Taking the Long Way Home.
I’m leaving for Chicago next Monday to attend a two-day retreat for members of the board of directors of NARP, the National Association of Railroad Passengers. We travel to and from at least two...
View ArticleDavis to L.A. in the Parlour Car.
Julie (Amtrak’s automated reservationist) reported that Train 11 would be a scant four minutes late arriving at Davis … and she was off by an hour. To be fair, that was just before I left for the...
View ArticleSay Goodbye to the Acelas.
Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, has announced that Amtrak is dotting i’s and crossing t’s on an agreement that would allow the railroad to buy new trainsets that will replace the...
View ArticleAboard Amtrak’s Train 14.
The Coast Starlight was an hour late into Oakland, but by the time I got up this morning, the lost time had been made up. That was the good news. The bad news is there is no Pacific Parlour Car on...
View ArticleDining Italian from Siena to Seattle.
SEATTLE–Well, first there was the disappointment of not having a parlor car on the Coast Starlight coming up from Oakland. Now there is the disappointment of realizing that Assaggio’s, my favorite...
View ArticleParlour Cars In and Out of Service.
OK, I will concede that you may be tired of reading about the Pacific Parlour Cars on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight. I suppose part of the reason I write about them is because I really do go out of my way...
View ArticleA Scary Message from Amtrak.
A chill ran up my spine when this email from Amtrak was forwarded to me: “We are contacting you today to inform you that starting January 6 through March 1, 2016, the Pacific Parlour car will be...
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Aboard the California Zephyr.
We’ve just left Grand Junction, Colorado, and Glenwood Springs is about two hours up ahead. The first part of this great ride was yesterday–crossing the Sierra Nevada range by way of Donner Pass. The...
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Off Again by Amtrak. Next Post from Seattle.
My 7-year-old granddaughter gets her first overnight train ride today. We’re leaving from Los Angeles this morning on the Coast Starlight and will arrive in Seattle tomorrow evening. I am unashamed to...
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In Amtrak’s Pacific Parlour Car, Debbie’s In Charge.
Let me tell you about Debbie. She’s in her late 50’s, calls you “Honey”, has an infectious laugh, and is attractive and fun to be around. Debbie was our attendant — the only attendant — in the Pacific...
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There Really IS Something We’re Doing Better Than the Europeans: Overnight...
More reports coming from various sources say that overnight sleepers in Europe will soon be a thing of the past. Although there’s nothing specific yet, City Night Line trains are supposedly going to...
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Meetings Over. Now It’s California Here We Come!
SALT LAKE CITY — The annual Fall meeting of the National Association of Railroad Passengers has ended and Jim Mathews, our new president and CEO, has met the membership and has impressed one and all....
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Say It Ain’t So, Joe Boardman!
The Coast Starlight, which operates daily in both directions between Seattle and Los Angeles, is my favorite of all the Amtrak long-distance trains. The southbound train runs along the shores of Puget...
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Aboard Amtrak’s Train 14.
The Coast Starlight was an hour late into Oakland, but by the time I got up this morning, the lost time had been made up. That was the good news. The bad news is there is no Pacific Parlour Car on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dining Italian from Siena to Seattle.
SEATTLE–Well, first there was the disappointment of not having a parlor car on the Coast Starlight coming up from Oakland. Now there is the disappointment of realizing that Assaggio’s, my favorite...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Parlour Cars In and Out of Service.
OK, I will concede that you may be tired of reading about the Pacific Parlour Cars on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight. I suppose part of the reason I write about them is because I really do go out of my way...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Scary Message from Amtrak.
A chill ran up my spine when this email from Amtrak was forwarded to me: “We are contacting you today to inform you that starting January 6 through March 1, 2016, the Pacific Parlour car will be...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Aboard the California Zephyr.
We’ve just left Grand Junction, Colorado, and Glenwood Springs is about two hours up ahead. The first part of this great ride was yesterday–crossing the Sierra Nevada range by way of Donner Pass. The...
View ArticleStaying Flexible at the Last-Minute.
PORTLAND–The last of my eight train rides–Seattle to Portland today–was to be the frosting on the cake: a relaxing five-hour ride in the Coast Starlight’s parlor car. Alas, it was not to be. In fact,...
View ArticleGone—Despite Popular Demand.
It’s official. In a cold one-sentence statement, Amtrak says that in two weeks the Pacific Parlour Cars will no longer be part of the Coast Starlight experience. Yes, I’m upset. But what I find so...
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