Ever order a pizza while enroute to the next station?

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I have ordered pizza and many other food items from the train. I posted about it a few years ago. They key is knowing where the service stops are and how long they are, how your current train is doing on time and a gps to show you miles to the station. You don't actually order to the train, you order to the station address , go out to passenger drop off and wait for delivery and pick it up there. I've always gave the station address and said I work there and never had any problems. I always call a place a few hours ahead and ask how long delivery time is. Many other times I call in an order to a restaurant that is very close to a station that has a service stop and just walk over and pick it up. Always call way ahead of the time you expect to be there.

I have no problems with Amtrak food its just fun to order delivery on a long distance trip just to say you did it. I give out most of the pizza in the lounge anyway.
 
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"...the idea that coordinating a simple food delivery borders on the impossible is just plain silly."

Well DA this thread started with a simple question, "Ever order pizza while enroute to the next station?" This is response no 35 and so far no member of this forum has answered with a simple "yes" and given details. One person has said it's been done many times, and another has seen staff picking up pizzas at stations. Pardon me if I'm skeptical. I'm curious because if it IS possible it opens up many possibilities (for me) although pizza wouldn't be one of them.
I guess you're referring to me.

It's been done many times. Timing is everything, though.

In the mid to late 90's, Amtrak decided to cut cafe service on NEC regional trains operating exclusively between NYP and WAS. During this time, I observed passengers order pizza and in a few cases, Chinese Food and have it deliver to the train. WIlmington, Delaware was a big stop for this. I specifically remember Domino's in Wilmington.

Additionally, there was a great pizza shop in the strip mall at Old Saybrook, Connecticut. I have been aboard Amtrak trains and C-Dot trains where passengers and crew received deliveries to the train. They had great food.
 
I have done it several times in SJM, Silver Beach Pizza is at the station! Of course I always let the conductors know of my plans and shared with them.
This is excellent. We are making progress. We can order pizza from Silver Beach Pizza when passing through St. Joseph MI aboard the Pere Marquette daily at approx. 915 PM southbound and 816 AM northbound. Good to know.

Incidentally, Silver Beach Pizza receives the second highest rating of 4 1/2 stars on Yelp, which is actually pretty good. Here's a link to the Yelp page: http://www.yelp.com/biz/silver-beach-pizza-saint-joseph

Edit: Posted hours show SBP opening daily at 11 AM. So northbound PAX would seem to be out of luck.
You transposed the times for St. Joe. It heads south to CHI in the AM and north in the PM.

So it's southbound PAX that are out of luck.
 
Thank you Tim. I'm going to correct that in my post so people aren't confused. You can still have pizza at 915 PM but you'll be going northbound, not southbound, if I have that right now!!
 
Thank you Tim. I'm going to correct that in my post so people aren't confused. You can still have pizza at 915 PM but you'll be going northbound, not southbound, if I have that right now!!
You do have it correct. Funny thing is, I had to do a couple of double takes after reading your post, as I just was on the PM on Sunday. LOL

Also, keep in mind, that there is still rumor out and about that a second running of the PM may be in the works but I'm not sure if or when it's going to happen. I've heard nothing new of late, but when (if) that second train happens, nobody loses out on the pizza, if it can be had.
 
Thank you Tim. I'm going to correct that in my post so people aren't confused. You can still have pizza at 915 PM but you'll be going northbound, not southbound, if I have that right now!!
You do have it correct. Funny thing is, I had to do a couple of double takes after reading your post, as I just was on the PM on Sunday. LOL

Also, keep in mind, that there is still rumor out and about that a second running of the PM may be in the works but I'm not sure if or when it's going to happen. I've heard nothing new of late, but when (if) that second train happens, nobody loses out on the pizza, if it can be had.
just asked about a 2nd run on the Pere Marquette yesterday and the conductors knew nothing of it at this point.
 
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Thank you Tim. I'm going to correct that in my post so people aren't confused. You can still have pizza at 915 PM but you'll be going northbound, not southbound, if I have that right now!!
You do have it correct. Funny thing is, I had to do a couple of double takes after reading your post, as I just was on the PM on Sunday. LOL

Also, keep in mind, that there is still rumor out and about that a second running of the PM may be in the works but I'm not sure if or when it's going to happen. I've heard nothing new of late, but when (if) that second train happens, nobody loses out on the pizza, if it can be had.
just asked about a 2nd run on the Pere Marquette yesterday and the conductors knew nothing of it at this point.
I figured as much. There's not been much news since a former PM conductor told me about the second running 2 1/2 years ago. It was supposedly going to coincide with the opening of the new GRR station, but he was quite skeptical about it happening simultaneously. He was part of the Chicago based OBS and got reassigned to the Wolverine once the PM started crewing out of GRR so I won't be able to follow up with him on that.

I was hoping that the "new" single level consist (at least Sunday as I was on both trains and failed to ask if that was permanent or temporary) was a sign of changes to come........and sorta keeping this subject on topic (as much as I love to talk about "my" train) if it stays single level, it'd be easier to have a pizza delivered, if one wanted to.
 
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Thank you Tim. I'm going to correct that in my post so people aren't confused. You can still have pizza at 915 PM but you'll be going northbound, not southbound, if I have that right now!!
You do have it correct. Funny thing is, I had to do a couple of double takes after reading your post, as I just was on the PM on Sunday. LOL

Also, keep in mind, that there is still rumor out and about that a second running of the PM may be in the works but I'm not sure if or when it's going to happen. I've heard nothing new of late, but when (if) that second train happens, nobody loses out on the pizza, if it can be had.
just asked about a 2nd run on the Pere Marquette yesterday and the conductors knew nothing of it at this point.
I figured as much. There's not been much news since a former PM conductor told me about the second running 2 1/2 years ago. It was supposedly going to coincide with the opening of the new GRR station, but he was quite skeptical about it happening simultaneously. He was part of the Chicago based OBS and got reassigned to the Wolverine once the PM started crewing out of GRR so I won't be able to follow up with him on that.

I was hoping that the "new" single level consist (at least Sunday as I was on both trains and failed to ask if that was permanent or temporary) was a sign of changes to come........and sorta keeping this subject on topic (as much as I love to talk about "my" train) if it stays single level, it'd be easier to have a pizza delivered, if one wanted to.
2 weeks ago Monday, so April 4, I was on the Pere Marquette from SJ to Chicago and it was the single level. Walter the conductor told me that was supposed to be for the "season". I rode the Wolverine up to New Buffalo yesterday so have not been on the PM since 4/4 to see if they kept the single level or went back to the double decker. Double decker coach is way more comfortable, but I do prefer the Business Class layout on the single level trains vs the double level trains.
 
Thank you Tim. I'm going to correct that in my post so people aren't confused. You can still have pizza at 915 PM but you'll be going northbound, not southbound, if I have that right now!!
You do have it correct. Funny thing is, I had to do a couple of double takes after reading your post, as I just was on the PM on Sunday. LOL

Also, keep in mind, that there is still rumor out and about that a second running of the PM may be in the works but I'm not sure if or when it's going to happen. I've heard nothing new of late, but when (if) that second train happens, nobody loses out on the pizza, if it can be had.
just asked about a 2nd run on the Pere Marquette yesterday and the conductors knew nothing of it at this point.
I figured as much. There's not been much news since a former PM conductor told me about the second running 2 1/2 years ago. It was supposedly going to coincide with the opening of the new GRR station, but he was quite skeptical about it happening simultaneously. He was part of the Chicago based OBS and got reassigned to the Wolverine once the PM started crewing out of GRR so I won't be able to follow up with him on that.

I was hoping that the "new" single level consist (at least Sunday as I was on both trains and failed to ask if that was permanent or temporary) was a sign of changes to come........and sorta keeping this subject on topic (as much as I love to talk about "my" train) if it stays single level, it'd be easier to have a pizza delivered, if one wanted to.
2 weeks ago Monday, so April 4, I was on the Pere Marquette from SJ to Chicago and it was the single level. Walter the conductor told me that was supposed to be for the "season". I rode the Wolverine up to New Buffalo yesterday so have not been on the PM since 4/4 to see if they kept the single level or went back to the double decker. Double decker coach is way more comfortable, but I do prefer the Business Class layout on the single level trains vs the double level trains.
I don't do coach on the PM anymore since BC was instituted but do agree that the single level BC is better.
 
Thank you Tim. I'm going to correct that in my post so people aren't confused. You can still have pizza at 915 PM but you'll be going northbound, not southbound, if I have that right now!!
You do have it correct. Funny thing is, I had to do a couple of double takes after reading your post, as I just was on the PM on Sunday. LOL

Also, keep in mind, that there is still rumor out and about that a second running of the PM may be in the works but I'm not sure if or when it's going to happen. I've heard nothing new of late, but when (if) that second train happens, nobody loses out on the pizza, if it can be had.
just asked about a 2nd run on the Pere Marquette yesterday and the conductors knew nothing of it at this point.
I figured as much. There's not been much news since a former PM conductor told me about the second running 2 1/2 years ago. It was supposedly going to coincide with the opening of the new GRR station, but he was quite skeptical about it happening simultaneously. He was part of the Chicago based OBS and got reassigned to the Wolverine once the PM started crewing out of GRR so I won't be able to follow up with him on that.

I was hoping that the "new" single level consist (at least Sunday as I was on both trains and failed to ask if that was permanent or temporary) was a sign of changes to come........and sorta keeping this subject on topic (as much as I love to talk about "my" train) if it stays single level, it'd be easier to have a pizza delivered, if one wanted to.
2 weeks ago Monday, so April 4, I was on the Pere Marquette from SJ to Chicago and it was the single level. Walter the conductor told me that was supposed to be for the "season". I rode the Wolverine up to New Buffalo yesterday so have not been on the PM since 4/4 to see if they kept the single level or went back to the double decker. Double decker coach is way more comfortable, but I do prefer the Business Class layout on the single level trains vs the double level trains.
I don't do coach on the PM anymore since BC was instituted but do agree that the single level BC is better.
same here Business Class on any of the trains I take.
 
And back again to the subject at hand.......I'll probably never get pizza from the train being that most of my trips are from Holland to Chicago and back for the day. Plus it was just announced that Holland is getting a Giordano's Pizza and is scheduled to open in June or July. It'll be located about a mile from where I live. There also is one walking distance from Union Station.

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2016/04/chicago_pizzeria_coming_to_wes.html
 
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I realize this is a rather old thread but I did witness someone picking up a pizza at St. Joseph last month. I was sitting in the cafe chatting with the conductor and the gentleman came in and shared his pie with him (and offered me some but I'd just finished eating my dinner.)
 
I and some other backpackers once had food delivered to a road crossing on the Appalachian Trail. If a restaurant will deliver to a bunch of disreputable stinking long distance hikers, I imagine some would deliver to a train if the order is large enough to be worth it. BTW, we pooled our money for a nice tip as this was way beyond normal.
 
When I rode the Chief last summer, someone ordered takeout food and had it delivered trainside at ABQ. It is a long fueling stop and there was a sizable row of vendors right there selling trinkets and stuff. It looked like a street fair on the platform. The station building also has a few shops where myself and several other passengers got food to take back to the train. Not aware of anywhere else like this, though.
 
It doesn't happen much in Whitefish, MT, because the westbound stop coincides with the dinner rush and most places in town aren't eager to tie up staff at a peak hour. I am told it happens all the time in Shelby and Havre.

I have personally helped facilitate it -- had a friend email me her dinner order earlier in the day, I placed the order with Five Guys in Kalispell when the train got to West Glacier, picked it up, and met her in Whitefish.
 
Back when I lived in Seattle a took the Empire Builder on a regular basis in the 90s into the early "aughts" I used to go in to PJ's across the street from the station in Havre (long service stop) and could stock up on booze, cigarettes (when I used to do both those things) and order some food to go, and have a beer while waiting for the food. Always had at least a half hour there so plenty of time. I didn't have a cell phone back then but I'm sure I would call ahead today (I haven't been on the EB since about 2005). Always loved that place, good greasy pub grub and a nice little dive.
 
I had a pizza delivered in Ogden, Utah many years ago. My brain is too small to remember every change in Amtrak dining policies, but this was at a time that they were serving really pathetic little square airline trays in the dining car, hardly worth eating (a time not unlike our own for us easterners). In any case, it took some planning because it was in the days before cellphones or the internet. I had to find a pizza place, explain to them how to use the Amtrak telephone train status line, and promised a substantial tip. We could see the guy standing trackside from the lounge car as we pulled in, and it was warm and great! My apologies to other passengers that we didn't order enough for everyone...
 
I’ve used uber eats in Albany before for the Lake Shore Limited. I ordered it twenty minutes prior to arrival. Went into the terminal collected the food and went back to the car. Denver is another good place to get off train food.
 
I’ve used uber eats in Albany before for the Lake Shore Limited. I ordered it twenty minutes prior to arrival. Went into the terminal collected the food and went back to the car. Denver is another good place to get off train food.

I'd imagine any servicing stop would be a good opportunity to get food delivered.
 
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I would say it depends on the stop some places are in the middle of nowhere with nothing around or no easy access for delivery. Portland is good on the southbound Starlight if it’s on time it actually arrives in Portland thirty minutes before scheduled arrival. So you have a full hour.
 
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