Most luxurious Amtrak train ever?

[Willbridge]

The Coast Starlight before Superliners was a pretty good train once the lunch counter - cafe car was added to the consist. Before that, they were still serving dinner in the diner at Klamath Falls on Train 11. As I've mentioned before, I was asked not to write about it because Los Angeles had not asked Washington for permission. We figured it would just be a matter of time before a second train would be added. It seemed hard to believe that only a couple of years before, the SP had gotten the Cascade down to tri-weekly, with no baggage service, and was applying to take it off.

Also, in that 18-car Starlight era, my ODOT colleague and I figured out that there was a prostitute working round-trips. He talked with her in the lounge car when we were doing passenger surveys.

Heritage Starlight...

 

[Bob Dylan]

When we took the Super Chief in 1964 we at one meal were seated in the Turquoise Room because the dining car was full. We had it to ourselves and all the food & service on that trip was impeccable. Santa Fe's ads in magazines featured the turquoise & silver inset in the wall above the table for two in that end of the Room.

I got to ride the Super Chief once as a kid, and the Regular Diner was wonderful too! The Turquoise Room was booked for the meals I was aboard, so I didn't get to see it!

 

[Cal]

The Coast Starlight before Superliners was a pretty good train once the lunch counter - cafe car was added to the consist. Before that, they were still serving dinner in the diner at Klamath Falls on Train 11. As I've mentioned before, I was asked not to write about it because Los Angeles had not asked Washington for permission. We figured it would just be a matter of time before a second train would be added. It seemed hard to believe that only a couple of years before, the SP had gotten the Cascade down to tri-weekly, with no baggage service, and was applying to take it off.

Also, in that 18-car Starlight era, my ODOT colleague and I figured out that there was a prostitute working round-trips. He talked with her in the lounge car when we were doing passenger surveys.

Heritage Starlight...

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How did those 18 car-long trains fit into LA and Seattle (and most stations with shorter platforms)?

 

[neroden]

As would plenty of pre-Amtrak railroads.

Penn Central, however, would be shocked to see Amtrak providing such "unnecessary amenities" as light and heat

 

[Maglev]

My wife and I scored a pair of swivel seats in the "Pacific Parlour Car" for the wine tasting as we descended Cuesta Grade. That was a high point of my Amtrak travels, as was riding in a dome car on New Year's 1978 on the Starlight.

The Starlight happens to also be the only train on which I have enjoyed a Bedroom Suite. This is one of the finest accommodations available on the rails, and beats out Heritage suites in terms of window size, lower berth width, and having showers.

 

[Willbridge]

How did those 18 car-long trains fit into LA and Seattle (and most stations with shorter platforms)?

I never rode it south of Oakland when it was tri-weekly. I remember that at Salem the rear cars extended past the platform. There was some double-stopping. I rode it from Seattle to Salem at the end of January, 1972, but don't remember how they handled it (it was our honeymoon and I was preoccupied). I rode it a lot between Salem and Portland in 1972-1973, as well as several trips Salem--Klamath Falls.

The reason the 18-car length sticks in memory is because the ODOT computer forecast showed that no one should be riding it or the Trailways Golden Eagles -- most passengers should be on Greyhound (cheaper and more frequent). Our computer modeler could see Train 14 from his office window. This was during the Energy Crisis and the train was sold out.

Following up on this, I looked through my files of Rail Travel News, but they begin after the train went daily. From RTN and recollections, it appears to have been a 13-15 car consist when daily. In the 1977 review, most comments were favorable, except for the use of Lexan in the domes and general weariness of the Heritage fleet.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

Penn Central, however, would be shocked to see Amtrak providing such "unnecessary amenities" as light and heat

My first ever ride on Penn Central was Thanksgiving Eve from PHL to Boston in a coach whose lights gave out around Trenton and we rode in darkness all the way to Boston. We did have heat though

 

[jiml]

How did those 18 car-long trains fit into LA and Seattle (and most stations with shorter platforms)?

At terminal stations such as those, trains could be split into two sections at separate platforms (sometimes opposite sides of the same platform). VIA still used this model in Vancouver the last time we took the Canadian from there. There were signs directing passengers to their section. The front of the train would head out of the station then double back to connect to the rear, which included the bulk of the sleeping cars. It's obviously less of a problem with a shorter Superliner consist. If Amtrak ever does order new single-level LD cars it's something they'll have to think about if maintaining current passenger capacity.

 

[jis]

At terminal stations such as those, trains could be split into two sections at separate platforms (sometimes opposite sides of the same platform).

Auto Train does so at Sanford too.

 

[Willbridge]

At terminal stations such as those, trains could be split into two sections at separate platforms (sometimes opposite sides of the same platform). VIA still used this model in Vancouver the last time we took the Canadian from there. There were signs directing passengers to their section. The front of the train would head out of the station then double back to connect to the rear, which included the bulk of the sleeping cars. It's obviously less of a problem with a shorter Superliner consist. If Amtrak ever does order new single-level LD cars, it's something they'll have to think about if maintaining current passenger capacity.

I've done some more digging in back issues of Rail Travel News and have found more references to 18-car trains, but no comments on splitting them or double stops. And I agree that is likely what was done.

Aas mentioned by others, the Coast Starlight was a success from the start. In 1976 it had been running daily LAX<>SEA for three years and on November 24th the Thanksgiving load got the consist back up to 18 cars from the 13-15 that made up the normal daily consist:

Train 11 at SJC

567 engine
556 engine
1031 baggage
1501 dorm
4544 coach
4499 coach
4452 coach
4495 coach
8102 cafe
4543 coach
4542 coach
4860 coach
4868 coach
5235 coach
4462 coach
9370 dome
8038 diner
2420 sleeper
2729 sleeper
2365 sleeper

This was only five years after the FRA plan that showed no north-south service on the West Coast.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

Here it is at SLO in August 1975. Hard to tell how many cars it had. Looks like at least 14.

 

[akbrian]

The nicest train ever that I have traveled on was the Tapatio From Mexico City to Guadalajara back in the NdM days, a very long time ago. Other than that, it was the Coast Starlight Pacific Parlour Car era, with the wine tastings. That was really nice, and sold the trip. I still have a PPC coffee mug. What a dumb thing to discontinue.

 

[bms]

The nicest train ever that I have traveled on was the Tapatio From Mexico City to Guadalajara back in the NdM days, a very long time ago. Other than that, it was the Coast Starlight Pacific Parlour Car era, with the wine tastings. That was really nice, and sold the trip. I still have a PPC coffee mug. What a dumb thing to discontinue.

Does anybody know what happened to the Pacific Parlour cars? I can't recall seeing anything about Amtrak selling them.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Does anybody know what happened to the Pacific Parlour cars? I can't recall seeing anything about Amtrak selling them.

2 were sold to Owosso Michigan’s Steam Train Institute (home of steam locomotive 1225)

1 was sold to Wisconsin Great Northern.

 

[bms]

2 were sold to Owosso Michigan’s Steam Train Institute (home of steam locomotive 1225)

1 was sold to Wisconsin Great Northern.

Thanks, not too far from me!

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

The nicest train ever that I have traveled on was the Tapatio From Mexico City to Guadalajara back in the NdM days, a very long time ago. Other than that, it was the Coast Starlight Pacific Parlour Car era, with the wine tastings. That was really nice, and sold the trip. I still have a PPC coffee mug. What a dumb thing to discontinue.

It was a shame about Mexico dumping all their passenger trains (except the Copper Canyon train and some commuter trains around Mexico City). I understand it was a condition for the privatization of NdeM, the freight railroads didn't want anything to do with them, no MexTrak for them.

 

[CaptPete 43]

The nicest train ever that I have traveled on was the Tapatio From Mexico City to Guadalajara back in the NdM days, a very long time ago. Other than that, it was the Coast Starlight Pacific Parlour Car era, with the wine tastings. That was really nice, and sold the trip. I still have a PPC coffee mug. What a dumb thing to discontinue.

We took this in about 1989. A sleeper with a steak and wine dinner was about $25. The dining car was some Swiss design. The sleepers were totally renovated. USA rolling stock. Our whole trip was Nuevo Laredo-Mexico City-Guadalajara-Topolobampo-Chihuahua-Juarez.

 

[neroden]

It was a shame about Mexico dumping all their passenger trains (except the Copper Canyon train and some commuter trains around Mexico City). I understand it was a condition for the privatization of NdeM, the freight railroads didn't want anything to do with them, no MexTrak for them.

A classic example of thieving by corporations who got their preferred thief into government to steal government property. It was criminal. Mexico should renationalize it and not pay compensation, IMO. (Or pay compensation and then tax that compensation at 100%, if you want to get technical.)

 

[20th Century Rider]

Those beautiful days were replaced with no need for competition and no pride... all gone. As is such quality of life and living life. The cost of quality and the need for greed don't mix.

There was an essence of being good at what you did... and being appreciated in a competitive world where 'hands on service' was an experience to be had and enjoyed. This has been replaced by intricate advanced technology providing limitless 'menu options' to the point where nothing else is needed. And human connection is no longer necessary. Unfortunately 'menu options' no longer have anything to do with food.

All you need is the time and ingenuity to figure out the stuff on the computer tablet...

And perhaps we don't need 'us' any more. The future of train travel is robots transporting robots.

Finally we can get rid of those tasteless flex meals. Robots don't need to eat.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

I recall in Rogers Whitaker's book "All Aboard with EM Frimbo" he specifically picked the Southern Crescent to ride between NYC and Washington over then Penn Central (and its abysmal dining service) so that he could breakfast on turkey hash and orange muffins. I wonder if the same chef pictured above was the one that fed Mr. Whitaker.

 

[AFS1970]

While this might be veering a little too off topic, on the subject of luxury trains, I have long wondered about the cars shown in the movie Trading Places. I realize they were probably sets and not actual cars for most scenes. However, the private room looked much more like what I have seen on European trains than on anything Amtrak has. The car that really intrigued me were the ones that the New Year's Eve party was in, that seems to be just big empty floor space with a bar in it. We used to have something similar on Metro North but I don't recall anything like that on Amtrak. Still that bar car configuration seems to denote a certain luxury to me.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

While this might be veering a little too off topic, on the subject of luxury trains, I have long wondered about the cars shown in the movie Trading Places. I realize they were probably sets and not actual cars for most scenes. However, the private room looked much more like what I have seen on European trains than on anything Amtrak has. The car that really intrigued me were the ones that the New Year's Eve party was in, that seems to be just big empty floor space with a bar in it. We used to have something similar on Metro North but I don't recall anything like that on Amtrak. Still that bar car configuration seems to denote a certain luxury to me.

If you watch carefully as the "Amfleet Bag" passes, you can see the taped on striping bubbled up and flapping in some spots.

 

[Bonser]

I took Heritage sleepers in the 1970s on the Southern Crescent (very few memories, and that wasn't Amtrak) and on the Crescent in the 1990s.

They were old and seemed old. I think that they had a slot where you could put your shoes to be shined, although I doubt that Amtrak actually offered that service.

Viewliners are better.

In 1984 my wife and I took a train to Detroit (change at Toledo) from Grand Central ( the Lake shore still left from GCT then) and I remember being able to leave shoes out for shining. I didn't avail myself of this but took note of it.