Passenger Trains > Dallas Bound Pacific Parlor Cars

Two of Amtrak's Pacific Parlor cars were sold to the Dallas Terminal Railroad, I got a few photos of them on the southbound Texas Eagle in Normal IL on tuesday. 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/20 19:19 by kbmiflyer.

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The last time they’ll operate at mainline speed which is sad, but at least they’ll hopefully go to a place where they’ll be restored to some kind of active service.

Passenger cars bought by collectors who don’t have the resources to maintain and operate them remind me of some boat owners— “Marina equals junkyard” type mentality.

Phil,

Respectfully, I think you're going to be wrong in this case...

RP

Royal_Palm Wrote:
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> Phil,
>
> Respectfully, I think you're going to be wrong in
> this case...
>
> RP


Why would he be wrong? What info do you have?

Posted from Android

goduckies Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Royal_Palm Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Phil,
> >
> > Respectfully, I think you're going to be wrong
> in
> > this case...
> >
> > RP
>
>
> Why would he be wrong? What info do you have?

These two cars are fully Amtrak Certified.  The new owner will make them available for use as private cars on Amtrak trains as much as possible.

Posted from ordinary laptop computer.

IC_2024 Wrote:
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>
> Passenger cars bought by collectors who don’t
> have the resources to maintain and operate them
> remind me of some boat owners— “Marina equals
> junkyard” type mentality.

​Many, many RR museums also fall into your category as well.

Did you ever ask yourself this question--

If these cars are fully operational---and will be operating in the future as private cars on Amtrak trains ---
THEN WHY DID ANDERSON REMOVE THEM FROM THE COAST DAYLIGHT?

(My answer is--Anderson was not trying to cut cost--but rather, to hurt revenue, in order to CREATE a reason to drop this train).

IC_2024 Wrote:
---------------------------------------------------
>
> Passenger cars bought by collectors who don’t
> have the resources to maintain and operate them
> remind me of some boat owners— “Marina equals
> junkyard” type mentality.
>
Not in this case. The owner has been doing this for years and has his own terminal railroad in addition to a successful buisiness

Posted from iPhone

SAAP Wrote:
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> IC_2024 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -
> >
> > Passenger cars bought by collectors who don’t
> > have the resources to maintain and operate them
> > remind me of some boat owners— “Marina
> equals
> > junkyard” type mentality.
> >
> Not in this case. The owner has been doing this
> for years and has his own terminal railroad in
> addition to a successful buisiness
>
> Posted from iPhone

That’s some good news, indeed—
will look forward to seeing a reincarnated Texas Chief, someday!

Two nice dead head lounges. But ZERO lounge for paying Amtrak passengers (The Cross Country Cafe or whatever they are calling in now is not a proper lounge). Not the most scenic route in the system but being stuck in ones room the entire trip isn't much fun. 

BobE told us about this operation 18 years ago :

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,149714

Topfuel Wrote in part:

> These two cars are fully Amtrak Certified.  The
> new owner will make them available for use as
> private cars on Amtrak trains as much as
> possible.
>
I fear the likelyhood of running these cars on Amtrak trains is pretty small. SInce they are lounge cars with no sleeping facilities they would most likely need to run on shorter distance day trains which are likely to be low level equipment. Yes they would be comptable with high level Superliner equipment but Amtrak's current rules severely limit the opportunities for just daytime operation.

BTW I seem to recall that in the late 90s, a cruise line (I believe Princess Cruises) ran one of their Alaska dome cars, offering premium lounge service, between Oakland and LA on the rear of the Starlight. That service did not last very long. Not a good harbinger:-(

WP17

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Did you ever ask yourself this question--
>
> If these cars are fully operational---and will be
> operating in the future as private cars on Amtrak
> trains ---
> THEN WHY DID ANDERSON REMOVE THEM FROM THE COAST
> DAYLIGHT?
>
> (My answer is--Anderson was not trying to cut
> cost--but rather, to hurt revenue, in order to
> CREATE a reason to drop this train).

How much revenue was lost by removing these cars?

Someone had a great idea using them to promote scenic travel on Coast Line route.  They should have gotten a medal.

Charles Rice
Saint Louis, MO

MoPac1 Wrote:
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> Someone had a great idea using them to promote
> scenic travel on Coast Line route.  They should
> have gotten a medal.

Thank you for that Comment. The Person who made it happen was a wonderful (and now retired) Amtrak manager named Brian Rosenwald.
The PPCs were his "babies." He worked countless hours, to make them happen on the Coast Starlights. It was not an easy Task. I reported to
him for a few years as my manager at my Crew Base. He was a gentle, friendly guy who always wanted to give the passengers a special Ride.
With the Pacific Parlor Cars, he succeeded admirably.  Nice to see the old images of the PPCs; hope the best for them, wherever they end up.
 

It's undeniable that the former hi-level lounge cars - turned Pacific Parlor Car - had a certain "value" to the Coast Starlight. In addition, it helped to build the overall "brand" of the Coast Starlight. The mastering of these two hallmarks often lead to success in marketing, which then fuels revenue.

The Starlight was also known to have commandeered the newest equipment (Superliner II's - coming out in the mid-1990s as the PPCs were also being launched). Again, their "capture" was also perhaps a "Rosenwald influence." But it went along with - "lets give them a good ride."

Even when the Coast Starlight was "refreshed" and "re-launched" with the Pacific Parlor Cars (during Kumant's presidency???), it was NOT uncommon for the Starlight to be running with FOUR Superliner sleepers (1430 through 1433) and still booking roomettes in the Superliner Trans Dorm/Sleeper (1440). Since the removal of the PPCs, filling three revenue Superliner Sleepers has been challenging. Amtrak will defer and say it added the Superliner Business Class Car and this shifted some patrons. Well, maybe, but still bookings seemed to have gone down; revenues may not have totally sunk cause you had the Business Class bookings and Amrak's increase in all fare classes each year. Presently Amtrak is back to focusing on cutting costs to better the bottom line, as opposed to finding additional revenue channels (speaking prior to COVID that is).