Texas Eagle getting "Contemporary Dining?"

[cpotisch]

...the cardinal/former LSL diner-lite approach, the CCC approach, the auto train diner which I guess is a step above CCC dining but below the full diner. Why not throw yet another one out there?

Firstly, the LSL's diner-lite setup was significantly better than the Cardinal. The LSL had the same number of staff as a standard diner, but has the more limited kitchen facilities of the Amfleet diner-lite. The Cardinal only has one LSA (and maybe one waiter?), as well as an even more limited menu. And the CCC has identical kitchen facilities and food as any other Superliner diner. Identical. The only difference is the upper-level layout.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

The cars that say the words "Cross Country Cafe" on them are currently being uses as -

1- City of New Orleans - 1 Attendant (not LSA) serves a limited menu of pre-plated items.

2 - Capitol Limited - 1 LSA serves box meals and complimentary drinks as well as sells drinks.

3 - Texas Eagle - Operates as a standard dining car (does the Eagle staff the SSL car? I haven't been on it in many years).

The original plan for the CCC cars was actually quite good compared to our current situation. The car was designed to be the only food service car on shorter trains like the City and Texas Eagle. They dropped the salad and dinner roll from the menu, as well as the tablecloths. The idea was to make it more like a "fast casual" place and yes... the idea was that coach passengers could order from a chef-cooked menu from the cafe counter during meal times, which to me should be a major plus to revenue. But that plan lasted all of about 6-9 months I think? I remember riding the City shortly after the new cars were introduced and they had already gone back to the standard diner menu.

 

[cpotisch]

The cars that say the words "Cross Country Cafe" on them are currently being uses as -

1- City of New Orleans - 1 Attendant (not LSA) serves a limited menu of pre-plated items.

2 - Capitol Limited - 1 LSA serves box meals and complimentary drinks as well as sells drinks.

3 - Texas Eagle - Operates as a standard dining car (does the Eagle staff the SSL car? I haven't been on it in many years).

The original plan for the CCC cars was actually quite good compared to our current situation. The car was designed to be the only food service car on shorter trains like the City and Texas Eagle. They dropped the salad and dinner roll from the menu, as well as the tablecloths. The idea was to make it more like a "fast casual" place and yes... the idea was that coach passengers could order from a chef-cooked menu from the cafe counter during meal times, which to me should be a major plus to revenue. But that plan lasted all of about 6-9 months I think? I remember riding the City shortly after the new cars were introduced and they had already gone back to the standard diner menu.

To my knowledge, you are completely correct expect for the fact that the cars are actually labelled as "diner-lounges" and not "Cross Country Cafes". And just so you know, when I was on the TE in February, the SSL was staffed and the lounge end of the CCC was completely abandoned.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Yep, the Texas Eagle normal consist has a CCC Serving as the Diner and Sightseer Lounge which has an LSA in the Downstairs Cafe.

The "Lounge" end of the CCC is used by the Crew and for storage.

Occasionally when a Second CCC is substituted for a SSL ( which sucks) the Cafe moves to the "Lounge" end of the Second CCC.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I thought I had remembered hearing that. Interesting they would keep the 2nd LSA for the lounge on the Eagle and not on the City.. so that's yet another difference.

On the City of New Orleans the CCC car is staffed by 1 LSA who runs the cafe out of the CCC cafe, and also handles the drink sales for the diner (and the few coach passengers that would want to / are allowed to eat in the "diner"?).

On the Texas Eagle the CCC car acts as a standard diner with 1 Diner LSA and the next door SSL is staffed as usual with it's own LSA.

 

[NativeSon5859]

On my trip on 59, the only announcement about the Dining Car came from the SA, who made the dinner and lunch announcements. I doubt coach passengers even knew it was an option. They had a pretty long line formed out the cafe end of the CCC stretching into the first Coach.

I love the train but the food service is embarrassing.

 

[user 14106]

...the cardinal/former LSL diner-lite approach, the CCC approach, the auto train diner which I guess is a step above CCC dining but below the full diner. Why not throw yet another one out there?

Firstly, the LSL's diner-lite setup was significantly better than the Cardinal. The LSL had the same number of staff as a standard diner, but has the more limited kitchen facilities of the Amfleet diner-lite. The Cardinal only has one LSA (and maybe one waiter?), as well as an even more limited menu. And the CCC has identical kitchen facilities and food as any other Superliner diner. Identical. The only difference is the upper-level layout.

My apologies I was under the impression that the CCC was a type of "diner-lite" setup. Have not been on any of those trains myself. I guess I was referring to the CONO approach.

 

[ehbowen]

A CCC kitchen can match anything that a full diner's kitchen can turn out...if only they staff it and stock it appropriately. Sadly, all too often that's not the case.

 

[cpotisch]

Sadly, all too often that's not the case.

Under stocking is just as big an issue in the standard diners as it is in the CCCs.