Will dining cars serve extra meal if running late?

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Garethe7

Garethe7

Train Attendant
Joined
Oct 21, 2013
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94
Location
Kansas City, MO
I ask this because of the Empire Builder which I believe should get into Seattle around 10:30am, but if it doesn't will lunch be served? Or are we SOL?

On a similar note, due to the delays, are they stocking extra food in the event this were to happen or would it be just what they happened to have left over?
 
Depends on how late you are, but yes. If you're going to be well into the meal period, you'll get fed. Either leftovers or the emergency rations, depending on what's available. These days I wouldn't expect much to be left over, so the emergency AmStew will probably make an appearance.
 
Given that diners generally close-up shop well in advance of the final destination, the EB would have to be quite late for a lunch

to be served heading into SEA. For example, an on-time Builder stops seating breakfast eaters around 7 a.m. (give or take), which

is more than three hours prior to scheduled arrival in SEA.

As a data point, last summer (2012) I was in a roomette on a #8 that arrived into SEA at 1:10 p.m. On that train, lunch was not offered.

So you would likely have to be well past the three-hour late mark for lunch to be offered heading into SEA. And if the train is much later

than that, there's a chance you'd be bustituted from Spokane anyhow. I believe you'd be given a sack lunch in that situation but YMMV.
 
I was on the Silver Meteor in January and it was several hours late into NYP. A limited (menu choice) lunch in the diner was served to the sleeper passengers. Many years ago, I was on the Lake Shore Limited and it was extremely late getting into Chicago. Amstew was served to the sleeper passengers in their rooms.

The answer is depends on how late, how much food is available and how many passengers are affected. On the Silver Meteor, there were less than 10 of us affected (half of whom missed our connections in NYP).
 
I had a feeling that would be the case but wondered about it anyhow. I have noticed on past trips that the dining car keeps to a pretty tight schedule as it gets close to arrival into the final destination.

Amstew? For real? I'm picturing those vacuum packed Hormel dinners (gag). I think I will skip it if I ever see it on the menu.
 
The Dinty Moore stew is a ration; you won't see it on the menu.

I always pack extra food, just in case we're delayed for several hours.
 
OMG, that Dinty Moore is /blah

I will have extra snacks too, I know there's a thread on this somewhere for our favorite train foods, I will have to think of some stuff to bring since I have a tendency to grab junk food and then spend all my time in a permanent sugar crash.
 
I was on a late CL that would not arrive into WAS until like 4 pm. Usually they stop meal service about 10:30 am or so. This day, they stopped serving breakfast about 8:30 or so, closed the diner and then served a lunch prior to arrival.

BTW: If you're in a sleeper and your scheduled arrival is before a meal period, but due to the train being late your actual arrival time is during or after a meal period, you are entitled to that meal! I'm just making up these times as an example. You're scheduled arrival is 11 am (before lunch begins) but the train is running 3 hours late. You are entitled to have your lunch included! :)
 
I was on a silver meteor that was a few hours late into NYP about a year ago. We did NOT get lunch. I think we got to NYP around 2 pmish.
 
Garethe7 said:
I had a feeling that would be the case but wondered about it anyhow. I have noticed on past trips that the dining car keeps to a pretty tight schedule as it gets close to arrival into the final destination.

Amstew? For real? I'm picturing those vacuum packed Hormel dinners (gag). I think I will skip it if I ever see it on the menu.
Click to expand...
I present: amstew. Served on a thirty hour late Empire Builder.

IMG_0735.JPG
 
amamba said:
I was on a silver meteor that was a few hours late into NYP about a year ago. We did NOT get lunch. I think we got to NYP around 2 pmish.
Click to expand...
I do not remember exactly when we arrived. I know I missed my Acela connection to BOS and was able to get on the next train, which was around 3pm. I am thinking we arrived about 2 pm-ish also. I guess another factor is the crew.
 
I was on the Cardinal last week WAS-CHI and our great ( the best I think I've ever had) SCA told us the meal times, and said if we are running late into CHI that we would get lunch.
 
This past March I was on a #8 that was about three hours late into Chicago. We got dinner. If I remember correctly it was a single sitting. The regular menu was offered although there were a few items they were out of.

A few years ago I was on a #7 that was about three hours late into Seattle and no lunch was offered. On the other hand, the breakfast service continued longer than the usual curtailed service fairviewroad mentions above.
 
Around 10 years ago, or so, I was on the Southwest Chief. From what I understand, we hit a grocery cart right after leaving LA. I guess it took out an engine, which we proceeded to push to Chicago. We kept having to stop to let the remaining engines cool down (at least that was what we were told). Anyway...we ran out of food in the diner, and in the cafe car. Eventually, once we got going again, we got boxed food. Still; I'd rather be stuck on a non-moving train, than sitting on the tarmac in a jet.
 
I think the choice of the "emergency meal" for a very late train depends on the chief cook in that train's diner. On a 12-hour plus late CZ into Emeryville, the cook whipped up a very tasty meal -- not really a stew -- consisting of beek chunks, rice, and sliced potatoes. I think there was also some sort of vegetable and a dessert item. Quite tasty!

We arrived Emeryville around 0700 (due the afternoon before around 1630). No breakfast was offered.
 
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I am on the silver star right now and just finished an unexpected lunch which was served due to our being 1 1/2 hours late. Our choices were burgers, Cuban sandwich or veggie burger. Dessert was even offered - which I have not previously seen.
 
pennyk said:
I am on the silver star right now and just finished an unexpected lunch which was served due to our being 1 1/2 hours late. Our choices were burgers, Cuban sandwich or veggie burger. Dessert was even offered - which I have not previously seen.
Click to expand...
Could you eat any of it except the Dessert???? ^_^
 
jimhudson said:
pennyk said:
I am on the silver star right now and just finished an unexpected lunch which was served due to our being 1 1/2 hours late. Our choices were burgers, Cuban sandwich or veggie burger. Dessert was even offered - which I have not previously seen.
Click to expand...
Could you eat any of it except the Dessert???? ^_^
Click to expand...
I ate burger, chips, no bun, no dessert. The brownie was not on the menu, otherwise I would have snarfed it up.
 
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