivel seats swivelling again? Most are broken.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Here's the PPC's movie theater.

 

[west point]

The cars do have some problems.

1. The floor of PPC is 6 inches lower than other superliner cars that some one if not looking could stumble over the rise ( fall ).

2. There is only one grab iron to transition to another superliner.

3.. Bellows to transition to other superliners do not line up.

4. Doorway approach to go to another car is somewhat smaller.

 

[George K]

Here's the PPC's movie theater.

My living room is better - and the seats are probably more comfortable.

(yeah, I was in the PPC in September)

But, that said, it was nice to have dinner somewhere else than the dining car. The service was less rushed, more personal, and I liked the different menu (especially when I was spending 5/10 nights on LD trains - variety!).

 

[afigg]

Amtrak has posted a service alert on the PPC removal from service for 2 months:

Coast Starlight Trains 11 and 14: Parlour Car Temporarily Removed

Beginning January 12 through March 12, 2015, the Pacific Parlour Car will be removed from the Coast Starlight trains for maintenance. During this period, the Dining Car and Sightseer Lounge Car will continue to be available for passengers.

Since Amtrak is issuing a service alert with a defined return date, the odds are pretty good that the plan is to keep the PPCs in service. For one, the cars are being removed during the slow season. If they were really seeking to permanantly drop the PPCs, I think they would be announcing that the cars are being "temporarily" removed for servicing and repair, but without providing a return date. Then a couple of months into the repair period, announce that serious mechanical problems had been found that would be too expensive to repair and that the funding situation was forcing them to retire the cars.

 

[MrFSS]

Wonder if they are moving them to Beech Grove?

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Wonder if they are moving them to Beech Grove?

I wonder if they will marshal them all together and then move them at once, for example on the back of the Southwest Chief or just take them where they are on 12 JAN with some on the Builder and some on the Chief. Either way I would guess Cardinal after that?

Get your cameras ready!

 

[MrFSS]

I get to Beech Grove now and then to take pictures. A few years ago they had a PPC stripped down and it was being totally reworked,

 

[yarrow]

Beginning January 12 through March 12, 2015, the Pacific Parlour Car will be removed from the Coast Starlight trains for maintenance. During this period, the Dining Car and Sightseer Lounge Car will continue to be available for passengers.

We appreciate your patronage and apologize for any inconvenience. Reservation and train status information is available on Amtrak.com, our free mobile apps and at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

Thank you for traveling with Amtrak.

 

[George K]

How many PPCs are in service?

 

[jis]

5

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[Trainmans daughter]

5

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

--on a good day.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

How many PPCs are in service?

Six were originally built for the Santa Fe El Capitan back in 1955 or 56. The orphan car is sitting on a "car lot" somewhere in Illinois last I heard.

 

[William W.]

My CS trip is on January 8th. This trip will probably be my only chance to see a PPC.

 

[CHamilton]

The PPC attendant I spoke with last week said that his boss had said that they are coming back, but expressed some skepticism that that will actually happen. I've got a couple of CS trips planned over Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I hope to get some more rides in those purple swivel chairs! If anybody wants to join me, send me a PM.

 

[tonys96]

The PPC attendant I spoke with last week said that his boss had said that they are coming back, but expressed some skepticism that that will actually happen.

That would make Paulus happy! :wacko:

 

[jis]

5

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

--on a good day.

In general when 5 are on active roster one would expect only 4 or as few as 3 or even just 2 to be in actual service, for cars this old with maintenance issues. That is part of the problem faced with in providing reliable PPC service.

 

[west point]

There may be an early departure for one or two to Beech grove since all 5 are not needed on the route at one time. The same as PPCs are finished they can be shipped back to west coast. Wonder how much equipment ( mostly running gear ) is compatible with the old heritage cars of Amtrak ?.

 

[Ken Allan]

THis has been posted on Amtrak.com

Coast Starlight Trains 11 and 14: Parlour Car Temporarily Removed Effective January 12 through March 12, 2015

Beginning January 12 through March 12, 2015, the Pacific Parlour Car will be removed from the Coast Starlight trains for maintenance. During this period, the Dining Car and Sightseer Lounge Car will continue to be available for passengers.

We appreciate your patronage and apologize for any inconvenience. Reservation and train status information is available on Amtrak.com, our free mobile apps and at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

Thank you for traveling with Amtrak.

PSN 1114-34

 

[neroden]

There's actually some logic to this. The underlying purpose of the PPC is to relieve overcrowding in the lounge car. From January 12 through March 12, the low season, there isn't overcrowding in the lounge car. Given the maintenance-intensive nature of the PPCs, I would actually expect this to recur in future years as long as the PPCs continue in service.

 

[afigg]

There may be an early departure for one or two to Beech grove since all 5 are not needed on the route at one time. The same as PPCs are finished they can be shipped back to west coast. Wonder how much equipment ( mostly running gear ) is compatible with the old heritage cars of Amtrak ?.

The Coast Starlight requires 4 consists to operate. During part of the day, you will see two #11 and two #14 trains displayed on Amtrak Status maps. So once the first of five is shipped out, there are no protect PPCs. Which is probably the case much of the time anyway. I figure there must be people at Amtrak who really wish that the 6th PPC had been kept to support the CS.