Pacific Parlour Car interior.

The Pacific Parlour Cars have a rich railroad history going back to the mid-1950s when they were originally built by the Budd Company for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. They were configured as Lounges for use on El Capitan, an all coach train running between Los Angeles and Chicago. All cars used on the train were known as Hi-Levels, denoting that they had two levels. When Amtrak put out the bid to design and produce the bi-level Superliner equipment in the 1970s, the Santa Fe Hi-Levels were used as a model due to their popularity. Amtrak refurbished the Pacific Parlour Cars in the mid-1990s to provide a casual, yet elegant, space for Sleeping car passengers to relax. From the Ann Owens Collection.