Aboard Amtrak’s Train 14.
The Coast Starlight was an hour late into Oakland, but by the time I got up this morning, the lost time had been made up. That was the good news.
The bad news is there is no Pacific Parlour Car on this train and that wonderful amenity is a very big reason I go out of my way to ride this train. There is a second lounge car, but that in no way makes up for it.
The attendant, an older woman named Nanette, has just announced that “the parlour car is open for breakfast”. Sorry, Nanette, that ain’t no parlour car! She’s forgiven, however, because she makes a helluva Bloody Mary. (Note that Amtrak spells “parlor” with a “u” … which may add some class to the public’s perception of the railcar, but it’s making my SpellCheck crazy.)
I sat across from a couple of Australians at lunch today and during the conversation I mentioned this blog. One of them looked at me and said, “Then could you be Jim Loomis?” How improbable is that!
This afternoon I had a revealing conversation with an older woman in the roomette across the hall from me. She has been on this train several times before and volunteered the observation that the amenities for us sleeping car passengers keep disappearing. She’s right and I hope Amtrak understands that passengers have noticed and they don’t like it!
The wine tasting is back … sort of. It now costs $7.50 and Nanette simply came around and poured a generous half-glass. One of the three featured wines was a malbec from Argentina. Is it just me? On this train, shouldn’t Amtrak only be serving wines from California, Oregon and Washington?
Train 14 arrived into Seattle 17 minutes early.
Apparently, this is not a problem on VIA Rail Canada, as I remember their wines were all of Canadian vintage. Quite good; also, you really have to respect them for embracing their country.
I agree, if the “Coast Starlight” is to be so unique in the stable of long distance trains, than by all means it should serve only wines from Washington, Oregon, and California. I would go a step further and offer wine by the bottle to be purchased in the sleepers as well. Perhaps that will be next on the list as that train tries to serve coach passengers at their seats with very interesting menu items.
I guess, having worked for years in advertising and promotion and knowing that there would be hundreds of wineries more than glad to provide cases of their product to Amtrak on a gratis basis, that was what bothered me as much as anything else. It just seems as though they’re not really trying.
Your observation “On this train, shouldn’t Amtrak only be serving wines from California, Oregon and Washington?” is absolutely correct Jim. This is yet another example of long distance trains getting the shaft. Working in the California wine industry, I know that many wineries would love to give wine to Amtrak for Pacific Parlour Car tastings. It’s great advertising. A quick negotiation would have cases of wine brought onboard gratis. But the Eastern-centric North East Corridor mentality of Amtrak management more than likely has never visited the COW states and sampled the wines. The Argentinian Malbec might have been a good wine, but it definitely did not show off the outstanding wines produced along the route of trains #14 and #11.
By the way, my last trip on the Starlight also had an observation car substituted for the Parlour Car. While it did lack the ambiance, it did add immensely to the trip. My wife and I spent most of the day seated there with another couple we met over lunch, sipping a bottle of wine I had produced. Yes, of course, it was California wine!