If train is late, is full diner still available?

Hello, soon, I will embark on the Empire Builder eastbound.

The Builder is supposed to arrive Chicago about 4pm, but as we all know, it has been consistently late the past couple of months, averaging 4-6 hours late. If this is the case on my trip, will we be fed a full complete meal in the diner? (since normally a dinner would not be served). Is there enough food available? Would this be a complete service dinner? I'm hoping it doesn't turn into some "rush this is all we got food left" experience, with tired and grouchy and rude staff

Thanks

I cannot answer with full authority, but when I was aboard the eastbound EB in December, we didn't get into Chicago until about 8:30pm. On that run, they only brought out the "emergency food" packets (I think it was the 3rd time we'd seen these in an 8 day trip) and did not. I think it is up to the staff at some level, as I would imagine there is still "some" food left, but perhaps not on a crowded train. Again, just my experience, but it seems the staff is pretty much ready to get it over with after the last scheduled meal.

One exception was a week earlier on the westbound Cardinal. We had a great LSA, if there really is an LSA on that poor combine car, and he insisted on both announcing to all passengers the dinner menu, and then serving a lunch for us at 12pm on day two as we were bordering on four hours late getting into Chicago. Ironically the car was having mechanical issues that day, but he was a real trooper. Said it wasn't his usual run, but he believed in serving anyone regardless of where they were sitting if they wanted food. He implied to us that this was not the custom of the regular crew on that run, that instead they only serve first class and do not even offer 'diner' service to coach passengers, but I have no way to know if this is actually the case (heck, it may be for their own protection, if you've had the beef-pepper entree).

The Card is my favorite Amtrak run, but it cannot get full dining soon enough. We had a great trip though - made the westbound CZ with about 5 minutes to spare!

rms492 said:

Hello, soon, I will embark on the Empire Builder eastbound.

The Builder is supposed to arrive Chicago about 4pm, but as we all know, it has been consistently late the past couple of months, averaging 4-6 hours late. If this is the case on my trip, will we be fed a full complete meal in the diner? (since normally a dinner would not be served). Is there enough food available? Would this be a complete service dinner? I'm hoping it doesn't turn into some "rush this is all we got food left" experience, with tired and grouchy and rude staff

Thanks

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My experience has been that when lunch is the last scheduled meal on a LD train and it is hours late into Chicago, they have served beef stew for dinner. Others have echoed that experience.

Amstew and Snak-Pacs are the usual "meals" on late Trains! On a couple of occasions Ive seen Sleeper pax told to go to the Cafe and take their pick of items left! (not much on these Sold Out Western Trains now-a-days!) If you have time before your connection, or if youre staying in CHI, you might want to pass and eat real food, CHI has lots of fantastic places to chow down!

In the case of the Diner breaking down Ive seen KFC/Subway/Pizza and even Hot Dogs served to the pax! (not Chicago style that's for sure! :lol: )

Wait, they have Amstew? I feel cheated.

A few weeks ago when the Zephyr came into CHI at 10:30, we were served a conglomeration of leftovers. We had a hamburger patty, some wild rice, a bun/muffin, and one or two other items. These were all put into carry out containers and the SCAs were called into the dining room to receive and deliver the meals to our rooms. We were given plastic silverware, paper napkins, etc. When we had time to finish the meal the SCA came by with a garbage bag and collected everything. Oh, and once all the sleepers were fed, the coach attendents were called to do the same to those in coach. I'm not sure if coach had to pay or not, but...

We'll be on the Cardinal next week on our way to Richmond, I love the New River gorge.

It sounds like from reading that Amtrak Service Manual, several steps and clearances have to be taken before declaring a Beef Stew Emergency or even deploying the Service Recovery Kits.

As a general rule, on long distance trains I take a pack of freeze dried backpacking food that backpackers use. My perference is the Beef Stroganoff from Mountian House Foods. It comes in a small vacuum pouch and will last for years. It only takes a cup of hot water and in ten minutes you have an excellent meal.

Only disadvantage is the sodium content is rather high, so don't eat too many of them. But when you are hungry its hard to beat. It is surprising how good they taste for freeze dried food.

On my recent trip, the Cap was 4 hours late into Chicago and they handed out the snack packs and bottles of water to everyone. On our return, the CZ was 7 hours late into Chicago and we got nothing. I wasn't surprised about them not serving another meal, though, because they had run out of most things the night before by the time we got to Denver and your choices for lunch the next day were very, very limited. I was surprised, though, that they did not break out the snack packs again.

spidersfan351 said:

Wait, they have Amstew? I feel cheated.

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I've never been fortunate enough to partake, but I imagine that a can of Dinty Moore and some Uncle Bens instant rice can allow you to recreate the experience at home.

HotlantaAl said:

As a general rule, on long distance trains I take a pack of freeze dried backpacking food that backpackers use. My perference is the Beef Stroganoff from Mountian House Foods. It comes in a small vacuum pouch and will last for years. It only takes a cup of hot water and in ten minutes you have an excellent meal.

Only disadvantage is the sodium content is rather high, so don't eat too many of them. But when you are hungry its hard to beat. It is surprising how good they taste for freeze dried food.

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And people laff when I tell them that the United States has basically a "3rd world class" system of long distance trains...........(service, frequency, etc.)
In fact, those words came directly from an upper Amtrak management staffer who I had the fortune to dine with last week on the Crescent.

Just think, in today's world, an American traveler chooses to take their own freeze-dried emergency rations when traveling by Amtrak. How sad. But I think I may follow that advice!

(Kudos to HotLantAl for "Being prepared". Were you a Boy Scout as a youth? )

Let's see, "Freeze-Dried Meal, Duct Tape, Flashlight, Wet-Wipes....................." Are we going camping, or riding FIRST CLASS on Amtrak?

Linda T said:

A few weeks ago when the Zephyr came into CHI at 10:30, we were served a conglomeration of leftovers. We had a hamburger patty, some wild rice, a bun/muffin, and one or two other items.

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Ha Ha! That sounds like dinner at my house by the time Thursday gets here

rrdude said:

HotlantaAl said:

...I take a pack of freeze dried backpacking food that backpackers use.

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Just think, in today's world, an American traveler chooses to take their own freeze-dried emergency rations when traveling by Amtrak. How sad. But I think I may follow that advice!

(Kudos to HotLantAl for "Being prepared". Were you a Boy Scout as a youth?

)

Let's see, "Freeze-Dried Meal, Duct Tape, Flashlight, Wet-Wipes....................." Are we going camping, or riding FIRST CLASS on Amtrak?

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I take snack foods like: mixed nuts, crackers, etc. Not because I'm ever hungry when I'm in a sleeper and the train is relatively on time, but just as a backup.

I hadn't really thought of it that way before rrdude, but I think you hit the nail on the head. Riding Amtrak in a sleeper is 'FIRST CLASS CAMPING'!!! :mellow:

I have finally learned to cut way back on the amount of "snackage" I haul along, especially when traveling Sleeper because 3 rounds a day in the Diner keeps me more than full. As much as I enjoy eating on the train, I won't grouse about missing a meal because the train is a few hours late.

Maybe I could make a suggestion to Amtrak on the Stew and rice meal. While serving with Uncle Sam we got served Chili over rice many a meal. I found it rather good, introduced it to the wife after we got married and 43 years later still have it from time to time.

Our CZ trip is getting closer and we will take plenty of healthy snack type food.

rrdude said:

And people laff when I tell them that the United States has basically a "3rd world class" system of long distance trains...........(service, frequency, etc.)

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I don't laugh. I just think you must never have visited an actual "third world" country before. I guess the constant tedious struggle of scraping by your entire life in soul-crushing poverty just isn't that funny to me. Amtrak is many things to many people but calling it third world seems a bit much.

Texas Sunset said:

rrdude said:

And people laff when I tell them that the United States has basically a "3rd world class" system of long distance trains...........(service, frequency, etc.)

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I don't laugh. I just think you must never have visited an actual "third world" country before. I guess the constant tedious struggle of scraping by your entire life in soul-crushing poverty just isn't that funny to me. Amtrak is many things to many people but calling it third world seems a bit much.

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I have to differ with you...if you're paying for first class and get Dinty Moore or nothing, (I honestly don't know which is better) than you are in the equivalent of a third world country scraping together whatever there is or going without.

had8ley said:

Texas Sunset said:

rrdude said:

And people laff when I tell them that the United States has basically a "3rd world class" system of long distance trains...........(service, frequency, etc.)

Click to expand...

I don't laugh. I just think you must never have visited an actual "third world" country before. I guess the constant tedious struggle of scraping by your entire life in soul-crushing poverty just isn't that funny to me. Amtrak is many things to many people but calling it third world seems a bit much.

Click to expand...

I have to differ with you...if you're paying for first class and get Dinty Moore or nothing, (I honestly don't know which is better) than you are in the equivalent of a third world country scraping together whatever there is or going without.

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For discussion's sake I am going to disagree with that conclusion.

Taking the Empire Builder Seattle to Chicago, they stock the train for dinner the first night; breakfast, lunch and dinner the next day; and breakfast and lunch on the final day. I always travel in sleepers on long distance trains and the fares are substantial for multi-day trips. Part of the bargain is inclusion of dining car meals in the accomodation price. That said, I don't expect that they will provision every EB for full dining car dinner service if the train is late enough into Chicago to extend well past the dinner service time, and especially, not for the next day's meals if its late into the next day. That does not make logistical or economic sense for Amtrak. The stew or other substitute menu selection(s) are not my preference, but fit the circumstances; and I don't object.