Vending machines: NC Piedmont trains have them.
Ever eaten at a Pret-a-Manger? Pre packaged food. Some requires heating. You pick your items, attendant does heating/prep. You take away or eat in. Would work just fine on a train.
Not familiar with Pret-a-Manger practices, and I’m betting that the attendant on the NC Piedmont trains is not making Amtrak level wages and benefits (right?). I’ve never had issue with the microwaved cafe food on the Amtrak San Joaquin, but the Amtrak staffer seems underutilized most of the time.
I’ve seen Japanese vending machines that do All the reheating on demand (when you order by selecting and paying first), and they have pretty high standards even for this kind of food. Perhaps this would work?
Machines on the Piedmonts- soda, inedible sandwiches, chips and candy. No Attendent.
Not very likely that this particular operation would work effectively on an Amtrak train; see their implied prep standards to keep that product as fresh as Don indicates.. Not to reopen old wounds here, but I don’t see most reported Amtrak attendants going to that kind of effort unless there is substantial additional compensation involved. And I suspect that a British organization is not going to smile on Amtrak crew union policies and expected responses to outside discipline …
How much do you want to bet? You’ll lose, but you’d win if you had phrased that “I’m betting that Amtrak’s wage and benefit expenses on attendants for the NC Piedmont trains are below typical Amtrak level.” It’s like dining-car expenses on Mica’s experimental version of the Florida service… what’s not there is generally cheaper (except in opportunity cost, which we’re not considering)[:)] .
Something this brings up: Just how often would Amtrak have to arrange to stock or restock the machines to ensure reasonably fresh sandwiches at any time? And what are the full costs to do that, including whatever passes for a commissary, and the entire travel costs of whoever does the restocking?
And to think the United States invented Horn and Hardart!
That may be true, but Horn & Hardart establishments were not very mobile.
Purely anecdotal story for you. I recently rode a Deutsche Bahn Intercity train from Stralsund to Mainz (CMStPnP likely knows the route, Volker certainly does). It had only a Bord Bistro 1/2 car, which is a manned snack car offering beverages and snacks but also some hot foods. I spoke with the attendant, a very pleasant and efficient person. The hot foods are prepackaged, prepared dishes. They are heated in a steamer, similar to those used on most European railroads except for Poland and Russia, where foods are cooked in a kitchen. After heating, the foods are double-plated and served at table or delivered to first class passengers in adjoining cars. The food was very tasty and well-prepared (Currywurst and my wife had a Swabian dish, Maultaschen, a stuffed pasta. As others have pointed out, I so no good reason why Amtrak can’t extend a similar service (as on Acela) to other trains.
I’ve been to Mainz by train from my long ago Army station in the North (Osterholz-Sharmbeck on the Bremen to Bremerhaven line). No idea what route DB put me on to get me there. As you know sometimes they have 3-4 different rail passenger routes to the same destination.
As for steaming foods, glad you brought that up. Next time you go to Firehouse Subs (if you ever go there). They steam heat the subs in some really cool contraption that all but makes it really difficult for the employee to get burned…which lowers their insurance costs / electrical costs I am sure, since they do not have ovens like other sub-shops. Whatever the contraption is, I am convinced steam heating of meals on a train is probably a lot safer and results in a better tasting product in the end…probably. More than likely uses less electricity.
One other note is very modern microwaves now. Note the top of the line Kitchen-Aide model, can crisp what they cook…which I have not tried it yet nor bought such a microwave but it is genius to add that in.
Same route as mine, most likely: Stralsund - Hamburg - Bremen - Essen - Dusseldof - Cologne - Bonn - Mainz. The attendant said premade foods, usually steam heated, is the standard on European railways except in Russia and Poland. More and more IC trains are getting re-eqipped with new IC2 double deck equipment.