Ted Wrote:
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> Earlier I was watching the old WWII submarine
> flick "Crash Dive" with Tyrone Power, Dana Andrews
> and Anne Baxter. One scene occurs in a dining car
> between New London CT and Washington DC.
>
> That scene got me wondering about food service
> differences between various railroads, mainly
> during the heydey of passenger service. I'm
> talking the whole shebang: menu selections, server
> instructions, recipe differences, table setting,
> etc...
>
> I realize it would be prohibitively expensive for
> a modern dinner train to FULLY recreate different
> railroads' dining service on different excursion
> days--china, flatware, and decor alone would cost
> a freaking fortune.
>
> That said, has any dinner train operation really
> attempted to explore different roads' menus via a
> series of trips? Something like NYC Monday, Great
> Northern Tuesday, whatever...
>
> This seemed like it could perhaps be a good
> subscription-type offering or even a premium
> fundraiser with a top notch kitchen crew
> faithfully reproducing the recipes.
>
> I'm always coming up with screwball schemes and
> can never tell what's plausible and what's
> complete garbage. Or worse yet, I may have read
> this someplace and don't recall it.
>
> Anyway feel free to use the idea--I'd only require
> a monthly free ride and dinner, LOL...

1. What is the average life span of the "modern" dinner train? With a few notable exceptions, most last a couple of years, tops.

2. Exactly who is this idea supposed to appeal to, besides you, considering that:

A. The vast majority of the public has no idea of what you are talking about.

B. The vast majority of train riders "back in the day" spent as much time and effort avoiding expensive, stuffy dining cars.

C. Railfans will be off the train taking photos, not inside buying meals.

D. The handful of railfans who might show up will be carrying stepladders, radio scanners,
5 cameras, camera bags, will be dressed like they just crawled out of a dumpster and will be stealing the dishes and flatware.

3. Exactly what will this cost the typical diner?

4. How do you plan to deal with Covid, or the next disease?