# The Soft Relaunch of the Coast Starlight



## jackal

(Check out part 2 below in post #24!)

*Part 1--Northbound*

On Sunday, May 25, I took the Coast Starlight northbound from Los Angeles Union Station to Paso Robles for a short Memorial Day trip to visit my family.

Having heard that at least one of the refurbished Pacific Parlour Cars had been sent back to California from the Beech Grove heavy maintenance facility, I went ahead and booked my trip in a roomette--even though I would be boarding at 10:15 am and de-training at 4:45 pm (hardly fully taking advantage of the flat beds sleeping cars offer!).

I arrived at Union Station on the Flyaway bus from LAX (the airport)--honestly, it's the most convenient way to transit between the two (although, as a railfan, it's always tempting to do the shuttle bus-Green Line-Blue Line-Red Line shuffle--too bad Los Angeles makes using their transit system so difficult). I arrived at Union Station at approximately 8 am. I'd read (both here and elsewhere) that Phillippe The Original--the place where the French Dip sandwich was supposedly invented--was worth the short walk, so I walked out the front of the station and down Alameda Street (rollaboard bag, backpack, and me--fortunately, Union Station isn't in too bad of an area!).

After entering and attempting to determine if they were making their famous sandwiches at that hour of the morning or were only serving breakfast, I ordered a double-dipped beef sandwich and a glass of their homemade lemonade. Within a minute, my "carver" returned with my sandwich. I paid and sat down on a stool at one of the communal tables. I took a bite, and--pure heaven! Most definitely the best French Dip I've ever had. It was so good (and a bit on the small side) that I went back and ordered a second one with double meat and blue cheese (and with a second glass of the delicious lemonade, too)--that was almost too much flavor for a single mouth! After finishing that one, I left the restaurant absolutely stuffed.

I waited in the sleeper line until shortly before 10 am, when an Amtrak employee came over and told us the Starlight would be on track 8, and sleepers would be to the left. I walked up to car 1431, the second of three sleepers, and was directed to room 2 by the cheerful attendant, Cruz.

Shortly after settling in my room, Cruz came by to ensure I was all set. As the conductor (Cheryl, if I remember correctly) was in the middle of her announcement, he reached over and turned the speaker off--a feature I would never have guessed was available! (After he left, I turned it back on, as I do enjoy hearing the announcements--it's part of the excitement of train travel!) I told him that I'd been on the train much but never in sleeper, and he proceeded to give me an overview of the benefits of traveling in sleeper, including an overview of the meal services available (more in a minute) and availability of the Parlour Car. I mentioned that the Parlour Car was the main reason I had booked a sleeper for my short journey, and he said that this was his first run on the new "soft relaunch" and with the Parlour Car in the consist. I thanked him for his time and proceeded to settle in.

After this, he made another round to all of the rooms offering them apples or oranges. I took an orange, although I was still stuffed from my delicious breakfast!

After I heard him make his way around to all of the other rooms (we had a mostly full load out of Union Station in our sleeper, and by the time we left Van Nuys, we were completely full), he made another round, this time offering sparkling cider or champagne--complimentary! It's hard to pass up free champagne, so I opted for that. I'm not much of a champagne drinker, but the California champagne they featured (I forget the brand) was sweet and very enjoyable.

A few minutes later, Chris, the dining car attendant, proceeded to announce on the P.A. that he would be making his rounds to take lunch reservations. He said that his philosophy was that everyone deserved to eat and that he would keep the dining car open as late as required to ensure everyone had a meal. I'd never heard this one before!

A few more announcements were made, such as the ones from (if I recall correctly) Trisha, the cafe attendant, and Greg, the Parlour Car attendant. Finally, at 10:15 am on the dot (!), we were off.

Chris then made his rounds, and due to my late and too-filling breakfast, I picked Chris's latest offer of 1:30 pm. He offered me the choice of dining in the diner or, surprisingly, lunching in the Parlour Car. The Parlour Car had a separate, smaller menu, but the atmosphere was designed to be less rushed and more personal than service in the diner. Since this was a new experience (and one I could not later duplicate if I decide not to book a room next time), I opted for the Parlour Car--the option Chris recommended.

I pulled out my laptop and my wireless data card and proceeded to update myself on emails and forum postings. In a few minutes, we stopped at Van Nuys and took on the last few passengers in our sleeper, filling it up. We then proceeded through Chatsworth and the tunnels under the Santa Susana Pass and passed the historic Santa Susana depot, with a lone railfan waving to the train. The conductor announced that because we were early (despite having stopped for a southbound Metrolink at the Chatsworth station siding), she was going to make Simi Valley a short smoking stop (about four minutes). After departing Simi--where my grandparents live and my destination upon my return Tuesday evening--on time (to the second!) I decided to pack up my laptop and migrate to the Parlour Car.

I entered the Parlour Car and gave myself a quick overview of the comfortable chairs in the foreward area and eight dining tables in the rearward area (near the counter). Having never been in the car before, I could not compare its new furnishings with the old ones, but I found it a very comfortable, inviting lounge, although not quite as luxurious as I had hoped. The glass dividers with the Coast Starlight logo were a nice touch, and the tables were done up with real white tablecloths and fresh, real flowers. The windows were noticeably smaller than the Sightseer Lounge's, but as it was much less crowded and there was (surprisingly) no competition for seats, I opted to spend my time in the Parlour Car. (I was a little disappointed that there weren't more sleeper passengers enjoying the lounge and that the ambiance made it slightly less easy to launch into competition with complete strangers than in the Sightseer Lounge.) I checked out the lower level, too--the new theater looked quite inviting, with real theater-style seats and a large flat-screen television with a Yamaha 3.1-channel sound system with subwoofer located at the front. (There may have been two more speakers at the rear to make it a 5.1 system, but I didn't see them.) There was a note at the bottom of the TV that said, "DVDs provided compliments of Fox Home Entertainment"; I looked in some of the cabinets, but the only DVD I found was Ice Age 2. I haven't seen that and have wanted to, but I had more important things to see on the train that day! I went back upstairs to enjoy the scenery from the comfortable chairs of the Parlour Car.

The seating area of the Parlour Car:







The dining (and wine tasting) table area of the Parlour Car:






The Starlight's logo etched into the glass separators of the Parlour Car:






The theater on the lower level:






The front of the theater:






A close-up of the screen:






Of course, being a railfan of Amtrak trains, I couldn't stay in the Parlour Car for too long--I found myself wandering back through the diner and Sightseer Lounge to the coaches and back up to my roomette: having paid for it, I wanted to enjoy the nice, large seat as much as possible and really compare it to the coach seats! I found the room's seats quite comfortable in their normal position, but when I reclined it slightly, the fact that the headboard didn't move made for a slightly uncomfortable position. I enjoyed the view out of my window, but I usually stayed in it for only a few minutes at a time, since Cruz's room was next to mine and he kept the curtain shut when he was out of the room (which was more often than he was in the room). Of course, every time I was in my room for even a few minutes, Cruz always poked his head in and made sure I was doing well. He was an excellent, attentive attendant!

About 15 minutes before the Santa Barbara station stop, I gathered my items and went down to the shower on the lower level. I had come straight off of a five-hour flight and had gotten off of a ten-hour shift immediately before that, so I was feeling a bit grimy and wanted to freshen up before lunch. We weren't quite doing 79mph (as we were coming in the Santa Barbara city limits--in fact, the conductor announced the Santa Barbara Zoo off the left side of the train while I was in the shower), but I found taking a shower in a moving train actually much easier than I had expected. I got out and finished getting dressed just after I felt the train jolt to a stop at the Santa Barbara station. The conductor came on and said that although we were early (shockingly!), the city of Santa Barbara limited our dwell time because we would be blocking a major street.

Since it was a nice day (a few clouds, but warm to this Alaskan), I got off at Santa Barbara and wandered around the platform (staying close to my car because of the short dwell time, of course). The famous Moreton Bay fig tree was directly opposite my car, so I took a picture with my camera phone. As I stood on the station, I heard a car honking at the blocked crossing at the west (railroad north) end of the station. Cruz laughed and said, "Sure, like that's going to make us move!" The car proceeded to honk long and loud every 30 seconds, and we laughed at the driver (finally waving excitedly to him at one point!). A few minutes later, the car honked again, and the engineer blew the whistle in two long blasts (the signal for "forward"). Cruz remarked, "Well, our horn is louder than his is!"

The Moreton Bay Fig Tree in Santa Barbara, the largest fig tree in the U.S.:






My sleeping car and its attendant, Cruz, at SBA station:






We sped along the coast through Goleta and environs, and shortly before entering Vandenberg Air Force Base, Greg, the Parlour Car attendant, called me and one other party on the P.A. by name to the Parlour Car for our lunch reservation.

Greg seated me on the right side of the train across from the only other party called for lunch at that time, a couple of guys going up to Oakland for a day trip. He took our drink orders (all of us had complimentary sodas, although alcoholic beverages were available at a cost) and directed us to the menu.



> PACIFIC PARLOUR CAR DININGAmtrak's newly-refurbished Pacific Parlour Car offers an exciting and unique alternative to the Dining Car. Amtrak is pleased to present this dining experience to select sleeping car passengers by reservation only. We hope that this casual and friendly venue with its small but carefully chosen menu will complement your journey aboard the Coast Starlight . If you have any questions, please see your Parlour Car attendant. Bon appetit!
> 
> *FIRST DAY*
> 
> LUNCH
> 
> *Entrees, served with a warm rosemary olive oil ciabatta roll*
> 
> Classic Chef's Salad
> 
> with turkey breast, baked ham, jack cheese, and cherry tomatoes on crispy iceberg letttuce, accompanied by ranch dressing.
> 
> Farfalle pasta
> 
> with sweet peppers, mushrooms, shredded parmesan and herbs, served with a small garden salad.
> 
> *Desserts*
> 
> Butter toasted pecan tart
> 
> Granny Smith caramel apple tart
> 
> Haaged Dazs ice cream (vanilla or chocolate)


I opted for the pasta, while my two dining companions ordered the chef's salad. Greg proceeded to assemble our orders from a small buffet-like cart located between the tables and the chairs (across from the stairway down to the lower level). The chef's salads arrived first with my small side salad, and a few minutes later, Greg brough my pasta over. I took a bite and was pleasantly surprised! It was a nice mix of flavors and textures--sweet and cheesy and very tender. I would say it was comparable to what you'd get at a high-end buffet or at a catered party.

As I spent time in the Parlour Car, I noticed a youngish man (mid-20s) with an Amtrak employee badge on a lanyard around his neck but who wasn't dressed like a member of the train crew or OBS staff--he had a button-up dress shirt and a pair of khaki slacks. During lunch, since we were seated in the table closest to the PPC's counter and the man appeared to be helping out there, I caught his eye and asked him what he was doing and his position, since he obviously wasn't dressed like a member of the normal crew. He said he was a customer service manager from D.C., out to make sure everything was going well for the relaunch. I took the opportunity to let him know how impressed I was with the service and wished him luck. I would have liked to engage him in a longer conversation about more aspects of Amtrak's service (such as the utter stupidity of SDS, certain detractors from service like the forced busing between Klamath Falls and Pasco, and the need for--for lack of a better term--happiness training for many of Amtrak's customer-facing staff), since I figured he might be someone who might be in a position to effect change (or have the ear of those who can). However, due to a lack of time and my getting lost in other things, I never did strike up that conversation. (In the event I see him on my return trip south, anyone have any questions or concerns to pass on?  )

We finished our meal as we passed the various towers and launch facilities for rockets such as the Titan II and Delta IV. Greg asked us if we wanted to participate in the wine tasting later in the afternoon, and all three of us agreed and paid the $5 to get our tickets.

As we approached Santa Maria, I felt a wave of exhaustion pass over me, since I had only gotten about an hour and a half of sleep the previous night on the airplane and had only had a five-hour sleep the night before that, so I retreated to my sleeper to try out the best feature of all: the flat bed. I figured out the mechanism and turned my seat into a bed, although since Cruz didn't do it, I didn't have a blanket, which, due to the comfortable temperature, wasn't a problem. It felt good to lie down on a real bed, and the rocking motion of the train put me in a calm state. Of course, I kept popping my head up every time something interesting flashed by the window (including pausing for the southbound Surfliner, with the cabbage F49, Horizon and Amfleet cars, and Dash-8, to pass), so I only got a total of perhaps 15 minutes of sleep, if even that much.

After the San Luis Obispo stop, we were paged for our wine tasting, so I headed up to the Parlour Car and joined my two lunch companions and about 12 other people for the tasting. Greg's assistant came around and gave us each two glasses--one for the whites and one for the reds--and placed plates of cheese cubes (I believe cheddar, Colby-Jack, and pepper jack) and sealed tri-packages of Carrs water crackers at our table.

Greg led the tasting while his assistant poured the wines. Greg handled it quite well--he didn't come off as a wine expert, but he did appear to have a decent knowledge of wine and read the notecards without stuttering or sounding like he didn't know what he was doing, and he ad-libbed a few times and made some funny cracks. We sampled four wines--a pinot gris, an Estancia pinot noir, a petite sirah, and a riesling, all from the Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey/Salinas river valley regions. As a red wine fan, I liked the petit sirah best (I forget the winemaker, but it was very good, which surprised me as I usually really enjoy Estancia's reds). The riesling was very good and was really enjoyed by one of my lunch companions. Greg mentioned that he knew that you were supposed to start with whites and then go to reds, but he though the riesling was so sweet--almost sweet enough to be considered a desert wine--that it should finish the tasting off. We all agreed. Greg tantalized us with an invite to the following day's tasting, which would feature Oregon and Washington wines. His assistant also told us that the southbound wines would be different--there were a total of sixteen wines featured in the Parlour Car (four for each day's tasting and different wines for northbound and southbound).

I remained in the Parlour Car long enough to see the back of my old childhood home in Templeton and then made my way to my roomette to pack up my belongings for my station stop in Paso Robles. Cruz reminded me about the stop (although having grown up in the area, I knew it like the back of my hand) and then proceeded to see me off.

All in all, I was impressed by the service on this Amtrak train. I don't know if it's a result of the relaunch or if I just happened to get an awesome crew, but Cruz, Greg and Chris were excellent attendants, and conductor Cheryl (or maybe it was Carol) did a good job making announcements of sights we were passing and what was going on at each stop. We also ran not only on-time but early, too--though this may have been a function of reduced freight traffic due to the Memorial Day holiday. I don't recall meeting a single freight train--the two meets for which we stopped were for other passenger trains. It'd be nice for ridership if this could be the case every day, year-round!

I was also impressed by the roomette (and the bedrooms--I looked in one as I was boarding, since I was the second person to board the train and had the car to myself for a few minutes). I think I'm sold--I'm still cheap, so I'm not sure I'll upgrade every time, but on overnight runs where sleeping class offers substantial perks over coach (Parlour Cars, lounge access, wine tastings, etc.) or in the event that coach is at high bucket and sleepers are at low bucket (making the price difference not too bad), I will be very tempted to spend the few extra bucks for the sleeper.

I'll see if I can post a short trip report about my return home tomorrow evening (on which I will meet fellow AU and FT member chuljin)--I'm not sure whether I'm going to eat in the Parlour Car for lunch or dinner (or both) or if I'm going to check out the full-service dining car--I'll likely eat in the diner at least once, since I want to see how good the flat iron steak that everyone here raves about! I stole the copy of the Parlour Car's dining menu and the beverage list from my roomette, so here it is (copied exactly, including the missing hyphens and capitals):



> *FIRST DAY* (continued)DINNER
> 
> *Starter*
> 
> Crispy green garden salad.
> 
> *Entrees, served with a warmed rosemary olive oil ciabatta roll*
> 
> Beef braised in a port and goji berry sauce
> 
> Served with rice & a vegetable medley
> 
> Farm style zinfandel braised chicken
> 
> with artichokes, tomatoes and olives with rice & a vegetable medley
> 
> *Desserts*
> 
> Your server can describe today's sweet selections that include cheesecake, chocolate and more!
> 
> *SECOND DAY*
> 
> BREAKFAST
> 
> *Entrees*
> 
> Parlour car continental
> 
> with cinnamon streusel bread, croissant, fresh cut fruit and yogurt
> 
> Crimini mushroom and spinach frittata
> 
> with sheep's milk feta cheese, accompanied by pork sausages, roasted potatoes and croissant
> 
> *LUNCH*
> 
> Entrees, served with a warmed rosemary olive oil ciabatta roll
> 
> Chicken & cranberry walnut bistro salad
> 
> with market lettuces, feta & raspberry vinaigrette.
> 
> Wine Country gemelli pasta
> 
> with tomatoes, olives, capers garlic & parmesan, served with a green garden salad.
> 
> *Desserts*
> 
> Carrot cake with raisins, walnuts and pineapple
> 
> Granny Smith caramel apple tart
> 
> Haaged Dazs ice cream (vanilla or chocolate)
> 
> DINNER
> 
> *Starter*
> 
> Crispy green garden salad.
> 
> *Entrees, served with a warmed rosemary olive oil ciabatta roll*
> 
> Santa Maria ancho chile braised beef short-rib
> 
> with rice and avegetable medley.
> 
> Pacific bay scallops in creamy Chardonnay sauce
> 
> with rice and a vegetable medley.
> 
> *Desserts*
> 
> Your server can describe today's sweet selections that include cheesecake, chocolate and more!
> 
> Your choice may not be available due to an unexpected high demand. Thank you for understanding.
> 
> Environmental information from Amtrak
> 
> The paper used on the Coast Starlight menu pieces is 100% postconsumer reccled product, and is ECF (elemental chlorine free). The ink, which is soy based, has been custom manufactured to match the color of the paint used on the Golden Gate Bridge.


And the beverage list:



> PACIFIC PARLOUR CAR BAR LIST*from the bar*
> 
> Wines - Your server will describe our current selections, available by the glass or by the bottle...$5.00 glass, $25.00 bottle
> 
> Martinis...$6.00
> 
> Cocktails & Cordials...$6.00
> 
> Champagne splits...$6.00
> 
> *cold beers*
> 
> Corona...$5.00
> 
> Heineken...$5.00
> 
> Sierra Nevada...$5.00
> 
> Samuel Adams...$5.00
> 
> Budweiser...$4.00
> 
> Bud Light...$4.00
> 
> *coffee specialties*
> 
> Espresso - A short coffee with maximum flavor, enhanced by subtle notes and a smooth, balanced flavor...$3.00 single, $5.00 double
> 
> Café Latte -Espresso with steamed milk topped with milk froth...$3.75
> 
> Cappuccino - Espresso with milk froth and steamed milk...$3.75
> 
> Mocha - Rich, luscious chocolate with espresso and a touch of milk froth, with or without whipped cream...$3.75
> 
> Hot Chocolate - Rich, luscious chocolate with steamed molk, with or without whipped cream...$2.75
> 
> Americano - Espresso with the smooth flavor of coffee...$3.75
> 
> *soft beverages*
> 
> Soda...$1.50
> 
> Spring Water...$1.50
> 
> Sparkling Water...$2.50
> 
> *appetizers*
> 
> Spring Rolls - Thin wonton wrappers filled with a vegetable blend including carrots, cabbage and mushrooms, baked crisp and served with sweet & sour sauce...$5.00
> 
> Quesadillas - Crispy tortillas stuffed with a blend of cheeses, shredded steak and spices, served with sour cream and a salsa...$5.00
> 
> Wings - A basket of medium spiced wings, in a perfect size for sharing, served with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks...$7.00
> 
> Salty Snacks...$1.50


----------



## GG-1

jackal said:


> On Sunday, May 26, I took the Coast Starlight northbound from Los Angeles Union Station to Paso Robles for a short Memorial Day trip to visit my family.
> I plan to edit this later and add the few pictures I took with my camera phone.


Mahalo

Already an excelent report, I await the Pictures

Aloha


----------



## the_traveler

Sounds great. It make me want to go!  Thanks for sharing.


----------



## chuljin

Thanks, jackal! I enjoyed reading this immensely!



jackal said:


> (and with a second glass of the delicious lemonade, too)


Yes, my coworkers and I used to eat there quite frequently. The first time I went there, my more experienced (Phillipe's-wise) coworker told me to get two glasses of lemonade:

'are they that good?'

'yes, but also the glasses are that small!  '

All I can think is that their well-deserved popularity has forced them to do what they can to get people in and out quickly, including not giving them ginormous glasses of lemonade to nurse after finishing their meals! 



jackal said:


> I'll see if I can post a short trip report about my return home tomorrow evening (on which I will meet fellow AU and FT member chuljin)


 I look forward to it! 

PS I'll be posting my own trip report about tomorrow's coincidental shared trip, which for me starts in OKJ (having taken the San Joaquins up on Saturday and since then taking trains every-****-where from Sacramento to San Jose).  In fact, I am posting this from my laptop and EVDO card on Caltrain 445, on my way back to SF having spent all day exploring the VTA light rail system.  Unfortunately, this trainset is made up of the new Bombardier Bilevel Coaches, rather than the older Nippon Sharyo Gallery cars.  If I wanted to see more BBCs, I would have instead just gone to work today (I commute on Metrolink  )!


----------



## jackal

All right, I added some pictures and reformatted the menus. Also, I added one aspect of the report I forgot: my interaction with a customer service manager. You might want to read that paragraph (it's the second paragraph after the first menu).

Enjoy!


----------



## yarrow

nice report, thanks. we will be riding next month and your report gives a good idea of what is going on


----------



## chuljin

chuljin said:


> Thanks, jackal! I enjoyed reading this immensely!
> 
> 
> jackal said:
> 
> 
> 
> (and with a second glass of the delicious lemonade, too)
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, my coworkers and I used to eat there quite frequently. The first time I went there, my more experienced (Phillipe's-wise) coworker told me to get two glasses of lemonade:
> 
> 'are they that good?'
> 
> 'yes, but also the glasses are that small!  '
> 
> All I can think is that their well-deserved popularity has forced them to do what they can to get people in and out quickly, including not giving them ginormous glasses of lemonade to nurse after finishing their meals!
> 
> 
> 
> jackal said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'll see if I can post a short trip report about my return home tomorrow evening (on which I will meet fellow AU and FT member chuljin)
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I look forward to it!
> 
> PS I'll be posting my own trip report about tomorrow's coincidental shared trip, which for me starts in OKJ (having taken the San Joaquins up on Saturday and since then taking trains every-****-where from Sacramento to San Jose).  In fact, I am posting this from my laptop and EVDO card on Caltrain 445, on my way back to SF having spent all day exploring the VTA light rail system.  Unfortunately, this trainset is made up of the new Bombardier Bilevel Coaches, rather than the older Nippon Sharyo Gallery cars.  If I wanted to see more BBCs, I would have instead just gone to work today (I commute on Metrolink  )!
Click to expand...

'Our' train, today's #11 'southern half' (i.e. the one that left SEA yesterday) is 'loungestituted'.


----------



## gswager

chuljin said:


> 'Our' train, today's #11 'southern half' (i.e. the one that left SEA yesterday) is 'loungestituted'.


At least Jackal had an experience with PPC.

Chuljin, I figure that you're living in LA area, so you have many opportunities to ride CS. I had a wonderful experience with PPC several years ago despite my unfortunated flu.


----------



## the_traveler

jackal said:


> On Sunday, May 26, I took the Coast Starlight


That's very impressive that you could take the CS on Sunday May 26 - since Sunday was *May 25*! :lol:


----------



## jackal

Are they still doing the PPC dining separately in the loungestituted car or is everything being funneled into the dining car now?

gswager's right--at least I did experience it, but not having it will severely diminish the enjoyment of my return trip, and I think I might be writing to Amtrak customer service to let them know how disappointed I am and tell them in no uncertain terms that they cannot expect to make this a regular occurrence and keep their riders happy.


----------



## jackal

the_traveler said:


> jackal said:
> 
> 
> 
> On Sunday, May 26, I took the Coast Starlight
> 
> 
> 
> That's very impressive that you could take the CS on Sunday May 26 - since Sunday was *May 25*! :lol:
Click to expand...

Don't you know that due to the summer's constant sunlight, we Alaskans live in a time warp?


----------



## the_traveler

jackal said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> jackal said:
> 
> 
> 
> On Sunday, May 26, I took the Coast Starlight
> 
> 
> 
> That's very impressive that you could take the CS on Sunday May 26 - since Sunday was *May 25*! :lol:
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Don't you know that due to the summer's constant sunlight, we Alaskans live in a time warp?
Click to expand...

I think the heat is getting to you. We know you can't handle anything above 32° F :lol:


----------



## had8ley

Great report...I can't wait to see the pix.


----------



## WhoozOn1st

A fine and very comprehensive report. Thanks, jackal!

I'll be riding on my way back from Denver (after the CZ), and hope I get that Cruz guy if I can upgrade aboard.

Hope you tried the mustard at Phillipe's. There are breakfast hours, but the sandwiches are available at all times.


----------



## socalsteve

Great report, thanks!



> Greg asked us if we wanted to participate in the wine tasting later in the afternoon, and all three of us agreed and paid the $5 to get our tickets.


So they're charging for the wine tasting now? Last time I took the CS (in 2004), it was free. Oh well, it's worth the $5.


----------



## Rail Freak

WhoozOn1st999 said:


> A fine and very comprehensive report. Thanks, jackal!
> I'll be riding on my way back from Denver (after the CZ), and hope I get that Cruz guy if I can upgrade aboard.
> 
> Hope you tried the mustard at Phillipe's. There are breakfast hours, but the sandwiches are available at all times.


OK,

You use MUSTARD on Breakfast what? :angry:

Be carefull, I was born in Rome, Ga !!!!!!


----------



## DaveKCMO

i don't remember paying for the wine tasting on my trip last year in the parlour car, but if that helps them keep it going then i'm all for it! i must say that was one of my best train experiences ever. i can't wait to do the trip post-relaunch!


----------



## Chessie Hokie

chuljin said:


> 'Our' train, today's #11 'southern half' (i.e. the one that left SEA yesterday) is 'loungestituted'.


Oh, the humanity! That's a shame... 

I really enjoyed Jackal's trip report...I'll be on the CS in a roomette in July from SAC to PDX and am now looking forward to the PPC more than ever! Thanks for the great write-up!


----------



## WhoozOn1st

Rail Freak said:


> OK,You use MUSTARD on Breakfast what? :angry:
> 
> Be carefull, I was born in Rome, Ga !!!!!!


Jackal had sandwiches - perfect platforms for Phillipe's mustard, which will singe your nosehairs if you overdo it. Pretty hot, and VERY tasty.

Phillipe's breakfasts are excellent, and quite reasonably priced. Breakfast meats include ham steak, pork chops, sausage patties, and corned beef hash. The mustard is great on any of 'em.

I go with Tabasco on my over easies, but come to think of it, might try the mustard on those, too.

Phillipe The Original menu


----------



## jackal

Thanks for the good words--it's always fun writing things. I don't often do trip reports, but I always enjoy doing them when I can. I think this one turned out well, especially since I shoved it together without any notes literally as the family was leaving to go see Indiana Jones! I was hoping it would come out well.

I did try some mustard on the first half of the first sandwich, and boy, is it hot! It was like shoving a stick of horseradish or wasabi in my nose and eyes. The second half of the first sandwich and the second sandwich went without mustard...I'm just not that addicted to sinus-clearing foods.

I was disappointed at first to be loungestituted™, but the good visit with chuljin and Richard from TrainWeb more than made up for it. The greater seating capacity of the SSL allowed more people to be a part of the wine tasting, too (including some visitors from coach, it turns out), although it was a slight letdown for me, as the wines were the same as the northbound ones (turns out there are only eight wines featured on the train, not sixteen). This is something Amtrak needs to change.

Anyway, it's off to bed now as I must get up in six hours to prepare for my long flight back home. Will update everybody and everything then!

*Loungestituted, loungestitution, loungestituting and all variants thereof are registered trademarks of Chuljin, Inc.


----------



## chuljin

jackal said:


> *Loungestituted, loungestitution, loungestituting and all variants thereof are registered trademarks of Chuljin, Inc.


Haha, I was kidding, but as long as you've started, don't forget 'AmBus'. Nice meeting you, btw!


----------



## Rail Freak

WhoozOn1st999 said:


> Rail Freak said:
> 
> 
> 
> OK,You use MUSTARD on Breakfast what? :angry:
> 
> Be carefull, I was born in Rome, Ga !!!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> Jackal had sandwiches - perfect platforms for Phillipe's mustard, which will singe your nosehairs if you overdo it. Pretty hot, and VERY tasty.
> 
> Phillipe's breakfasts are excellent, and quite reasonably priced. Breakfast meats include ham steak, pork chops, sausage patties, and corned beef hash. The mustard is great on any of 'em.
> 
> I go with Tabasco on my over easies, but come to think of it, might try the mustard on those, too.
> 
> Phillipe The Original menu
Click to expand...

I was just messin witcha, used to travel with a guy from Albuquerqie that took cans of green chilis with him & asked the hotel's kitchen staff to open the can so he could put them on top of his omlettes. WOW, those babies are a little warm!!!!!!!


----------



## Radparker

Chessie Hokie said:


> chuljin said:
> 
> 
> 
> 'Our' train, today's #11 'southern half' (i.e. the one that left SEA yesterday) is 'loungestituted'.
> 
> 
> 
> Oh, the humanity! That's a shame...
> 
> I really enjoyed Jackal's trip report...I'll be on the CS in a roomette in July from SAC to PDX and am now looking forward to the PPC more than ever! Thanks for the great write-up!
Click to expand...

I agree, this was awesome to read!


----------



## jackal

*Part 2--Southbound*

From a railfan's perspective, my return trip was slightly less interesting. I woke up Tuesday morning to a text message on my phone from fellow Amtrak Unlimited forum member chuljin, who would be returning home to L.A. from his four-day railfan journey up to Northern California. His message said that, unfortunately, a second standard Sightseer Lounge had been substituted for the Pacific Parlour Car--a Loungestitution, he called it.

Amtrak.com said the train would be approximately five minutes late, and as I was traveling light and already had my ticket printed, I arrived at the station at approximately 1:35--three minutes before normal departure and eight minutes before estimated departure. Only on Amtrak can you do that! (Normally, I would have arrived a bit earlier, but we were in the downtown area near the station--buying chocolate at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory--and saw that the train hadn't even passed through town yet.) Of course, the estimate wasn't perfect, and the train ended up being about ten minutes late--not too bad for the Coast Starlight! Despite all of the bad talk about the Union Pacific, all three rides I've taken over UP trackage in the last month have been more or less perfectly on time--we didn't meet any freight trains on the Starlight on this Memorial Day weekend, but my trip on the California Zephyr from Denver to Salt Lake the previous week had us speeding past no less than 20 stopped UP and BNSF freights and arriving into SLC five minutes early! But I digress.

I boarded at my sleeper and my attendant took my ticket and gave quick directions to my room. I deposited my rollaboard on the lower-level luggage rack and my backpack in my room. As we started to pull away, I checked chuljin's text message again to see which room he was in. He was in room four in the next car forward (I had to run downstairs to the display opposite the luggage rack to verify the car number), so I knocked on his door and asked if he was, indeed, chuljin (I'm always a little nervous to ask people if they're fellow forum members for fear of being seen as geeky in case they're not!). He responded in the affirmative and invited me in--an offer I would have immediately accepted, except that I wanted to run up to the dining car and see if they were still serving lunch (might as well get a free meal out of my sleeper fare if I could!).

Unfortunately, the dining car had already done its last seating, but I scheduled my dinner reservation for the earliest slot they had open--4:30. I wandered back to chuljin's room and continued our previous conversation as we passed my old house next to the tracks in Templeton. Just then, chuljin's new friend Richard--a contributor to Trainweb--knocked on the door. Chuljin introduced me, and we decided to move to the loungestituted Parlour Car so Richard could show us his photos from his trip to Seattle. Chuljin reminded me that I was to be his guest at that afternoon's wine tasting (a hearty thanks goes to him for that!), which would be taking place at 3:30. It occurred to me that I should move my dinner reservation back a bit so as not to interfere with the tasting (especially if some dining car attendants call reservations early!), so I ran up to the dining car to move my seating back to 4:45 p.m.

Richard opened his laptop and showed us some great pictures of his rides on some special private varnish cars and his chance encounter with Amtrak's Beech Grove executive car and Amtrak Vice President Emmett Fremaux at the Seattle King Street station. Richard is a good conversationalist, and he has the guts to ask for things I'd be too embarrassed to ask for, and so after chatting the VP up for a bit, he asked if he could hitch a ride on Beech Grove for just a single stop (up to Everett), and he received an answer in the affirmative! Chuljin and I were thus treated to some great pictures from the open-air platform at the back of the car--including some pictures done Alaska Railroad-style (taking shots of the train while leaning out from the platform).

In the middle of Richard's slideshow, the pseudo-Parlour Car attendant made an announcement that the wine tasting would begin shortly. We moved from our chairs to a table occupied by a single young traveler (who didn't say a word the entire time we sat there--he probably thought we were nerds or something!) while our attendant set up a small MP3 player and speaker system that played some light jazz and classical music.

Our attendant passed out the cheese plates (this time including a strong bleu cheese, which was not featured on the northbound) and cracker packages and then called the noisy group to order (with more tables than a Parlour Car, the Sightseer Lounge was able to accommodate more people for the wine tasting, including a few people I would later find out were sitting in coach!). She passed out cards to each table with the day's wines listed. I was slightly disappointed to discover that the wines were the same ones that had been featured on Sunday's northbound--I had been expecting a different collection, as one of the Parlour Car attendants on that train had indicated that there were a total of sixteen wines featured on the train. (I asked this attendant, and she said there were eight, which would explain why the same wines were featured--four for each day of the train's journey, but the same for the northbound and southbound.)

The card listing the featured wines:









Interestingly, while I had enjoyed the third wine (the Greg Norman Petite Sirah) on the northbound better than the Estancia Pinot Noir, I found my tastes reversed on this southbound trip. Truthfully, my wine-appreciating tastes aren't as developed as some people's (I suppose I am only a "wanna-be oenophile"), and I found them more similar than different but both quite excellent.

With the wine tasting over at around 4:30, we sat for a few more minutes and talked about (what else?) trains. Almost exactly at 4:45, my dinner reservation was called.

I was seated with a mother and son traveling to Los Angeles for an audiobook publishers' conference, and we struck up a conversation about Alaska (that always seems to happen with me...). The conversation turned, interestingly, into a discussion about the oil industry in Alaska--interesting because these two folks were taking the train because they were environmentalists! Their political perspective was about 180 degrees opposite of mine (yes, they were vegetarians and wore Birkenstocks, too  ), but our conversation remained civil and engaging. (I explained that literally 98% of Alaskans, both liberal and conservative, support drilling for oil in ANWR and attempted to correct the myths that oil development is harmful to the region's flora and fauna--on the contrary, the caribou population has actually increased ten times in areas such as Prudhoe Bay, where companies like BP and ConocoPhillips have worked to support and increase endangered wildlife populations.) It also proved that train travel appeals to people who are about as different as can possibly be.

After dinner, I rejoined chuljin and Richard in the loungestituted Parlour Car. Chuljin mentioned to Richard that I had worked on the Alaska Railroad, and Richard surprised me by name-dropping one of the old-time conductors that he had become good friends with. While I never worked with this conductor, I had met him when I was a paying passenger before I had gone to work there. We talked at length about Alaska, the Alaska Railroad, and all of the things both of us have seen and done. I was treated to some gorgeous pictures of his hikes and train trips in the state (including a stunning picture of Resurrection Bay from the top of Mount Marathon in Seward).

As we approached the Oxnard area, we exchanged contact information (chuljin and I invited Richard to join the discussion on Amtrak Unlimited, and he enthusiastically asked me to email him the link). I retreated to my room to re-pack my backpack and ensure I hadn't left anything (although I only spent a total of perhaps thirty minutes in my roomette on this leg). We paused for a bit at the western end of Simi Valley to meet an evening northbound Metrolink. A few minutes later, I alighted the train at the Simi Valley station, which shortly took off from the platform running only about twenty minutes late (an excellent statistic in comparison to the Starlight's formerly abysmal on-time record).

In all, this was an excellent trip. I'm glad I chose to do it by train rather than rent a car, even though the car would have gotten me there sooner and offered more flexibility in stopping at some of my usual haunts on the drive up. I'm almost sold on traveling in sleepers from here on out, but I'm still pretty budget-minded when it comes to transportation. The ability to retreat to a comfortable room and to take advantage of some extra sleeper passenger-only benefits is a strong pull, though. The service I've received on Amtrak in the west over the last three trips has been outstanding (especially my northbound Starlight trip--every single person on the OBS staff and train crew was exceptional). I look forward to the next time I can hop aboard the train, see this grand country roll by, and meet interesting people and make future friends. Thanks for reading!


----------



## Green Maned Lion

Thanks for posting such an interesting trip...


----------



## jackal

Interesting note--the PPC attendants (both the northbound and the fake southbound) mentioned that you could buy the featured wines for "market" prices.

I stopped by Sam's Club today and picked up two bottles of the 2006 Estancia Pinot Noir. Guess what the price was? Just about $14.75.

Usually, Costco and Sam's Club don't mark items in Anchorage up any more than items in Lower 48 warehouses (with the exception of some perishables, especially fruits and other produce), so I would expect that wine could be found in other Sam's Clubs for about the same price. If that's true, then Amtrak really is selling these wines at very fair prices--probably cheaper than at traditional liquor stores! (And there might be another benefit--IIRC, tax is not charged onboard...though I'm not sure about that.)


----------



## p&sr

jackal said:


> If that's true, then Amtrak really is selling these wines at very fair prices--probably cheaper than at traditional liquor stores! (And there might be another benefit--IIRC, tax is not charged onboard...though I'm not sure about that.)


That would be great! Amtrak could run a "duty free store", just like International Ferryboats.


----------



## Rail Freak

jackal said:


> *Part 2--Southbound*
> From a railfan's perspective, my return trip was slightly less interesting. I woke up Tuesday morning to a text message on my phone from fellow Amtrak Unlimited forum member chuljin, who would be returning home to L.A. from his four-day railfan journey up to Northern California. His message said that, unfortunately, a second standard Sightseer Lounge had been substituted for the Pacific Parlour Car--a Loungestitution, he called it.
> 
> ............
> 
> In all, this was an excellent trip. I'm glad I chose to do it by train rather than rent a car, even though the car would have gotten me there sooner and offered more flexibility in stopping at some of my usual haunts on the drive up. I'm almost sold on traveling in sleepers from here on out, but I'm still pretty budget-minded when it comes to transportation. The ability to retreat to a comfortable room and to take advantage of some extra sleeper passenger-only benefits is a strong pull, though. The service I've received on Amtrak in the west over the last three trips has been outstanding (especially my northbound Starlight trip--every single person on the OBS staff and train crew was exceptional). I look forward to the next time I can hop aboard the train, see this grand country roll by, and meet interesting people and make future friends. Thanks for reading!


Thanx, enjoyed that report. Come on September!!! (1st ride)


----------



## pennsy

Phillipe's is an LA tradition and landmark. But I will confirm that as the prices went up, the portions went down. The quality still remains high. So, you pays your money and makes your choice.

Excellent report, and great comments. I believe the Cheryl you speak of is the same Cheryl that gave me the five dollar tour at LAUS of the last full Dome car in Amtrak service. She was very knowlegeable and pointed out many aspects of the car that were little known. A real sweetheart.

Great photos as well. Reminded me of the plush RR travel days gone by.


----------



## jackal

Thanks for the kind words, everyone! (And good to see you over here, Pennsy!)


----------



## tothetrail

jackal said:


> There was a note at the bottom of the TV that said, "DVDs provided compliments of Fox Home Entertainment"; I looked in some of the cabinets, but the only DVD I found was Ice Age 2. I haven't seen that and have wanted to, but I had more important things to see on the train that day! I went back upstairs to enjoy the scenery from the comfortable chairs of the Parlour Car.


Nice trip report! In searching for the answer to my question, I decided to revive this excellent thread.

jackal, do you recall if it is possible to play any regular DVD in the theater? Or must it be a DVD supplied and played by Amtrak?


----------



## the_traveler

tothetrail said:


> Nice trip report! In searching for the answer to my question, I decided to revive this excellent thread.
> 
> jackal, do you recall if it is possible to play any regular DVD in the theater? Or must it be a DVD supplied and played by Amtrak?


jackal hasn't signed on to AU recently, but I keep trying to get him to do so. (He lives in Alaska, and keeps looking to Russia from his back yard!




) So I'll try to answer the question.

I've only been downstairs in the PPC a few times, and really don't even know where the DVD player is located. I know Amtrak provides movies to be shown at specific times, but I don't know if anyone can use it anytime.


----------



## AlanB

Even if one can gain access to the DVD player, Amtrak would frown upon any movies that aren't G rated or maybe very lightly PG rated. They have to worry about kids walking into the theatre.


----------

