Amtrak’s Coast Starlight, c2008-present

Fred Klein, 2013

Amtrak’s best-run train is the Coast Starlight, which connects Los Angeles to Seattle via Oakland and Portland. Runtime is about 35 hours with the daylight part along California’s scenic Pacific coast, and the nighttime part in Northern California and southern Oregon. The route includes the coast route followed by Southern Pacific’s Coast Daylight trains (Los Angeles to San Jose) and the Shasta Daylight and the Cascade trains between Oakland and Portland.

 

The Amtrak Coast Starlight includes the Pacific Parlour car, a scenic lounge car with high-level windows that is only for first class passengers. Pacific Parlour sevices include wine tasting, snacks, and an entertainer like a magician or musician. The Pacific Parlour cars are rebuilt high-level lounge cars from Santa Fe’s El Capitan train. They are Budd-built cars from 1954. The Pacific Parlour cars have a unique logo on their sides. They were introduced in 1995, but taken out of service for remodeling during c2004-2008. An older high-level diner substituted during remodeling. The cars were used as lounges in the 1970s on the Southwest Chief, taken out of service with the arrival of the superliners in 1980, then refurbished as Palour cars and had phase III striping on their introduction in 1995. In 1997, they were repainted with phase IV stripes and lettering until the 2004 remodeling. In 2008 they were given names as well as numbers and got new phase VI striping. The Pacific Parlour cars have doors that mate with the superliner cars, but they are a few inches shorter in height and can be spotted from a distance in the train. This page shows the current (2008-present) phase VIb paint scheme (with wave logo), and a companion page shows the former (1997-2005) phase IV paint scheme. Because the Coast Starlight is such a well-run train, I believe the mixture of different paint scheme varieties in a train is less common than with other Amtrak trains. The paint scheme in this model train is well-matched.

 

The consist is a general one for the current era taken from a Fred Frailey article on the Coast Starlight in the August 2011 issue of Trains magazine. Amtrak trains often have deadhead cars at either end, and I include a deadhead coach after the locomotives. Being one of Amtrak’s most scenic routes, the Starlight sometimes carries a private car. Frailey’s consist lists a BNSF business car, but I use a private dome car at the end

 

All of the cars are factory painted Kato cars. The special Pacific Parlour car was made by Kato on their El Capitan lounge body, but was sold as a special run by Amtrak. Every car in this train is in phase VIb paint because all have the current “wave” logo on their sides.

 

 

 

 

The Coast Starlight descending California’s horeshoe curve just north of San Luis Obispo on July 13, 2011. The consist in the photo matches the model train. After the dormitory and three sleepers, the Pacific Parlor car is clearly visible with its reduced height and wider stripe. Next are the diner, lounge, and a series of coach cars. Photo from Wikipedia.

 

 

The Coast Starlight rounding California’s hourseshoe curve (just north of San Luis Obispo) in 2007 or 2008. Note the the phase VIb paint scheme. The Pacific Parlor car is to the left and is not visible. Amtrak photo.

 

 

Power, deadhead coach and baggage car

 

Two GE P42 diesels in phase Vb and phase V paint lead the train. They are followed by a deadhead coach and a 72’ Budd baggage car. All are Kato models.

 

Sleeper section

 

The first sleeper is a dormitory car for the crew. In the model train I use a coach as a stand in because I do not have enough sleeper cars. A typical Coast Starlight then has 3 superliner sleepers for the first class passengers. All are Kato models.

 

Lounge and dining section

 

Adjacent to the sleeper section is the Pacific Parlour car for the use of the first class passengers. It is a rebuilt Budd lounge car originally used on the Santa Fe’s El Capitan train. See the paragraph at the top of this page for more info on the history of Pacific Parlour cars. The kitchen/pantry end of the car without windows is adjacent to the following dining car. The car is a Kato model using the El Capitan lounge car body, but was briefly sold by Amtrak as a promotional item in 2013. Next are the diner and lounge cars as found on all long-distance superliner Amtrak trains. The lounge is for all coach and sleeper passengers. Four coach cars follow the lounge.

 

 

Coach section, with a private dome car

 

Coach cars bring up the end of the train, unless there is a special business or private varnish car attached to the end. The first coach has a baggage compartment. The private car is a Kato model of the 1949 dome coach that Budd built for the California Zephyr. The scenery of the coast route is a perfect backdrop for private parties or wealthy travelers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

REFERENCES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coast_Starlight

Amtrak, Brian Solomon, MBI railroad color history, 2004.

Amtrak by the numbers, by David Warner and Elbert Simon, White River productions, 2011. An excellent guide with thorough car histories and hundreds of photographs.

 

 

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