Dreamstar overnight train between San Francisco and Los Angeles?

[George Harris]

They also claimed the Titanic was indestructible. Not casting aspersion...just saying.

And that claim was not made by White Star Lines itself nor the builder of the ship. It was puffery by the press and some travel agents. There were some short cuts in the design of the ship as well. The watertight bulkheads did not go all the way to the top deck, so once the ship was nose down far enough they overtopped one by one. Whether a full height watertight bulkhead would have prevented the sinking or simply slowed it down, I have never seen that discussed. The lifeboat capacity exceeded the requirements of the time, but the requirements of that time did not require lifeboat capacity to equal ship and crew capacity for the ship and the ship's excess lifeboat capacity beyond requirements did not go that far, either. Although it was somewhat faster than most steamships of that time it did not have sufficient power to nor was it attempting to set any speed records for the Atlantic crossing. It was one of three identical ships, Titanic, Brittanic, and Olympic. One of those remaining was sunk in WW1 and the other ultimately scrapped some years later. Also, these ships were significantly smaller than many of the current day cruise liners.
(Edit: Ship names corrected.)

 

[Anderson]

And that claim was not made by White Star Lines itself nor the builder of the ship. It was puffery by the press and some travel agents. There were some short cuts in the design of the ship as well. The watertight bulkheads did not go all the way to the top deck, so once the ship was nose down far enough they overtopped one by one. Whether a full height watertight bulkhead would have prevented the sinking or simply slowed it down, I have never seen that discussed. The lifeboat capacity exceeded the requirements of the time, but the requirements of that time did not require lifeboat capacity to equal ship and crew capacity for the ship and the ship's excess lifeboat capacity beyond requirements did not go that far, either. Although it was somewhat faster than most steamships of that time it did not have sufficient power to nor was it attempting to set any speed records for the Atlantic crossing. It was one of three identical ships, Titanic, Gigantic, and Levitan. One of those remaining was sunk in WW1 and the other ultimately scrapped some years later. Also, these ships were significantly smaller than many of the current day cruise liners.

Titanic, Brittanic, and Olympic. Titanic sank in 1912. Brittanic was sunk during WW1. Olympic was scrapped in the 1930s (as advances over the ensuing 25 years or so had made her somewhat obsolete).

 

[Palmland]

I know maintenance must have been challenging but addition of that car and it’s services gave first class some real ‘classily’

Yes it did. Note the etched glass behind my wife, the sconces on the wall, and soft seating areas. I particularly liked the change from community seating to having a table to yourselves and sitting across from your spouse. Probably for that reason I remember the meals being a cut above the ones in the dining car (although I think at some point they were prepared there rather than in the PPC). This was 2012.

 

[jiml]

Yes it did. Note the etched glass behind my wife, the sconces on the wall, and soft seating areas. I particularly liked the change from community seating to having a table to yourselves and sitting across from your spouse. Probably for that reason I remember the meals being a cut above the ones in the dining car (although I think at some point they were prepared there rather than in the PPC). This was 2012.

The best part of any Starlight trip. Sorely missed. Although usually very good, some of the meals weren't that different to today's Flex offerings when it came to preparation. The variety and plating is what set them apart, and on our last PPC-equipped trip only one entree actually came from the diner kitchen; the others were heated in the PPC's mini-galley. They compared favorably with First Class airline meals.

 

[west point]

The Pacific Parlor car was an invention of the then route manager. It was so successful that sleepers almost always sold out. However, it has been suggested that the success was so pronounced that upper eastern management felt it made them look bad. The route manager wanted to add more cars to the consists, but the route was going to be costed an unreasonable amount for cars that were at that time only spares.

The route manager left for whatever reason. All route managers were also ended. Quickly Amtrak stopped PP service and sold the cars off to prevent PP from returning. All this was in an article in trains magazine years ago. Anyone have exact issue?

 

[George Harris]

Titanic, Brittanic, and Olympic. Titanic sank in 1912. Brittanic was sunk during WW1. Olympic was scrapped in the 1930s (as advances over the ensuing 25 years or so had made her somewhat obsolete).

Thanks for the corrections. Don't where my warped memory found the names I used. I will go back and correct my original, at least i recalled their demise correctly. (My grandchildren would say, of course you would, you remember it happening.)

 

[GDRRiley]

They are going to end up needing at least 10-15 sleepers, 5-10 coaches and 3 cafe and or lounge cars along with 3-6 locos.|

This entire process sounds a lot easier with a single level fleet of older cars from the northeast.
Example:
MBTA has 49 cars built by MBB 39 of which are stored out of service, even if 8 of the fleet had to be scrapped to provide hard to get parts thats still 41 cars they could use. Enough to build 25 sleepers, 10 coaches, 3 lounges and 3 cafe cars. With fairly common 80% operating in service thats 2 sets of 10 sleepers, 4 coaches with a cafe and a lounge car.
We have seen what alstom did with the rocky mountaineer coaches.

Spoiler: Pictures

 

[Bonser]

The Pacific Parlor car was an invention of the then route manager. It was so successful that sleepers almost always sold out. However, it has been suggested that the success was so pronounced that upper eastern management felt it made them look bad. The route manager wanted to add more cars to the consists, but the route was going to be costed an unreasonable amount for cars that were at that time only spares.

The route manager left for whatever reason. All route managers were also ended. Quickly Amtrak stopped PP service and sold the cars off to prevent PP from returning. All this was in an article in trains magazine years ago. Anyone have exact issue?

It was my recollection that the PP cars were beyond repair - too old - or was that just an excuse to discontinue the service?

 

[Gary Moline]

My memory banks may be faulty, but I remember the PPCs being taken off for "Annual" maintenance, but then never returned.

 

[Cal]

It was my recollection that the PP cars were beyond repair - too old - or was that just an excuse to discontinue the service?

I mean i’m sure they weren’t the easiest to work with, but I think the main reason is that Anderson wanted them gone.

 

[zephyr17]

Probably for that reason I remember the meals being a cut above the ones in the dining car (although I think at some point they were prepared there rather than in the PPC). This was 2012.

The meals were always prepared in the diner. The PPC did not have a galley.