I had the privilege of riding #14 the Coast Starlight from LA to San Jose this past Sunday. In previous weeks when I met the train, I found it to be heavily Superliner II in makeup. My train was heavily Superliner I (with notable exceptions of the sleeper “Kansas” and the Sightseer Lounge). My sleeping car attendant told me that the Starlight has swapped out cars with the California Zephyr.
So knowing my luck, when I ride the CZ later this summer, it will have switched out again.
On a side note, some of the Phase IVb cars in #14 were already looking poor with bits of the decals having flaked off. My attendant said it was because the CZ goes through rougher weather. Can’t they get better glue at Beech Grove?