Passenger Trains > American History: The Last Two Pacific Parlour Cars on #4 2/19/18

The last two PPC's are on Number 4 today. (Monday, 2/19/18, east of Trinidad and on time as I write.) They are the Sonoma Valley #39974 and the Santa Lucia Highlands #39973. Here is a photo of the train in Albuquerque today. The men in the photo are the real deal. On the left is Chuck Larrabee who put himself through college working on the Santa Fe and Amtrak. He wrote “Somebody'll die on you, for sure!” about his first days as a coach attendant in the winter 2015 edition of Classic Trains. Spoiler alert: Somebody did.

On the right in the photograph is Robert Strein, co-author of “Santa Fe: The Chief Way.” Coincidentally he'll be signing copies of the newly reissued book at the Museum of Albuquerque this Sunday at 1PM. More info about that is here: https://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/albuquerque-museum/events/meet-the-authors

The photograph he is holding is a dual portrait. The top photo is of Robert as an attendant of one of the parlour cars when he was in college and the car was on “El Capitan”. The bottom photo was made yesterday in one of the parlour cars passing through Albuquerque, forty years later.

In the center of the photograph is David Wiegand, career-long Santa Fe/Amtrak Engineer and Conductor. That's a Santa Fe: Route of the Chiefs baseball cap he's wearing. He earned it.

Gentlemen, it was a privilege sharing a piece of American history with you today.

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Thanks for posting the photography and providing the narrative.

I heartily recommend "The Chief Way" book. The book's focus is on Santa Fe passenger trains in New Mexico. Included are a few photos of the Hi-Level Lounge car photos and reproductions of Santa Fe's promotion material for these cars.

Great shot!! The guy on the left in the above shot, worked out of Los Angles, CA as a coach attendant on the El Cap. The guy in the middle worked as Las Vegas, NM based Santa Fe engineer and conductor and the gentleman on the right was a Chicago based attendant for Santa Fe RR and Amtrak. Corrections are welcome.

GOODBYE FAREWELL and AMEN Train 4 of 18 just passed MH tower 1514 Central in Chicago Mh Tower in Chicago IL.
A very GRAND and Legendary era in paassenger Rail has come to an end west of Chicago IL.
---Daniel

To correct RodneyZona's post, and for the record: The guy on the left never worked out of Los Angeles. He started as a Chair Car Attendant (CCA) between Albuquerque and La Junta in 1971 drawing a Santa Fe paycheck; transferred to Chicago when Amtrak assumed responsibility for on-board crews in 1974 and worked on-board (primarily sleeping cars) until 1976 when he transferred to Seattle, resigning from Amtrak in 1978. The fellow in the middle never worked out of Las Vegas, NM. He started out as a CCA in Albuquerque in 1971; moved to Amtrak station services in 1974; worked train and yard crew for AT&SF in Gallup, NM 1979 - 1987; returned to Amtrak and worked as a trainman out of Albuquerque until '95; returned to AT&SF in '95 as a locomotive engineer working Belen to Winslow; retired from BNSF in 2013. The fellow on the right never worked for Amtrak. He worked for AT&SF the summers of '69 and '70 out of Chicago as a waiter in the Kachina Coffee Shop on the lower level of the Santa Fe Hi-Level lounge car on El Capitan (as well as two trips during the '69/'70 Christmas break). Don't know where RodneyZona got his info.
-- Sincerely, The guy on the left in the photo.

Amtrak had refurbished five of the six high level lounge cars for Pacific Parlour service. Did the sixth car also go from ATSF to Amtrak? What became of the sixth lounge car?

amtrak sold it

Come on Dan... To whom and when?

That was covered this morning on this site as to what happen to it.