Amtrak Diner and Food Service Discussion

Economy cars in the 66/67 slot? It would become the drunk bus. I’d rather any economy service be an evening train, just after peak but not late night.

Wait... how did we get here in a Food Service thread?

I am really sick. I am sitting here writing this with a really upset stomach. I had a supermarket salad for dinner and now I am watching a news cast about all these salads being recalled due to serious e coli contamination. I think I found one of the lucky salads.

The news report also had a food-borne illness expert saying if you go out to eat, cold salads are the most dangerous things you can order. Get something cooked and have it cooked well-done or else you might get ill.

Ummm . . . just wondering if anything here sounds appetizing to anyone: Chilled Beef Tenderloin, Chicken Caesar Salad, Turkey Club Sandwich, or a Vegan Wrap. Could be a long train ride.

Just some food for thought

bostontrainguy wrote: Ummm . . . just wondering if anything here sounds appetizing to anyone: Chilled Beef Tenderloin, Chicken Caesar Salad, Turkey Club Sandwich, or a Vegan Wrap. Could be a long train ride.

Just some food for thought

Ugh, not at all.

My travel choice is between Amtrak--my route has a dining car for now--and this: https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/exp ... dining.jsp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's now a really easy choice.

I'm still not figuring out why Amtrak can't even just offer Acela first class food on trains with the downgraded dining situation. Acela first class food wouldn't qualify as amazing, but it was definitely better than chilled beef tenderloin or a vegan wrap; at least it was hot.

Admin note

Closed for housekeeping. This topic is about diner and food service, not carry capacity.

Let's try to stick to Diners and Food Service. Thanks.

bostontrainguy wrote:I am really sick. I am sitting here writing this with a really upset stomach. I had a supermarket salad for dinner and now I am watching a news cast about all these salads being recalled due to serious e coli contamination. I think I found one of the lucky salads.

The news report also had a food-borne illness expert saying if you go out to eat, cold salads are the most dangerous things you can order. Get something cooked and have it cooked well-done or else you might get ill.

Ummm . . . just wondering if anything here sounds appetizing to anyone: Chilled Beef Tenderloin, Chicken Caesar Salad, Turkey Club Sandwich, or a Vegan Wrap. Could be a long train ride.

Just some food for thought

Before we go too much farther, bring me up to speed here with this question: Does (or did) Amtrak cook all meals at time of order, having a full kitchen on board, for these LD trains?

I remember on the TV show "Nerve Center" where they covered Atlanta's airport over a 24-hour period, a food vendor contracted to Delta was also covered: Gate Gourmet. What they would do is pre-cook and package meals that were loaded onto airplanes, then heated up for in-flight, in-cabin dining.

I wonder if Amtrak (and Anderson) may be thinking "Why are we still cooking on demand when we can treat it like an airline?"

STrRedWolf wrote:Before we go too much farther, bring me up to speed here with this question: Does (or did) Amtrak cook all meals at time of order, having a full kitchen on board, for these LD trains?

Mr. Wolf, on A-Day, any train offering full service Dining had meals cooked to order by a Chef and a staff of two Cooks. There were also five or six Waiters and a Steward.

So playing Devil's Advocate . . . what if we keep real food and 2 live cooks (with a simplified menu) and 1 "Steward". We eliminate 1 cook and the 5 or 6 wait staff.

Passengers go to the dinning car at their requested time. You find a seat and order your meal on a table-side tablet. Your order is cooked and the Steward brings a tray with your dinner to you (even McDonalds is doing this now). You can get a drink at the self-serve soda or coffee machine (covers mandated of course).

The Steward cleans up at the end of the sitting and the process repeats.

Messrs. Trainguy and Wolf. there is more to the story.

Amtrak has eliminated many of those positions as of today - and as of "fresh and contemporary" Day, June 1, they will eliminate more. The Steward is long gone, replaced by a Lead Service Attendant.

Sorry for any confusion; I reported the crew consist as of A-Day - and A-Day Eve as well.

I think we are already down to a dining car staff of three, at least in the Diner Lite/Cross-Country Cafe concept. This proposal cuts dining car staff to zero, or a good $500,000 avoidable cost per crew-year.

Great. What's next, a rolling Automat? Next thing we'll know, I'm cracking roach coach jokes.

So if I want to eat my fresh contemporary COLD dinner in the new diner/"lounge", who gives it to me? There is no one at all in the diner? Do I go help myself?

STrRedWolf wrote:Great. What's next, a rolling Automat? Next thing we'll know, I'm cracking roach coach jokes.

That worked so well for the Southern Pacific, back in the day!

mmi16 wrote:

STrRedWolf wrote: Great. What's next, a rolling Automat?

That worked so well for the Southern Pacific, back in the day!

Mr. MMI, here you go:

https://m.ebay.com/itm/2-Southern-Pacif ... r=1&_rdt=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Now everybody, time for a pop-quiz: guess who designed and outfitted these cars (rebuilt from "prewar" lightweight Sleepers) for SP?

ARA Services, Inc.

Guess who subsequently acquired this concern?

You guessed it: Aramark!!!

Guess who they hold a Food Service contract with today?

That's right: Amtrak!!!

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Now everybody, time for a pop-quiz: guess who designed and outfitted these cars (rebuilt from "prewar" lightweight Sleepers) for SP? ARA Services, Inc.

Guess who subsequently acquired this concern? You guessed it: Aramark!!!

Aramark in a sense could be a modern version of Fred Harvey & Co.