A parlor car (or parlour car outside the U.S.) is a type of passenger coach that provides superior comforts and amenities compared to a standard coach.
History
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Parlor cars came about on United States railroads to address the absence of separate class accommodations. In the United Kingdom and Europe, passenger trains carried first-, second- and third-class coaches, with the first-class coaches offering the best seating and costing the most. In contrast, American trains offered a flat rate and standard accommodations. For 19th-century writers this represented a difference between class-bound Europe and the democratic United States.[1]: 224 [2]: 331
Parlor accommodations were appreciated by those who used them because of their exclusivity. H. L. Mencken called the parlor car "the best investment open to an American":
He not only has a certain seat of his own, free from intrusion and reasonably roomy; he also rides in a car in which all of the people are clean and do not smell badly. The stinks in a day-coach, even under the best of circumstances, are revolting. The imbecile conversation that goes on in parlor-car smoke-rooms is sometimes hard to bear, but there is escape from it in one's seat; the gabble in day-coaches is worse, and it is often accompanied by all sorts of other noises.[3]: 130
Most parlor cars were found on daytime trains in the Northeast United States. In comparison to a standard coach, parlor cars offered more comfortable seating and surroundings, as well as food and beverages, but were far inferior to sleeping cars for overnight trips.[4]: 287 Southern Pacific operated the all-parlor car Shore Line Limited on a 13.5-hour daytime schedule between Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, from March 1, 1906, until the great depression ended the service on September 15, 1931.[5]
Today
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Elevated service survives on Amtrak although the term "parlor car" has fallen into disuse. One recently discontinued example was the Pacific Parlour Car on the Coast Starlight, converted Hi-Level lounges which featured a mixture of 1x1 swivel-chair seating and cafe-style seating. In contrast to past usage, this car was provided as a lounge exclusively for sleeping car passengers and was not itself bookable. Amtrak discontinued the Pacific Parlour in February 2018. The Acela offers First Class service, including at-seat service and improved seating.[6] Other Amtrak trains offer a Business Class, which includes roomier seating and, on some routes, a complimentary beverage and newspaper.[7]
Notes
edit- ^ Muirhead, James Fullarton (1898). The land of contrasts: a Briton's view of his American kin. John Lane: The Bodley Head.
- ^ Wells, H. G. (1914). Social forces in England and America. Harper & Brothers. OCLC 1512217.
- ^ Mencken, H. L. (2006) [1956]. Minority Report. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0801885337. OCLC 76892903. Archived from the original on 2013-08-15. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
- ^ White, John H. (1985) [1978]. The American Railroad Passenger Car. Vol. 1. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-2722-8.
- ^ Beebe, Lucius (1963). The Central Pacific and the Southern Pacific Railroads. Berkeley, California: Howell-North Books. p. 623.
- ^ Amtrak. "First Class Seat". Archived from the original on 2010-01-03. Retrieved 2009-12-29.
- ^ Amtrak. "Business Class Seat". Archived from the original on 2010-01-07. Retrieved 2009-12-29.
References
edit- Bramhall, Frank J. (December 1898). "Luxury in American Railway Travel". Cassier's Magazine. 15 (2): 91–107.
- Ivory, Karen (2000). Eight Great American Rail Journeys: A Travel Guide. Globe Pequot. ISBN 0762707488.
- Terry, Ellen (1908). The story of my life. London: Hutchinson & Co.
- Walker, Sydney F. (July–December 1904). "Recent Developments in Electric Traction". The Railway Magazine. 15: 385–391.