Pacific Parlour Car Permanently Retired February 2018

[Anderson]

I found a reasonable amount of use the week after Thanksgiving. It wasn't as packed as it would have been in the past, but I got stuck wrangling for a seat for a chunk of the trip.

That being said, the second-day wine tasting seems to have vanished somewhere along the line (among other things). What's interesting is that I remember a few years ago, having occasional trouble grabbing a meal in the PPC instead of the diner.

 

[neroden]

The Superliner Lounges are supposed to have swivelling chairs... the problem is that Amtrak never maintained them properly and they don't usually swivel. You don't need a PPC to fix this.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

What was the point of combining two or more chairs into a single oversized swiveling device? Even when they work they can barely turn because there's not much room for something that large to move on a train. What if you want to face one direction and your seatmate wants to look somewhere else? Those SSL swivel chairs are just about the dumbest most incomprehensible seating contraption I've ever seen. Even worse than those AmCoach loveseats with no armrests or other dividers between sleeping strangers.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

The swivel chairs should not swivel anymore. There was a derailment accident and the seats were causing injuries that should not of happen. Simple locking the chairs resulted in a safer environment for the passengers.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

To heck with safety...

 

[neroden]

Riiiiight. "Safety".

The Superliner lounges, if their frames are still good, would benefit from an interior refresh. It would be trivial to provide PPC-style swivel chairs.

 

[MikeM]

The swivel chairs should not swivel anymore. There was a derailment accident and the seats were causing injuries that should not of happen. Simple locking the chairs resulted in a safer environment for the passengers.

If safety is so important, how about fixing the flooring in the lower level of the Lounges? Last trip I took, the floor which looked original, had big bumps in it and several tears fixed with duct tape. Major trip hazard. I think the odds someone would injure themselves tripping or losing footing on stairs is far greater than the risk of a chair swiveling. I'd even vote to reduce or eliminate tables and the drink bar on the upper level to provide more seating.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

The swivel chairs issue came from a NTSB report of a derailment.

 

[TinCan782]

It would be nice if the "chair" in a Superliner bedroom would swivel! It would be nice if they were comfortable too!

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Comfort is not safe.

 

[JoeBas]

Comfort is not safe.

Mercedes Benz would like to disagree.

 

[PVD]

Mercedes is known for top shelf engineering, not comfort. Plenty of cars out there that are more comfortable.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I disagree. Besides Volvo and Peugeot nothing is more so.

 

[PRR 60]

Classic AU. Pacific Parlour Car discussion morphs into an argument over automobile quality. For the benefit of those who click here expecting info about the retirement of the Parlour cars, please take further discussion of autos to the Lounge. Thanks.

 

[Rail Freak]

Classic AU. Pacific Parlour Car discussion morphs into an argument over automobile quality. For the benefit of those who click here expecting info about the retirement of the Parlour cars, please take further discussion of autos to the Lounge. Thanks.

LOL. Love It!!!

 

[CSXfoamer1997]

With them being so popular, I wonder if Amtrak will save a few of them for museums?

 

[Ryan]

If someone is willing to pay more than scrap for them, sure.

 

[Bob Dylan]

With them being so popular, I wonder if Amtrak will save a few of them for museums?

Hopefully the California Rail Museum in Sacramento will get one, and also the Rail Museum in Portland.Is there a Rail Museum in Seattle and LA that could handle them also??

 

[cpotisch]

If someone is willing to pay more than scrap for them, sure.

That is the sad truth of it.

 

[akbrian]

I've reserved a roomette on 11 from Seattle down to San Jose on the 4th. I hope I don't miss too much of the farewell to the PPC, not being on the second day of the final journey to LA.

Is it really that likely they will be scraped instead of sold off for use as a private car?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

From the sounds of it Amtrak received an offer well in excess of scrap value. Supposedly the high price offered was part of the reason Amtrak rushed to get the cars off the road and into the hands of the buyer before any unplanned complication could queer the deal.

 

[Seaboard92]

With them being so popular, I wonder if Amtrak will save a few of them for museums?

Hopefully the California Rail Museum in Sacramento will get one, and also the Rail Museum in Portland.Is there a Rail Museum in Seattle and LA that could handle them also??

The closest rail museum to Seattle is the Northwest Railroad Museum in Snoqualmie and it doesn't have main line connection. Plus all they have is single level equipment so not really worth trucking it there. CRM definitely can't use them in operation but a good preservation home.

I love ORHF but they would be a horrible home. Not compatible with their cars and stored outside.

 

[Blackwolf]

From the sounds of it Amtrak received an offer well in excess of scrap value. Supposedly the high price offered was part of the reason Amtrak rushed to get the cars off the road and into the hands of the buyer before any unplanned complication could queer the deal. I also heard that turning a small fleet of relatively ancient lounge cars into liquid assets was financially desirable after experiencing several wrecks and continuing litigation.

Just gonna start a new (completely unfounded, wild and dangerous) rumor.

Warren Buffett's new private varnish...

 

[CHamilton]

Amtrak is selling pre-orders of PPC t-shirts and pins. One run only. Be warned, they're using Staples "Corporate Merchandise" again, which is the worst e-commerce website ever. https://amtrak.bnr.corpmerchandise.com/Welcome.aspx?

 

[ChuckL]

Amtrak is selling pre-orders of PPC t-shirts and pins. One run only. Be warned, they're using Staples "Corporate Merchandise" again, which is the worst e-commerce website ever. https://amtrak.bnr.corpmerchandise.com/Welcome.aspx?

I get an error: Unauthorized We’re sorry but you are unauthorized to view this website

when I try to use the link that was provided.

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