Reflections From the Pride of First Class...Now Covered in Graffiti. It was an incredibly sad sight to turn the corner at Beech Grove, Indiana, and spot a pair of now retired Pacific Parlour Cars sitting out on a shop track, slowly being covered in graffiti. From left to right, AMTK #39974 - "Sonoma Valley" and AMTK 39973 - "Santa Lucia Highlands," sit out their remaining days on Amtrak property as they reportedly await shipment to Dallas, Texas, under the ownership of their new owner, John's Trains, Inc. The three other Parlour cars that had been active service on Amtrak's daily Coast Starlight trains have since left the property, with one at the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad and the other two at the Steam Railroading Institute of Owosso, Michigan. Amtrak chose to retire all five, active cars in early 2018, citing high maintenance costs to continue operating the cars.
