USA Today pictorial montage about 1970's Amtrak
http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2016/03/29/amtrak-1970s/82346702/
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Thanks, BaltACD, that's a nice trip down memory lane, even if it is a bit "sanitized" from the reality I recall.
I was looking for a photo of the first class parlor cars that were carried between New Haven and GCT or Penn Station, such as the "Molly Pitcher." For daytime travel luxury I don't think they've ever been equalled. Single swiveling recliners on each side of the aisle and a fine hot meal served at my seat! How I'd like to travel like that again!
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Isn't 1st-Class Acela a pretty good approximation?
I occasionally rode those parlors between Boston and NY on the New Haven, starting well before Amtrak. I did have a few trips on 1st Class Metroliner between Washington and NY, and found that a pretty good approximation.
Usually, however, when on a New Haven parlor, I still prefered dinner in the diner to having the meal brought to my seat.
I completely agree that it's always better to eat in the dining car than at one's seat. However, when I rode those parlor cars from New Haven to Manhattan I had just 90 minutes be be aboard the train, which would only barely get me in & out of the diner in time. Plus, having bought an expensive ticket (I think it was about $8.85 for a parlor car seat & fare to NYC!), I wanted to luxuriate in the parlor car, not leave it for most of my time aboard.
Incidentally, E.M. Frimbo on at least one occassion took his two cats into the parlor car and let them out of their cage or carrier; then the fun began. One passenger, witnessing the cats flying around the car and clawing their way up and down the plush upholstered seats, asked the car attendant what in heck was going on. "Why, them's Mr. Frimbo's cats, of course," the attendant replied. Oh, how times have changed!
Today's Acela first class cars are, in my humble opinion, not at all as nice as those badly-missed parlor cars. Today's Acela has single seats on one side, double seats on the other, none of which swivel or recline very much. In parlor cars no one rode backwards and we did not have those fixed tables between us. With the exception of single seats on one side of the First Class car, all Acela cars look the same to my eyes, whereas the very moment one entered the parlor car one knew this was a very different kind of car and place; words like plush or posh came instantly to mind.
What a great way to travel!
(And Dave, I envy you riding The Merchants Limited and eating in that famous dining car!)
My first experience with a New Haven parlor was at the end of August, 1948, going B&M Portland - North Station, Change at Sumner-Washington on the Boston El to South Station, and then the Yankee Cliipper to NY. This was the only time I rode one of the six-wheel-truck heavyweigiht parlors, and we had an I-5 Hudson up front. The coaches were the new 8600 fluted-side postwar cars. These parlors were reseated for Boston-areac commuter service, replacing non-aiar-conditioned cars, and ending the use of the ex-NYW&B ex-MU cars that had replaced the last of the wood open-platform cars before WWII. The next summer we had the new parlors. Oriignally, NYNH&H post-WWII parlors had two-and-one seating, but complaints had them reseated, except for (some?) of the parlor-baggage cars that retained 2 & 1. The food on the Merchants diner was excellent, but all New Haven diners served very good food, and even the economy grill cars were good. Broiled scrod was a New Haven secialty on all cars, and whatever seasoning they used made it delicious.
The parlor-baggage cars were used mainly on the NY - Springfield trains, although the Bankers usually had one or two full parlors.
Forgetting the ambience, how do you find the precooked food on Acela first-class? I was happy with it on Metroliner 1st Class, but by that time I was oredering Kosher fish meals. Once they were out, and I had vegitable lazania, which I thought was excellent. I don't remember much difference when they siwtched from mu equipment to AEM-7-hauled remodeled Amfleet. Comparing ride qualitiy is difficult, because speeds of course were greater. I recall standing behind an engineer on a parlor Metroline mu and reading 136 on the digital speedometer. Riding a New Haven parlor was quieter, that is for sure.
More of my trips were in the 8600's and I was still able to use the diner and treat mjyself to a fine meal. And occasionally I would be on the PRR equipment on the Senator. PRR diners were good in those days, also, but only the Broadway was as good as the Merchants.
The very best dining experiences for me were my one breakfast on the CofLA when it still had a dome diner, meals on the Super Chief, and meals on the Rio Grande Zephyr. Always had Rocky Mountain Trout for dinner. (Rode between Denver and SLC over 30 times.) Breakfast was always French Toast, with applesauce or bananas or an apple replacing the bacon, which I would not eat. El Cap meals were good, also, and all AT&SF dining cars. Finally, there was the diner on the Century, far above most NYCentral diners, and the wonderful Kings Dinner on the Panama.
John Lennon, Feb. 11, 1964
My guess is that is an ex-PRR heavyweight parlor on the LIRR in Hamptons - Montauk service.
Damn, I miss the boys. And GG1s.
wanswheel John Lennon, Feb. 11, 1964
Johnny
Deggesty wanswheel John Lennon, Feb. 11, 1964 Is that the way people traveled in England? The porter should have spoken to him.
Is that the way people traveled in England? The porter should have spoken to him.
Deggesty John Lennon, Feb. 11, 1964 Is that the way people traveled in England? The porter should have spoken to him.
Johnny: Today we'd cite Mr. Lennon for three offences: 1. shoes on walls; 2. smoking; 3. "manspreading".
But at least he's not looking at his iPhone or Mac.
Another part of the '70s Amtrak experience was failing lighting and air conditioning, patched together with jumpers between cars. Steam heat and looking-at-the-ballast toilets completed the ambience!
My last pre-Amtrak run 45 years ago today - SP 126 Del Monte from Castroville to Monterey California. Three stainless coaches, three parlors and two Harriman commuter coaches behind GP9s 3002 and 3004.
Hey, don't mock those "looking-at-the-ballast" toilets. For "ambience" they beat the heck out of much worse we look at, often, in the modern version.
Not to mention the men's bathrooms themselves -- I'm sure the women's were at least as good -- which were really lounges, with a couple of chairs or small sofa and a window, along with the basin and mirror.
Anybody who wasn't lucky enough to ride the old trains doesn't know what we're missing in Amtrak.
Also remember that the pre-Amtrak era included a lot of trains with few to no amenities. Consider such examples as the "Lake Cities", the "Thoroughbred", the "Danville-Chicago Flyer", etc.
rcdrye Another part of the '70s Amtrak experience was failing lighting and air conditioning, patched together with jumpers between cars. Steam heat and looking-at-the-ballast toilets completed the ambience! My last pre-Amtrak run 45 years ago today - SP 126 Del Monte from Castroville to Monterey California. Three stainless coaches, three parlors and two Harriman commuter coaches behind GP9s 3002 and 3004.
And don't forget on the cars that had A.C., usually one or both of the evaporators dripped condensate all over the floor
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
CSSHEGEWISCH Also remember that the pre-Amtrak era included a lot of trains with few to no amenities. Consider such examples as the "Lake Cities", the "Thoroughbred", the "Danville-Chicago Flyer", etc.
And the bare bones C&NW #1 & 2;11 & 12 (formerly the Kate Shelly 400); the Milwaukee Road's Varsity and Sioux; and the IC's Creole #8 (it did have a cafe-lounge, albeit pretty scruffy).
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
You guys are talking just before the end. As late as the mid-1960s -- later on the "good" passenger roads -- most of the amenities were still very much in place.
dakotafredYou guys are talking just before the end. As late as the mid-1960s -- later on the "good" passenger roads -- most of the amenities were still very much in place.
The IC's Creole was like that in 1964. Should have been called the Spartan. It was equipped with old heavyweight coaches, dirty linoleum floors, threadbare plush seats and poor ventilation. And it ran NOLA-CHI.
We were talking secondary trains, not the premier ones. Big difference.
schlimm dakotafred You guys are talking just before the end. As late as the mid-1960s -- later on the "good" passenger roads -- most of the amenities were still very much in place. The IC's Creole was like that in 1964. Should have been called the Spartan. It was equipped with old heavyweight coaches, dirty linoleum floors, threadbare plush seats and poor ventilation. And it ran NOLA-CHI. We were talking secondary trains, not the premier ones. Big difference.
dakotafred You guys are talking just before the end. As late as the mid-1960s -- later on the "good" passenger roads -- most of the amenities were still very much in place.
Deggesty schlimm dakotafred You guys are talking just before the end. As late as the mid-1960s -- later on the "good" passenger roads -- most of the amenities were still very much in place. The IC's Creole was like that in 1964. Should have been called the Spartan. It was equipped with old heavyweight coaches, dirty linoleum floors, threadbare plush seats and poor ventilation. And it ran NOLA-CHI. We were talking secondary trains, not the premier ones. Big difference. Considering that the equipment came down from Chicago, taking two days and a night, on the mail train (#25), it is really no wonder that it was old. It did have a cafe-lounge from Carbondale to Chicago. When I was riding it ('62-'65), I was glad to have the transportation--it stopped in the town where I lived..
Considering that the equipment came down from Chicago, taking two days and a night, on the mail train (#25), it is really no wonder that it was old. It did have a cafe-lounge from Carbondale to Chicago. When I was riding it ('62-'65), I was glad to have the transportation--it stopped in the town where I lived..
I was glad to ride all of them. They took you where you needed to go and often at the times of day that were needed. Luxury? No. Transportation? Yes.
OTOH, I was lucky a few times to ride in the parlor car (Carbondale to CHI) from Champaign on the NB Panama Ltd in the mid 60s.
schlimm Deggesty schlimm dakotafred You guys are talking just before the end. As late as the mid-1960s -- later on the "good" passenger roads -- most of the amenities were still very much in place. The IC's Creole was like that in 1964. Should have been called the Spartan. It was equipped with old heavyweight coaches, dirty linoleum floors, threadbare plush seats and poor ventilation. And it ran NOLA-CHI. We were talking secondary trains, not the premier ones. Big difference. Considering that the equipment came down from Chicago, taking two days and a night, on the mail train (#25), it is really no wonder that it was old. It did have a cafe-lounge from Carbondale to Chicago. When I was riding it ('62-'65), I was glad to have the transportation--it stopped in the town where I lived.. I was glad to ride all of them. They took you where you needed to go and often at the times of day that were needed. Luxury? No. Transportation? Yes. OTOH, I was lucky a few times to ride in the parlor car (Carbondale to CHI) from Champaign on the NB Panama Ltd in the mid 60s.
schlimm Deggesty ... I was lucky a few times to ride in the parlor car (Carbondale to CHI) from Champaign on the NB Panama Ltd in the mid 60s.
Deggesty
... I was lucky a few times to ride in the parlor car (Carbondale to CHI) from Champaign on the NB Panama Ltd in the mid 60s.
My problems with editing the copy of others continue above, as with Schlimm.
I had him schlimmed down to the last sentence of his post, with the earlier references deleted, and look at the mess above.
In IT matters, I am used to blaming myself first. However, as a grizzled veteran of the forum, in this case I lay it on Kalmbach.
IC parlor cars
My first ride in an IC parlor (and my first ride in a parlor car) was on the City of New Orleans, from Brookhaven to Jackson in 1962 when one was substituted for the regular observation lounge.
My second such ride came, in 1965, after one of the Pullman observation cars (Memphis or Gulfport) had been wrecked, and a parlor car was operated on one set; not long after leaving Brookhaven, the conductor (I do not know which of the Penn brothers he was) and the flagman invited me into the drawing room so we could talk.
My third (and last) IC parlor car ride was in 1968 when I rode from Chicago to Carbondale and ate dinner in the first class diner (the Magnolia Star cars were in the consist). From Carbondale, I went on to Birmingham on the Seminole--which was coach only by then.
Darn, I forgot how red and orange the 70's were. But with that said I wish I could book a drawing room red or orange or what ever again.
As much as I enjoyed the real roomettes and the bedrooms in the "heritage" cars, I greatly appreciate the showers that are now in the Superliner and Viewliner bedrooms, and the community showers in the same cars--though I endeavor to book bedrooms when I travel overnight (and my next trip has me in a Superliner room A for a night and a day--at least it is a bedroom).
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