Passenger Trains > Pullman Update

City running exactly on-time....great train handling all through the night...will be arriving in Memphis on-time! Great food and company last night...looking forward to breakfast....especially the chilled stewed prunes with orange zest with splash of heavy cream. All meals cooked fresh to order.

Kudos to CN for obvious improvements in track conditions.
The Hickory Creek was a joy to sleep in. Also in the Pullman consist is the Silver Quail, The City of Angels and the bagg dorm Sunset Harbor.

GO PULLMAN!

Interesting selection of PVs. So then this is not a "luxury" service, per se---it's more like a classic, old-fashioned Pullman experience. Does that sound right? I'm just saying this because those cars, while very nice, are restored to their original look and are not "fancy" at all.

coaststarlight99 Wrote:
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> Interesting selection of PVs. So then this is not
> a "luxury" service, per se---it's more like a
> classic, old-fashioned Pullman experience. Does
> that sound right? I'm just saying this because
> those cars, while very nice, are restored to their
> original look and are not "fancy" at all.

Compared to Amtrak, they're fancy; decent mattresses, decent size berths, proper headroom in the upper berth, proper luggage storage, sinks that don't spill, etc.

Because of the cars out of service due to the earlier derailment and still being inspected
at Beech Grove, private cars were chartered by Iowa Pacific for this trip.

GenePoon Wrote:
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> Because of the cars out of service due to the
> earlier derailment and still being inspected
> at Beech Grove, private cars were chartered by
> Iowa Pacific for this trip.

Ah, okay...that makes more sense now.

What's serving as a dining car? I don't see one listed, just a sleeper-lounge?

Pullman says the City of Angels is a sleeper-diner.

The car that derailed due to a broken axle, sleeper Baton Rouge, was found to have had a cracked axle for years,
probably back to when it was operating for GrandLuxe Rail Journeys. Along with all other Pullman Service equipment,
it had passed Amtrak inspection before service began. That inspection did not find the cracked axle.

However, Iowa Pacific is now holding all its Pullman equipment out of service until it is gone over and approved
by an independent inspection company. The Baton Rouge was last reported at Beech Grove; other Pullman equipment
is in Chicago.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/12 10:57 by GenePoon.

Coaststarlight has hit the nail on the head....an authentic Pullman experience was not considered "luxury". Not fancy...most likely....comfortable, cozzy, reliable...first class indeed!

To recreate an authentic Pullman experience would be to bring back the qualities that Pullman was famous for...utmost in comfort, service and the best quality provision in order to offer top notch food/beverage.

Old fashion? I would imagine that in todays 21st century culture, the Pullman precepts of attentive 24/7 service to the customer may indeed seem "old fashion"....i suppose the question begs to be asked....can our traveling public in America today stand or tolorate a little old fashion comfort and service?

It is indeed the goal of the new Pullman operation to not only recreate all the positive values and traditions of the original company, but to also inhance the experience with modern updates such as wi-fi.

Each time we make one of these initial runs, it is amazing to see groups of people coming together in the club car/lounge/diner and participate in one of the basics of humanity...conversing with each other face to face, discussing the days issues, family, and getting to know each other.

Call me old fashion, but in this one mans opinion me thinks the 21st Century can stand a little bit of old fashioned, civilized travel.

GO PULLMAN!

Where is the like button????

CB

SNCSteve Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Coaststarlight has hit the nail on the head....an
> authentic Pullman experience was not considered
> "luxury". Not fancy...most likely....comfortable,
> cozzy, reliable...first class indeed!
>
> To recreate an authentic Pullman experience would
> be to bring back the qualities that Pullman was
> famous for...utmost in comfort, service and the
> best quality provision in order to offer top notch
> food/beverage.
>
> Old fashion? I would imagine that in todays 21st
> century culture, the Pullman precepts of attentive
> 24/7 service to the customer may indeed seem "old
> fashion"....i suppose the question begs to be
> asked....can our traveling public in America today
> stand or tolorate a little old fashion comfort and
> service?
>
> It is indeed the goal of the new Pullman operation
> to not only recreate all the positive values and
> traditions of the original company, but to also
> inhance the experience with modern updates such as
> wi-fi.
>
> Each time we make one of these initial runs, it is
> amazing to see groups of people coming together in
> the club car/lounge/diner and participate in one
> of the basics of humanity...conversing with each
> other face to face, discussing the days issues,
> family, and getting to know each other.
>
> Call me old fashion, but in this one mans opinion
> me thinks the 21st Century can stand a little bit
> of old fashioned, civilized travel.
>
> GO PULLMAN!

Well said. Anyone know when/if IP will complete the inspection and get the ok from CN to again run their equipment? I guess they're optimistic as January dates are still showing as available.


SNCSteve Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Coaststarlight has hit the nail on the head....an
> authentic Pullman experience was not considered
> "luxury". Not fancy...most likely....comfortable,
> cozzy, reliable...first class indeed!
>
> To recreate an authentic Pullman experience would
> be to bring back the qualities that Pullman was
> famous for...utmost in comfort, service and the
> best quality provision in order to offer top notch
> food/beverage.
>
> Old fashion? I would imagine that in todays 21st
> century culture, the Pullman precepts of attentive
> 24/7 service to the customer may indeed seem "old
> fashion"....i suppose the question begs to be
> asked....can our traveling public in America today
> stand or tolorate a little old fashion comfort and
> service?
>
> It is indeed the goal of the new Pullman operation
> to not only recreate all the positive values and
> traditions of the original company, but to also
> inhance the experience with modern updates such as
> wi-fi.
>
> Each time we make one of these initial runs, it is
> amazing to see groups of people coming together in
> the club car/lounge/diner and participate in one
> of the basics of humanity...conversing with each
> other face to face, discussing the days issues,
> family, and getting to know each other.
>
> Call me old fashion, but in this one mans opinion
> me thinks the 21st Century can stand a little bit
> of old fashioned, civilized travel.
>
> GO PULLMAN!

I just disembarked off the Pullman service which left Chicago on the 12th. The replacement train was fantastic, the service flawless, food excellent. My fellow travelers were a great bunch and it looks as if a good time was had by all.

I know i will be back for another trip in Jan or Feb

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pullman says the City of Angels is a
> sleeper-diner.

Unless there have been recent major upgrades to the kitchen in City of Angels, what I saw several years ago would have been nice for the 12 people domiciled in that car but hardly up to the task of feeding a trainload.. So... has the kitchen been upgraded since it was upgraded about 10 years ago, or...?

4 cars / 14 people on the soutbound trip / is 3.5 people per car ?

City of Angels has the same buffet, intended for beverage/light meal service. We used it and the kitchen in the Hickory Creek to prepare in. Two dinner seatings. The lounge in the City is fantastic, warm and inviting. Club car service in the Hickory Creek.

Was anyone on board actually traveling to New Orleans or Chicago for a purpose? Or was it all railfans just joy-riding?

Two of passengers took the train for business purpose to actually get to NOLA.

Is the passenger count listed above correct? 14?

Oh how I would love to take this trip.

14 is correct... from on board source

SNCSteve Wrote:
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> Two of passengers took the train for business
> purpose to actually get to NOLA.


I have to wonder how they found out about the service and decided to book it, rather than take the regular Amtrak section or fly....