"Amtrak emergency meals"

[amtrakmichigan]

I just rode #351 to Chicago this morning. Today I noticed a rather large box at the end of the Cafe car with a label that read " contains 60 Amtrak emergency meals". I was just wondering in what type of event or "emergency" does Amtrak would actualy break these babies out for use?

 

[amtrakwolverine]

Normally when the train runs late by a certain amount of time then they will pass those out. Or if the run out of food then the e-pacs comes out though why not just add more food in the place of the e-packets.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Usually it is for a train that is REALLY late - and the Dining Car has run out of food. Another example would be if a train got stuck somewhere. Say the California Zepher got stuck in a blizzard going over Donner Pass. There would be no need to resort to the actions that were taken by a certain party that found itself stuck in that area.

On another note, when I rode #1 a week and a half ago, the LSA told me that the infamous beef stew has been replaced with chicken stew! Now that is something to look forward to. :unsure: hboy:

I picked up a couple of tiny bottles of Tabasco Sauce :wub: at the Tabasco store in NOL before boarding #1, just in case! :giggle:

 

[railiner]

Hmmm. Emergency meals? I conjure up images of military surplus MRE's.....

 

[SarahZ]

I was on the Wolverine back from Dearborn last year, and it was held up for over four hours near Battle Creek due to some storm damage. They passed out snack boxes that weren't the ones you can buy in the cafe. They had raisins, cookies, and a few other things good for energy and morale. They also gave out bottles of water. I wonder if that's what those are?

 

[yarrow]

last fall we were 14 hours late on the eb and mr curley in the ssl broke out the "emergency snack packs". a packet of crackers with terrible cheese, a couple shortbread cookies and a little bag of trail mix. he gave everyone all they wanted and we brought a few home for fun. we then stopped somewhere in minnesota and they picked up hundreds of subway sandwiches, drinks and chips. there were so many that after everyone ate they announced for everyone to come and get more. we were in sleeper and had plenty of food from the diner.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I just rode #351 to Chicago this morning. Today I noticed a rather large box at the end of the Cafe car with a label that read " contains 60 Amtrak emergency meals". I was just wondering in what type of event or "emergency" does Amtrak would actualy break these babies out for use?

Only 60? Can't these Horizon corridor trains hold 200?

I would sure want to try those, but not if I get a 24 hour delay.

 

[Montanan]

I had the "emergency" beef stew once, on a late-running California Zephyr ... it was actually quite good.

The snack packs, though, are definitely pretty minimal.

 

[RRUserious]

Now I'm curious. I've been on planes where the management tried to do some customer relations by handing o ut something free. But if the train has cooked food, why bother with "snacks"? If the dining car or bistro is still stocked and able to serve, I'd just leave the e-food for a time of real need like if the train is snowed in for days.

 

[Anderson]

I just rode #351 to Chicago this morning. Today I noticed a rather large box at the end of the Cafe car with a label that read " contains 60 Amtrak emergency meals". I was just wondering in what type of event or "emergency" does Amtrak would actualy break these babies out for use?

Only 60? Can't these Horizon corridor trains hold 200?

I would sure want to try those, but not if I get a 24 hour delay.

There might have been a second box somewhere. Just because the box says "60" doesn't mean that all they have is 60...it just means that they get stored in batches of 60.

As to the food issue...well, I'll put it this way: I think the e-food may not be charged for. A near-broke coach passenger expecting a six-hour trip who gets stuck with a much longer run might legitimately be starving and unable to pay for a meal in the diner if the cafe is short on food.

 

[Montanan]

Now I'm curious. I've been on planes where the management tried to do some customer relations by handing o ut something free. But if the train has cooked food, why bother with "snacks"? If the dining car or bistro is still stocked and able to serve, I'd just leave the e-food for a time of real need like if the train is snowed in for days.

Well, I think the emergency meals are largely/exclusively intended for fairly extended delays, and it's correct that they are distributed for free. Because of space constraints and concern for spoilage, dining and lounge cars aren't provisioned to supply that many extra meals, so it's good that Amtrak has some non-perishable supplies stashed away somewhere. The snack packs seem to get handed out fairly readily on delays that are only a few hours, and (I think) they're carried on short-haul as well as long-haul trains. The stew is used only in the case of pretty major delays, and I think is carried only on dining-car trains.

 

[guest]

The emergency meals now are a chicken stew, usually served with rice or potato. No disgusting, but nothing you'd want to pay for. Usually served when either ALL food has run out in the diner, or when there's only enough diner food for sleepers, in which case the coach passengers all get comp meals of the stew.

 

[me_little_me]

The "chicken" referred to by some in regard to chicken stew may be the donated by the descendents of the Donners who were afraid to make the trek. Quite old. :giggle:

 

[SarahZ]

last fall we were 14 hours late on the eb and mr curley in the ssl broke out the "emergency snack packs". a packet of crackers with terrible cheese, a couple shortbread cookies and a little bag of trail mix. he gave everyone all they wanted and we brought a few home for fun. we then stopped somewhere in minnesota and they picked up hundreds of subway sandwiches, drinks and chips. there were so many that after everyone ate they announced for everyone to come and get more. we were in sleeper and had plenty of food from the diner.

That's what we had. That's probably what they use on the regionals instead of stew and whatnot.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

When an engine stack fire delayed our Lake Shore Limited for about 90 minutes around supper time, the Service Recovery Kits were deployed in both Coach and Sleeper. Since HEP was down this was the only option to get some food into pax, but still being full from lunch, I kept mine as a "souvenir." It is a crinkly sealed cellophane packet with cheese, crackers, assorted cookies, a plastic knife and a napkin. I believe this is what airlines now call a First Class Meal :lol:

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

When an engine stack fire delayed our Lake Shore Limited for about 90 minutes around supper time, the Service Recovery Kits were deployed in both Coach and Sleeper. Since HEP was down this was the only option to get some food into pax, but still being full from lunch, I kept mine as a "souvenir." It is a crinkly sealed cellophane packet with cheese, crackers, assorted cookies, a plastic knife and a napkin. I believe this is what airlines now call a First Class Meal :lol:

Goes to show how bad the US airlines are now compared to trains.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I believe this is what airlines now call a First Class Meal :lol:

On the other hand, while :help: flying :help: Alaska Air recently, I think I overheard a flight attendant say that they will soon start offering complimentary shoe horns to coach customers so that flyers can more easily get into their seats. :unsure: :blink: :giggle:

 

[gatelouse]

It is a crinkly sealed cellophane packet with cheese, crackers, assorted cookies, a plastic knife and a napkin. I believe this is what airlines now call a First Class Meal :lol:

I had a great laugh with this one too...until I remembered a recent United Express flight that served a first class snack box that you describe with surprising accuracy.

 

[sechs]

The emergency meals now are a chicken stew, usually served with rice or potato. No disgusting, but nothing you'd want to pay for.

I was under the impression that the beef stew and chicken fricassee were both in circulation, depending on when and where the dining car was stocked.
My complaint is that the vegetarian offering ends up just being rice.

 

[sechs]

When an engine stack fire delayed our It is a crinkly sealed cellophane packet with cheese, crackers, assorted cookies, a plastic knife and a napkin. I believe this is what airlines now call a First Class Meal

Goes to show how bad the US airlines are now compared to trains.

I'd guess that you guys haven't flown in first class recently.  

You do get a respectable meal. Reminiscent of what they used to serve in coach.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

When an engine stack fire delayed our It is a crinkly sealed cellophane packet with cheese, crackers, assorted cookies, a plastic knife and a napkin. I believe this is what airlines now call a First Class Meal

Goes to show how bad the US airlines are now compared to trains.

I'd guess that you guys haven't flown in first class recently.  

You do get a respectable meal. Reminiscent of what they used to serve in coach.

 

 

Whoa! I was just saying that train meals are a lot better than airline meals. Even if I wasn't biased as a railfan, I would still prefer the train meal.

 

[Montanan]

I'd guess that you guys haven't flown in first class recently.

You do get a respectable meal. Reminiscent of what they used to serve in coach.

Airline first-class meals are still fairly respectable -- when you get them. The airlines, though, are greatly reducing the number of flights that offer meals, even in first. Short and medium-distance flights that offered meals in F a few years ago almost never offer them today.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

I would sure want to try those, but not if I get a 24 hour delay.

When I was stuck for over 24 hours, Amtrak had no emergency meals for the couch passengers. None. However, the dinning car had lots of food, so sleeper passengers continued to be well fed.

Near the end of the 24 hours, the LSA, after ensuring that all the sleeper passengers were well fed (she went compartment to compartment asking), started to serve meals (at the usual price) to those coach passengers with enough money.

 

[NomDePlume]

I would sure want to try those, but not if I get a 24 hour delay.

When I was stuck for over 24 hours, Amtrak had no emergency meals for the couch passengers. None. However, the dinning car had lots of food, so sleeper passengers continued to be well fed.

Near the end of the 24 hours, the LSA, after ensuring that all the sleeper passengers were well fed (she went compartment to compartment asking), started to serve meals (at the usual price) to those coach passengers with enough money.

When and where was this?

 

[rtabern]

When I used to do Trails & Rails on the Empire Builder (2006-2010), they would let us have some of the snack packs when they were about to expire. They usually consisted of rosemary crackers, spreadable cheese, fruit mix, and a couple of shortbread cookies. It was quite tasty I thought and I'd bring them home once the LSAs had to get rid of them when they were within a week of expiration or so.

I had the "beef stew" a couple of times on late trips on the SWC and CZ... it wasn't bad.

I think the rule is 4+ hours late and you get the snack packs and if you are 6-8 hours late sleepers get the emergency meal, and 8+ hours longer everyone (coach & sleeper) gets the free emergency meal.