Pacific Parlour Car Permanently Retired February 2018

[crescent-zephyr]

I don't remember that information from the article in Classic Trains about the Hi-Level cars.

I don’t think it’s something that happened that often - but I could be wrong. It doesn’t seem like something that would make the cars particularly difficult to maintain.

I also will mention that the physical PPC’s and the PPC service are not the same thing. The service could still be provided with existing or modified SSL cars.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

The PPC era is over but higher-than-everything pricing remains despite the lack of anything remotely premium about modern Amtrak service. These days having a functional dining car with plated food or a lounge car of any sort is considered premium service to Amtrak's brass. When I look at Amtrak's LD pricing and service standards I see a business that wants no part of the market that drives or flies.

 

[JWM]

The "PPC" was never a "parlour" or, properly, a "parlor car" as most of us know. In fact, it was the Hi-Level Lounge Car on Santa Fe's "El Capitan". I loved riding in it on the "Coast Starlight" up the California coast. What a shame it's gone.