Amtrak's New "Fresh Choices" Dining on CL & LSL

[jis]

Simple answer, let Sleeper passengers order from several healthy choices in advance while booking, and serve the meals in the Lounge/Diner just like in Acela FC on the Sacred NEC.

Might be too much common sense for Amtrak where innovation usually involves nickel and dime cuts that are penny wise and pound foolish.

That is pretty close to what they have said is their plan. As for when they get there, who knows?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Simple answer, let Sleeper passengers order from several healthy choices in advance while booking, and serve the meals in the Lounge/Diner just like in Acela FC on the Sacred NEC.

Might be too much common sense for Amtrak where innovation usually involves nickel and dime cuts that are penny wise and pound foolish.

That is pretty close to what they have said is their plan. As for when they get there, who knows?

What's the "Over and Under" on this happening in our lifetimes jis?
This vague plan sounds similar to the Viewliner II plan no??

 

[me_little_me]

How did Singapore Airlines serve a perfectly good fresh hot meal 16 hours after departure from Newark on its ~19 hour flight to Singapore? Clearly this can be done and is done pretty regularly more than half a day after departure on many ULH flights. A hot breakfast with an Omelette and sausage and potatoes served more than 12 hours into the flight is not that uncommon. I doubt that ability to serve a fresh hot meal 12-15 hours after departure should be an issue, as much as it is being made out to be. I have no idea in what form the food is carried from the flight kitchen to the plane and then on the plane until it is time to serve it. But it is done somehow.

You'd think Mr. Anderson would know that this is possible, wouldn't you?

I suspect that is how Amtrak proposes to bring hot entries into the program at some point. It involves a little bit of additional prep training perhaps, than handing out cold boxes. Again, complete speculation on my part. I have neither experience nor any particular insights beyond observing how it is done from the customer's perspective, where I have seen it done.

Either that or they plan to have you put your ticket/boarding pass/cell phone in a slot that reads that you are a sleeper passenger and the vending machine lets you select lunch/dinner meal and then it drops that meal out the slot so you can take it to your table or back to your room.

On the other hand, they might get really nice and you tell a wandering robot what you want and it brings you a meal. Your drink is dispensed from the robot's arm into your cup except if you order a beer - in which case it's dispensed from somewhere else.

 

[jis]

This vague plan sounds similar to the Viewliner II plan no??

I am not sure I see much similarity. But that maybe just my lack of imagination

 

[Bob Dylan]

This vague plan sounds similar to the Viewliner II plan no??

I am not sure I see much similarity. But that maybe just my lack of imagination

You have a very imaginative mind!
I'm referring to vague promises,about delivery dates that turn out out to be wishful thinking and no follow up by management when it stretches on for years!

 

[Bob Dylan]

As for the post by me_little_me, as a Veteran of SPs infamous Automat Car, I certainly hope this is NEVER considered by Amtrak!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I wonder how today's AU would react to yesterday's automat cars. It's tempting to think we'd all be pretty negative about it but in reality I'd imagine there would still be a substantial contingent of members who considered automat meals a positive development and others who might be less than impressed but would still consider it a blessing to have any food included regardless of quality or selection.

 

[jis]

I still wonder why people imagine the bizarre when a specific plan has been articulated by the management. It is OK that some don't like it, but coming up with utter nonsense is not the way to handle ones grief. Way too much fake news going around even without us contributing our own.

Meanwhile, there are reports appearing in Facebook from random passengers who have not been properly educated about what should or should not be acceptable, and who have experienced the new service, stating that they like some aspects and would like a few other aspects changed. Apparently the utter doom that has been forecast is not going to materialize.

Almost all such reports mention the need for one or two hot items. Most seem to feel that the cold items are fine as cold items go, but a hot item or two would be desirable. Also there appears to be several who mention the need for something hot for breakfast too, but also say that the amount of food served is huge, and the Cheesecake is good after dinner. Also the lack of options for people with food allergy issues is mentioned, but that sort of goes hand in hand I think with fewer menu options. I suspect that the best way to handle that is to go with pre-trip food selection and ordering from a larger set of choices to select from.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I still wonder why people imagine the bizarre when a specific plan has been articulated by the management. It is OK that some don't like it, but coming up with utter nonsense is not the way to handle ones grief. Way too much fake news going around even without us contributing our own.

Isn't the implication that people are "grieving" over this its own form of "fake news?"

 

[jis]

I still wonder why people imagine the bizarre when a specific plan has been articulated by the management. It is OK that some don't like it, but coming up with utter nonsense is not the way to handle ones grief. Way too much fake news going around even without us contributing our own.

Isn't the implication that people are "grieving" over this its own form of "fake news?"

Yeah, they are doing something. Sorry for characterizing it as grieving. I hereby withdraw that characterization. Would "expressing their displeasure" be more appropriate? or would that be fake too?

 

[JoeBas]

That is pretty close to what they have said is their plan. As for when they get there, who knows?

I keep hearing this is what their plan is. Question is, why make the change at all before you've figured out how to do what you plan to change it to?

I'm planning to replace my car with a new one in 18 months when the lease is up. That doesn't mean I stop driving my car NOW and use a frickin' bike until I "figure out" what car I want next!!!

 

[jis]

I keep hearing this is what their plan is. Question is, why make the change at all before you've figured out how to do what you plan to change it to?

I suspect it is because of a wrongheaded (in my opinion) hurry to cut costs before some artificial deadline. I have seen that happen more than once at several of my various employers in the past.

What is important is to make sure things move forward to the stated plan sooner rather than later.

I would prefer to see an appropriate fare adjustment too, but I am sure that hell will probably freeze over before then.

 

[Lonestar648]

Loading airplane HOT entrees into the kitchens on either the Superliner or the VII could require a modification so like the airlines, the container can just be exchanged quickly. Amtrak kitchens are designed for bulk storage with a cook preparing the individual meals. If Amtrak obtained a few of the storage containers that would fit into the Amtrak existing ovens, even if just temporarily rigged for a test, hot entrees could be a possibility. What may be going on behind the scenes, that we do not have access to know, is a project team is working with vendors to rig up an airline style oven that will work for the CL and the LSL. Obviously, there are issues, maybe power conversion, location, type, etc. that have to be worked out. Hopefully this is the case, so when a solution has been successfully tested they can announce hot entrees will be available once the caterer is ready.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Don't all Amtrak Diners have a Convection oven that is used to heat all Hot items served aboard?

Why would a special airline type set up be necessary when the meals could be loaded aboard,and heated just like they are now on Acela FC, the Card and the CONO!

 

[crescent-zephyr]

The current entrees on the LSL and CL look way better than what I had on the City of New Orleans.

 

[jis]

Don't all Amtrak Diners have a Convection oven that is used to heat all Hot items served aboard?

Why would a special airline type set up be necessary when the meals could be loaded aboard,and heated just like they are now on Acela FC, the Card and the CONO!

Acela FC uses airline style food racks AFAICT.

 

[Lonestar648]

Question is, are the convection ovens on the two Dining Cars compatible. I do not believe that they are.

 

[railiner]

As for the post by me_little_me, as a Veteran of SPs infamous Automat Car, I certainly hope this is NEVER considered by Amtrak!

I wonder how today's AU would react to yesterday's automat cars. It's tempting to think we'd all be pretty negative about it but in reality I'd imagine there would still be a substantial contingent of members who considered automat meals a positive development and others who might be less than impressed but would still consider it a blessing to have any food included regardless of quality or selection.

At least you could heat up the food purchased from those vending machines, in the new-fangled, "Radaranges", IIRC....or were there just machines that sold the likes of hot cans of Chef-Boyardee? Not sure...

 

[MARC Rider]

I am still looking for the hot entrees, but have not been able to figure out how to have a fresh and hot Dinner and Breakfast entree with the current crew on board. Having a hot entree brought to the train before departure, then kept hot in convection ovens will not work, the entree will taste bad, especially the breakfast being served 18 hours or so after boxed. So if you can not add more personnel, what are the options other than cold boxes? Contemporary and Fresh is the Theme, no labor used on board the mandate, satisfied customers the goal. I know my way around the commercial kitchen, but this is really difficult. The only real solution is for Congress to reverse the F&B mandate.

You keep the hot entrees chilled until it is time to heat them. Then you move the entrees in foil packets out of the refrigerator and into the convection oven and turn it on.
I doubt that the hot entrees served toward the end of long-haul flights are kept warm the whole time. Instead, they are kept cold (loaded frozen?) and then reheated at the appropriate time in a convection oven. I figure on an aircraft the entrees are delivered on some sort of rack and stored in the oven itself until it is time to turn it on.

In case it has been a while since you were last on a long-haul flight with complimentary meal service, the flight attendants go down the aisles with a cart. Some levels of the cart have the meal trays with the sides and dessert already on them. Each passenger is asked which entree they want (if there is an option), and the associated foil packeted entree is added to the meal tray. If a SCA has a similar cart, it would make serving hot meals only slightly more complicated (on the upper level, at least) than an all-cold option. But flight attendants usually don't have to carry meals up or down stairs to serve them. A SCA would need to do so.

Would hauling food carts between cars be a problem?

 

[Steve4031]

Those robots would be interesting to watch on rough track. One good jolt on a grade crossing or switching tracks could send robot and food flying. . .

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

I am still looking for the hot entrees, but have not been able to figure out how to have a fresh and hot Dinner and Breakfast entree with the current crew on board. Having a hot entree brought to the train before departure, then kept hot in convection ovens will not work, the entree will taste bad, especially the breakfast being served 18 hours or so after boxed. So if you can not add more personnel, what are the options other than cold boxes? Contemporary and Fresh is the Theme, no labor used on board the mandate, satisfied customers the goal. I know my way around the commercial kitchen, but this is really difficult. The only real solution is for Congress to reverse the F&B mandate.

You keep the hot entrees chilled until it is time to heat them. Then you move the entrees in foil packets out of the refrigerator and into the convection oven and turn it on.
I doubt that the hot entrees served toward the end of long-haul flights are kept warm the whole time. Instead, they are kept cold (loaded frozen?) and then reheated at the appropriate time in a convection oven. I figure on an aircraft the entrees are delivered on some sort of rack and stored in the oven itself until it is time to turn it on.

In case it has been a while since you were last on a long-haul flight with complimentary meal service, the flight attendants go down the aisles with a cart. Some levels of the cart have the meal trays with the sides and dessert already on them. Each passenger is asked which entree they want (if there is an option), and the associated foil packeted entree is added to the meal tray. If a SCA has a similar cart, it would make serving hot meals only slightly more complicated (on the upper level, at least) than an all-cold option. But flight attendants usually don't have to carry meals up or down stairs to serve them. A SCA would need to do so.

Would hauling food carts between cars be a problem?

Bumpy but probably doable.

 

[cpotisch]

PVD, how were your meals on the Capitol?

 

[PVD]

Hard to use phone on train, laptop in luggage, will hopefully do detailed report tomw, leaving Princeton Junction.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

As for the post by me_little_me, as a Veteran of SPs infamous Automat Car, I certainly hope this is NEVER considered by Amtrak!

I wonder how today's AU would react to yesterday's automat cars. It's tempting to think we'd all be pretty negative about it but in reality I'd imagine there would still be a substantial contingent of members who considered automat meals a positive development and others who might be less than impressed but would still consider it a blessing to have any food included regardless of quality or selection.

At least you could heat up the food purchased from those vending machines, in the new-fangled, "Radaranges", IIRC....or were there just machines that sold the likes of hot cans of Chef-Boyardee? Not sure...

Vending machine technology has made impressive leaps forward since the days of the automat cars (I believe the Santa Fe ran them as well), but as far as I'm concerned, no matter how fancy it is or what comes out of it, it is still a vending machine

 

[OBS]

Question is, are the convection ovens on the two Dining Cars compatible. I do not believe that they are.

They are. There are a few different styles/sizes. but it is still a basic convection oven....