I came across this article today. I don’t know any more about this than what is contained in the article. Maybe one of you can say a little more about this, but I thought it was very neat.
On the Northwestern site, you can access the images of the menus.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/dining-car-food
https://digitalcollections.library.northwestern.edu/collections/d3a8e587-cc58-4cb0-aea2-65465d42ec3e
I just noticed the article is a year old. Sorry if this was already discussed back then.
Disappointing, not a single menu from the B&O during the period from 1937 to 1957 that my Grandfather was Superintendent of the Dining Car Dept. for the B&O.
Balt, as I wrote earlier about my trip on the B&O’s Cincinnatian and how I was taught about FINGERBOWLS, I wish I had a menu from 1955. Rest assured, your Grandfather would have been quite satisfied with the food and the service provided to me and my buddy on that trip. I have always enjoyed eating on trains. The most minimal food service was on the Monon which had a news butch who had a cooler and made a ham sandwich in the coach vestibule with two slices of white bread, butter, three thin slices of ham, a leaf lettuce,placed in a small wax paper bag.
Balt, I rode the Capitol Limited between Chicago and DC several times in the 1960’s.
The meals and service were excellent; and I measure it as a Santa Fe man who enjoyed their Fred Harvey meals and service.
Your post brings back memories. I rode the City of Portland from Nebraska to Tacoma, WA, with my mother in the 1950s. That was the first time I had ever seen fingerbowls. My mother was so impressed. I was more impressed with the the doors and crossings between the cars – standing on the shifting floor was great.
In the 60’s J.B. Martin was the Superintendent of the B&O Dining Car service, as the successor to my Grandfather who retired September 30, 1957.