Remembering the Parlour Cars.
About 30 years ago, I had been to a high school reunion in Connecticut and had stopped to visit my brother who lives near Galesburg, Illinois. I booked the California Zephyr from Galesburg to Davis, California, where I spent the night and caught the southbound Coast Starlight from there down to L.A. the next day, about a 14-hour trip.
The southbound Coast Starlight arrived spot on time. I boarded, tossed my bag into my roomette and headed for the dining car and breakfast. And that’s when I discovered the Parlour* Car because it was positioned between my sleeper and the dining car. I confess I was stunned. It was beautiful. It was plush. It was right out of the Golden Age of Train Travel. And apparently it was mine for the day!
The car was roughly divided in thirds. Closest to me as I entered from my sleeper were eight overstuffed swiveling arm chairs, ideal for viewing the constantly changing scenery.
Next, in about the middle of the car, was a section with plush seating along each side of the car with several mini-tables upon which small plates of canapés would fit quite nicely. And, in fact, this was where wine tastings were held around the middle of the afternoon.
In the forward section of the parlour car were six booths where sleeping car passengers could opt for lighter lunches and dinners than were on the dining car menu.
“Lunch today is a chicken Caesar salad,” said William, the Amtrak attendant in charge of the Parlour Car. He was polishing glasses and placing them neatly at one end of a gleaming mahogany bar.
“May I fix you a drink?” he asked. “A Bloody Mary perhaps?”
Indeed you could, sir!
Oh, I almost forgot: on the lower level was a theater that accommodated probably 25 people. Movies suitable for family viewing were shown here.
And that was how my love affair with Amtrak’s parlour cars began. I don’t recall how often I have made the Chicago-Davis-Los Angeles connection, but it must have been a dozen times over the years.
The trip was delight every time. Sitting in comfortable chairs in elegant surroundings, conversing with other passengers, wine tastings in the afternoons, ever-changing landscapes as the train passed through an incredible variety of landscapes.
And then, what we all knew would be inevitable actually occurred. With all the marketing acumen one could expect from a former president of American Airlines, Richard Anderson pronounced the Pacific Parlour Cars too expensive to maintain, removed them from service and sold them to a man in Texas. When last seen, these magnificent rail cars were sitting on a siding somewhere in Texas.
When last heard from, Richard Anderson had been removed from his position at Amtrak by the Amtrak board of directors. The right move, but too late to save the Pacific Parlour Cars.
* A deliberate misspelling to give the cars a little extra class.
Amtrak needs to put the parloure car back on coast starlight as much money you pay for first class and the aminities are the same on the California Zephyr some trains need that extra service even if you have to pay extra if amtrsk puts that service back parloure cars service back people will pay that fare for extra service think about it if it is a cost factor people eill pay extra because people who travel on Amtrak first class want that extra service when you took it away you lost ridership give the person what they want that is how you make a sound profit think about it that is how Comander Vanderbilt made the New York Central R R successful in its day people will pay think about it
You can’t imagine how it distressed me to report that the parlour cars were sold to some guy in Texas. This was the work of what’s-his-name Anderson, briefly Amtrak president several yers ago. I, too, loved those cars. In fact, my return from mainland trips for many years included taking the Zephyr to Davis, California, spending the night there and catching the southbound Coast Starlight to Los Angeles the next morning. The train would arrive in Davis at 6:00 a.m. I would board, throw my bg into a roomette, go directly to the parlour car and order a Bloody Mary, then have breakfast in the dining car. The fare for a roomette from Davis to LAX was $109.The Bloody Mary was $7.00
The Starlight likely lost no ridership or revenue as a result of this loss. Give Anderson all the flack that you’d like, but he made great strides in making Amtrak a much safer and cost effective entity. Plus, he started developing actual expansion plans in markets Amtrak could serve well, ordered new equipment (the ALC-42s were ordered under his watch), and improved ridership. Just because he wasn’t a long-distance rail nut does not mean he did not serve Amtrak well.
It’s hard explain, but the parlor cars were really special . . . a glimpse back into the Golden Age. Ito get home, I would take he Zephyr to Davis, California, arriving about 4:00 p.m.,and spend the night at a hotel near the station. The southbound Starlight would arrive about 6:00 a.m.. I would board, toss my bag into my roomette (the fare from Davis to L.A. was $109) and go into the parlor car and order a Bloody Mary. I’d take my time with that, then into the diner for breakfast.
Can you think of a better way to finish up a long-distance train ride?
I would agree with you regarding the nostalgia factor on the car; I have similar sentiments towards VIA’s Park cars. However, they were quite old and the last five of the type Amtrak had on their roster and running every day, making repairs and parts difficult to find and very costly. Contrast that with VIA’s 154 Budd long-distance cars, most of which run only-twice weekly and many of which are parked in Vancouver or Mimico yard in Toronto during the off-season, making flexibility and parts much easier to procure than in Amtrak’s case. Besides, the Mica amendment was still on the books those days and the car’s removal really did not truly harm the Starlight’s numbers. All in all, I do understand Mr. Anderson’s decision, the long-distance trains need to be economical mobility machines. Amtrak officially announced an RFP for a new long distance fleet, and their conceptual plans included more lounge/dining space than we have now. Perhaps we will see a worthy successor to the Parlour cars with these new orders.
Let us hope!
I miss the Pacific Parlour Cars like nothing else! When I was on the Starlight I almost never went as far as the dining car. Why would you?
You’re so fortunate to have experienced the Parlour Cars. Thanks for sharing the details. Poor Amtrak, so many decades of poor management.
I feel as though I can never adequately explain how much I enjoyed those wonderful cars . . .or how much (and why) I miss them!