Is it gone forever

[had8ley]

Did anyone find out if ice cream has gone the way of the jointed rails ???

 

[Windy City LSA]

Did anyone find out if ice cream has gone the way of the jointed rails ???

I had it on 27/28 my last work trip. Can't speak for non-Chicago based trains.

While working various lounges, numerous passengers ask if we have ice cream. Great idea, but the only freezer on most lounge cars is reserved for precious and highly in demand ice. Well...on some single level equipment cafe cars we do have another freezer behind the counter, but their performance has been spotty in my experience. I'm thinking aloud here...but I guess my point is that for the lounges anyway, there just isn't the freezer space or reliability. With the dining cars, I believe any train that has gone simplified has eliminated it.

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

With the dining cars, I believe any train that has gone simplified has eliminated it.

Hate to say it ice cream fans, but unless you are on Auto Train or the Builder, the previous statement is on the money. Ice cream is gone on all the Simplified Dining Menu. OBS...

 

[RailFanLNK]

How bout we picket Amtrak headquarters and we can all scream in unison "We scream, we all scream, we all want the ice cream"!

 

[jccollins]

Fortunately the Amtrak California trains still carry TINY containers of Haagen Daz during the summer. Even at $2-$3 for the tiniest container of it you have ever seen, it is still a huge hit. Californians complained one summer it wasn't available and it has been on the menu ever since. Granted, it's not the same as a nice scoop like we used to be able to get on the longhaul trains but it is still something. Now if they'd just bring back the fruit bowls...

<_<

 

[Guest]

Howza bout da coast starlight?

 

[Bill631]

Well, this is a typical example of Amtrak's illogical thinking.

It would seem to me that ice-cream would be a perfect dessert for the dining car as long as freezer space was available. It is easy to portion, and has a long shelf-life. I'd rather have ice-cream for dessert than almost anything else. I would think it would be far easier to manage in the dining car than cheesecake.

Oh well, I guess now I'll have to have another beer for my dessert! :lol:

Bill

 

[Sam Damon]

You'd think Amtrak might be able to come up with some sort of way to keep ice cream on a trip. It seems as though enough people certainly want it.

Can you say, "dry ice"?

I think Amtrak management suffers from a lack of brains as much as anything else.

 

[AmtrakFan]

The Problem is with Dry Ice, I think the FDA doesn't allow them to store it, because I remember reading in a Trains Magazine issue that Amtrak use to use Dry Ice when the Fridges went bad, but after 1992 they couldn't anymore.

 

[jccollins]

Howza bout da coast starlight?

Nope, da Coast Starlate is a victim of the dining room simplification program so the Ice Cream is gone from it as well.

 

[haolerider]

If ice cream is really such a big deal, then the food service group will figure out a way to make it happen. This is what they did with the eggs for breakfast situation - passengers wanted them and the chefs agreed that they could cook omlettes without upsetting the routine and the omelettes were returned to the menu. This program is under constant change, however I wonder how many passengers have been terribily disappointed with no ice cream or if it is really those on this Forum who are regular riders and want what they used to have??

 

[boratwanksta]

If ice cream is really such a big deal, then the food service group will figure out a way to make it happen. This is what they did with the eggs for breakfast situation - passengers wanted them and the chefs agreed that they could cook omlettes without upsetting the routine and the omelettes were returned to the menu. This program is under constant change, however I wonder how many passengers have been terribily disappointed with no ice cream or if it is really those on this Forum who are regular riders and want what they used to have??

i'd agree with this. as for what i forsee may occur with this campaign, i think its very likely that some amtrak chefs will find a way to bring it back under the diner lite system, a la omelettes. as much as i have concerns with diner lite, hey, at least the trains still run(and that no sleepers have been eliminated on any long-distance trains, save for possibly the Palmetto, which i believe i've read once had 'em).

can't believe though that the Amtrak California trains still have ice cream, and that all the long-distance trains that went to SDS have eliminated them though. talk about an irony there....

 

[jccollins]

can't believe though that the Amtrak California trains still have ice cream, and that all the long-distance trains that went to SDS have eliminated them though. talk about an irony there....

Amtrak California trains are completely owned and funded by the State of California; they have just chosen Amtrak as an operator to run them. As such, they have a completely different menu in the cafe cars than you will find on any longhaul or regional train Amtrak operates.

 

[denmarks]

I had ice cream early April on the Empire Builder. It was pre-scooped and so hard that I had to use a knife.

 

[had8ley]

I had ice cream early April on the Empire Builder. It was pre-scooped and so hard that I had to use a knife.

Again, the Empire Builder is only one of two trains still carrying the full menu as before; hence, ice cream.

 

[TransAtlantic]

The ice cream on LD trains has always been individually packaged and pre-scooped - sometimes it's pulled out of the freezer at the beginning of dinner, so it can be soft, but this ends up leading to spoilage; that said, I have it straight from a name-withheld train manager today that ice cream should be back on all routes by the end of summer (a bit late for summer travel, but at least it will return)

 

[boratwanksta]

can't believe though that the Amtrak California trains still have ice cream, and that all the long-distance trains that went to SDS have eliminated them though. talk about an irony there....

Amtrak California trains are completely owned and funded by the State of California; they have just chosen Amtrak as an operator to run them. As such, they have a completely different menu in the cafe cars than you will find on any longhaul or regional train Amtrak operates.

ah i see why now. i didn't realize that actually the State of California ACTUALLY is in charge of running the Pac. Surfliner and the 2 other short-distance routes, and that Amtrak is only the operator of these routes.

speaking of the ownership and operating issue, does Amtrak own Los Angeles Union Station, like they do with Chicago Union Station and Philly 30th St. Station? i've always thought they did, but i just want to doublecheck this, now that i realize that the 3 short-distance trains are actually ran by the State of California, and not Amtrak.

 

[gswager]

No, Amtrak doesn't own the LA Union Station. It is privately owned by Prologis.

 

[jccollins]

Los Angeles Union Station was owned by Catellus Development until the company was bought and merged into Prologis in September, 2005.

It is unfortunate that Amtrak (or even the State of California) does not own LAUS; the company that owns it has hired security guards at the station that give Amtrak officials a hard time. When I was there last Thanksgiving during the busy travel rush, Amtrak sent two employees to staff the information booth at the front entrance of the station only to be chased out by the security guards. Normally the info booth is staffed by Travelers Aid volunteers, but none were available and the Amtrak folks in it had a line of people with questions. I guess this is a situation where common sense should prevail, but it's what happens when you have people in control with no interest in promoting passenger service and convenience.

California's situation is a bit unique since the state actually OWNS the locomotives and coaches that operate on Capitol Corridor, Pacific Surfliner, and San Joaquin trains. All of the California equipment is painted in the bright blue/orange/yellow paint scheme. If Amtrak were to go belly up, the state could get another operator to begin running the trains fairly quickly since they already own the train sets. This is different from services such as the Heartland Flyer which uses Amtrak Nationally-owned equipment that wouldn't be immediately available for use if something happened to Amtrak.

 

[AmtrakFan]

Doesn't Amtrak own some the Surfliner Equipment since I do see them on 3/4 once in a while going to Beech Grove.

 

[PRR 60]

Doesn't Amtrak own some the Surfliner Equipment since I do see them on 3/4 once in a while going to Beech Grove.

You are correct. Amtrak owns (paid for) a portion of the Surfliner cars based on the ratio of original Amtrak San Diego service verses the California-paid service. The state of California owns all the Capitol equipment.

 

[AmtrakFan]

Thanks because I remember Amtrak did sneak out a few AmCal Cars several Years back when AmCal found out it wasn't pretty, then again everything must have cooled down because they did have 2051 make a round trip on 5/6 at Chritsmas time.

 

[jccollins]

Doesn't Amtrak own some the Surfliner Equipment since I do see them on 3/4 once in a while going to Beech Grove.

I believe all of the California cars have or can go to Beech Grove for major overhauls since California has chosen Amtrak to take care of regular and major maintenance of the equipment.

I know that Amtrak used to finance three LAX-SAN roundtrips of the Surfliners (since they originally existed before California came in, financed and called for massive corridor frequency expansion) and the state paid the rest and all operating funds for Capitols and San Joaquins. I thought the state took over even the three roundtrips in the last year or so that Amtrak had been paying for, but am not 100% sure on that. Other than that, ALL locos and coaches painted in either the blue/orange/yellow California colors or the blue/silver Surfliner colors are completely owned by the state.

 

[Eddie]

On my recent Amtrak adventures, all the opinions of the dinner staff were.."if enough passengers complain in writing to management about the food and lack of ice cream then there might be a rethink"

Ed B)

 

[AmtrakFan]

Doesn't Amtrak own some the Surfliner Equipment since I do see them on 3/4 once in a while going to Beech Grove.

I believe all of the California cars have or can go to Beech Grove for major overhauls since California has chosen Amtrak to take care of regular and major maintenance of the equipment.

I know that Amtrak used to finance three LAX-SAN roundtrips of the Surfliners (since they originally existed before California came in, financed and called for massive corridor frequency expansion) and the state paid the rest and all operating funds for Capitols and San Joaquins. I thought the state took over even the three roundtrips in the last year or so that Amtrak had been paying for, but am not 100% sure on that. Other than that, ALL locos and coaches painted in either the blue/orange/yellow California colors or the blue/silver Surfliner colors are completely owned by the state.

Ok Thanks I was always wondering why it was like that.