[1] The car may feature large windows and comfortable train seats to create a relaxing diversion from standard coach or dining options.
In earlier times (and especially on the "name" trains), a lounge car was more likely to have a small kitchen, or grill and a limited menu.
Buffet lounges should not be confused with snack or grill cars which did not offer a full range of libations.
In use from the post-World War II years, into the 1970s, these appeared on long-distance routes, such as the Atlantic Coast Line's Champion, the Erie Lackawanna's Phoebe Snow, the Kansas City Southern's Southern Belle, Louisville & Nashville's Humming Bird, Georgian, the New York Central's New York-St. Louis Southwestern Limited, and the Seaboard Air Line’s Silver Meteor.
[4][5][6] The Seaboard’s Silver Meteor in particular was well known to have kept its tavern-lounge-observation car on the end of the train where it was supposed to be until Amtrak’s inception in 1971.