Lol, I was gonna mention a milkshake.
Normally “cheese steak” is traditional in Philadelphia. [swg]
Now if they just wanted to serve MRE’s the mail hook would work fine.[:0][C=:-)][;)] Probably get a deal on em too.[8][:p]
MREs apparently weren’t good enough for Katrina’s refugees displaced persons, so how could they be good enough for paying passengers?..[;)]
In Windsor Vt, there is a McDonald’s trackside where I have seen a number of times a southbound freight stopped so the crew could get a coffee or some food. Of course that’s just two guys and not a full load of passengers.
Dan,
It is no longer politically correct to call them refugees, one must call them victims of Katrina instead, (adds a little more pitiful tone to it…)
Ed
Well, there are a TON[banghead] of issues here. First, how do you buy out the current food service employees labor contracts, without having to pay dearly in order to void those contracts? second, Catering would work if the TRAINS could run on time, or reasonably close to time, but refer back to the first point. Now,(third) why not order new dining cars with up to date service capabilities, that would alleviate some of the problems (like labor contracts for the workers that survive the cutbacks) But! Now for the hard part[banghead][X-)] who takes the fall if the idea fails, and the new cars @ $ 4.35MM each are on the books and WE are payin’ for them. Aye, there’s the rub. Oh, for a cold Molson Export in the dome of a CP dome/lounge /observation.( Montreal-Brockville in '82!) We can’t bring back experiences like that on Amtrak since a new dome would run MINIMUM $5 MM each!
Even with the best of intentions and the working out of the logistics of such an
undertaking, I’m afraid it would eventually deteriorate into something tasting like airplane food.[xx(]
OOOO,Airplane foood.Sure ,do the same thing for ocean liners.Give everyone a
fishing pole and catch the fi***hey want for dinner.,(Except Trout)
DaveBr
Or better yet…Amtrak could do a winter time “Donner Pass” special…
…I do wish we could chat longer Clarice, but I’m having an old friend for dinner…[dinner]…
WATCH OUT Dan or they’ll throw you to the WeeeBlows…LOL…
LC
Is there a Food Service Merit badge?
Yes…but the scouts have to join the union to get it…
Pay the dues, kid.[xx(]
I’ve got a better idea, let’s go back to the Fred Harvey model. Stop and everyone gets off the train, goes inside and eats and the train is back on the way in 30 minutes. ATSF pulled that off for years.
Or then there’s the system used in India where they take the order, it is sent ahead and you get your meal when the train arrives at the station where the food is prepared.
Yeah, you have to cook smores and use a dutch oven in the woods to get it though…
LC
Amtrak Should Hire TGI Fridays or Denny to run the Dining Car?
The dispatchers don’t get to eat until Amtrak is to the station also! That’ll solve the on-time problem too. : - )
That sounds good, but if they wouldn’t even let Subway do it, I doubt that would work.
- The concept would work in the corridors, where trips are short, economy of scale applies, and the caterers could be located right at or across the street from or next door to the stations. No reason at all. Some railroads actually did this. I once rode a Southern or Seabord train in the late 50’s or early 60’s between Atlanta and Birmingham, not the Southerner or the Silver Comet, where the conductor took orders and box lunches were delivered at a stop down the line. If a privatized Milwaukee - Chicago - St. Louis - Kansas City corridor operation were to be set up, this is one way to make it profitable. (Hourly trains Milwaukee - Chicago - St. Lous, with every two hours extended to KC., stops at Milwaukee Airport, Glenview, Joliet, Bloomington, Springield, Independence. Not all trains make all stops.)
Long distance trains are an entirely different issue for the reasons discussed. The Empire Builder regularly carries extra food just in case of a real delay or tie-up in winter.
…We actually do have a McDonald’s line side here in Muncie…on NS Frankfort line as it enters Muncie…
Item: Yesterday we were setting in a "family restaurant " right across the street from the east / west CSX route…{ex. Conrail, double track line}, and one train went east and not far behind came another one creeping forward and stopped right adjacent to the restaurant and it pulled to a stop…I figured it was at a stop signal being too close to first train…{just my guess}, and one of the crew climbed down from the lead engine and hiked to another restaurant on the other side of the tracks and brought back two super sized cups of coffe…So that was a convienient stop…