Useless Dining Car Facts

[battalion51]

Useless Dining Car Fact #1: Some of the Diners are getting retro posters put in giving them a "classic look" ( :unsure: ).

Useless Dining Car Fact #2: There are at least five menu cycles and there are new covers for the menus.

Anyone who gets a kick out of these things more power to you. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other, but someone out there might care.

 

[Trogdor]

I noticed that (posters in the Heritage diners, and new menu covers).

I also noticed that the menus don't necessarily correlate to what the dining car offers. The first night on 48, we had the cycle 4 menu, which turned out to be the wrong one (we were supposed to be using #5, as that's the food they had).

On the Sunset Limited, they seemed to be going off of both the #4 and #5 cycles (I base this on the desserts offered; one night it was the brownie, the next, chocolate cake).

The Coast Starlight had cycle 4 or 5 (I forget), but had my absolute favorite, the chocolate pyramid, as a dessert.

The Empire Builder eastbound was using #1, but I only got to order breakfast from it before we lost the diner.

Nothing special about the Crescent, and the crew was painfully slow.

 

[AMTRAK-P42]

Nothing special about the Crescent, and the crew was painfully slow.

hmm interesting. I have heard there is a "slower" crew roaming around on #19/20. Usually the crew on the Crescent is really good about getting the food out quick.

I know during the Holidays, like most trains, it is slow cause of volume.

 

[Trogdor]

I don't think volume was the problem on this train.

On the night into New Orleans, they made one call for dinner at 5:00. I went in right away. Our table didn't get its food until well after 6:00 PM (sometime between 6:15 and 6:30, IIRC).

Out of DC the first night, my table didn't have silverware. Didn't get our drinks until halfway through the meal.

Breakfast, I had to borrow an extra fork from one of my tablemates because I didn't have any silverware (at least the drinks came right away).

I don't recall offhand any specific compaints about lunch.

That second (slow) dinner also had one of the attendants drop an entire tray of food. Never seen that happen before (I've seen spilled drinks, but never a whole tray fall).

 

[Viewliner]

Useless Dining Car Fact #1: Some of the Diners are getting retro posters put in giving them a "classic look" ( :unsure: ).

I noticed this in car #8559 when I was on 98 from 12/31-1/1, I'll post my pictures soon, if anybody's curious on how they look. Personally, I think its a nice little touch in the diner, shows some standards of appearances still remain. Be nice if they put some of their own posters in though, particularlly the one commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Empire Builder.

 

[Miami Joe]

The pictures were added a few months ago at Hialeah.

3 pictures for each car and no pics for Temoinsa retrofits! :blink:

MJ B)

 

[Guest]

If you have bad service like you did on the Crescent, please get the employees name and send a letter to David Gunn. You would be surprised to know that they actually get to him and he passes it down the line to a manager or supervisor. You may not see much action being taken, but at least this identifies the problem crews and corrective action can be attempted.

There are employees out there who would like to see these people identified and eliminated, but it can't be done if the only complaints presented are on these forums.

 

[Trogdor]

If you have bad service like you did on the Crescent, please get the employees name and send a letter to David Gunn. You would be surprised to know that they actually get to him and he passes it down the line to a manager or supervisor. You may not see much action being taken, but at least this identifies the problem crews and corrective action can be attempted. There are employees out there who would like to see these people identified and eliminated, but it can't be done if the only complaints presented are on these forums.

The service was slow, but I don't think it was through the lack of effort by the employees. They seemed to be an inexperienced crew (though I really don't know for sure), and didn't quite have everything together, procedurally.

I did contact customer service regarding this trip, but that was for different issues. Additionally, I did write to David Gunn, but I limited that letter to the Starlight sleeper fiasco. Put too much into the letters, and they just dismiss you as someone that can't be pleased.