Parlor car

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.

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]

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]

• 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.