Commuter Cafes

[Amfleet]

Does anyone know if there are Cafe cars on any commuter line in this country. I read somewhere that VRE had vending machines and a table car.

 

[Steve4031]

I understand Metro North as "bar cars" on some of its trains to New Haven. Someplace, there is a website dedicated to keeping these cars in service. Some of the commmuters resent the cars because of the loss of seats, and others are circulating petitions because they want to keep the cars. I guess it is a pretty hot issue out there. :lol:

 

[Viewliner]

Off topic, but NJ Transit has a Comet II Club Car (Company Usage I guess). At one time NJDOT/Erie Lackawana had some snack coaches, but no more. I think it would be a good thing to try in the cab car, or the middle of the train. When I had been stuck on NJT when a train died in the tunnel during construction, there are only two Hudson River tunnels, one of which was being worked on. So we were delayed a while and I began pondering how that would be a good thing to try. Our train was backed up and moved to Hoboken (instead of NYP). I felt bad for the Amtrak Passengers, who had nowhere to go, but at least they had food service.

 

[Allen Dee]

I haven't been to San Francisco since the mid-1980's. But the last time I was there, the Caltrain downtown station had a snack where you could purchase items to consume on the train ride home down the peninsula.

This included alcoholic beverages which were legal to drink on board the train. Very few commuter railroads allow this.

 

[Superliner Diner]

I believe that Metra in Chicago has a few cafe cars on selected trains. Not sure if they sell alcoholic beverages, or are strictly for coffee & donuts.

 

[Viewliner]

I believe that Metra in Chicago has a few cafe cars on selected trains. Not sure if they sell alcoholic beverages, or are strictly for coffee & donuts.

Better than nothing, like if you're in the NY Metro Area.

 

[Amfleet]

On the MBTA I had always thought on the bi-level cars a vending machine or two could be installed on the landing between the lower and upper level. Also another draw back that I hate is the lack of restrooms. I guess the commmuter companies don't want to have to deal with emptying retention tanks.

 

[Viewliner]

On the MBTA I had always thought on the bi-level cars a vending machine or two could be installed on the landing between the lower and upper level. Also another draw back that I hate is the lack of restrooms. I guess the commmuter companies don't want to have to deal with emptying retention tanks.

I know what you mean, on the NJ TRANSIT Comet I's and II's the Toilets only exist in the cab car. So if something happens to it or if someone makes #2 man you have problems.

 

[Amfleet]

Same on the MBTA and the crew usually closes the cab car so no one can get in to use it.

 

[Viewliner]

Same on the MBTA and the crew usually closes the cab car so no one can get in to use it.

They tend to only open up the rear of the train if the front is filled up. What a pain in the you know what, trying to find seats when you first board.

 

[Amfleet]

When I rode the MBTA last weekend only half of a bi-level filled up going in-bound and out-bound!! Most Bostonians are hooked to their cars.

 

[Viewliner]

When I rode the MBTA last weekend only half of a bi-level filled up going in-bound and out-bound!! Most Bostonians are hooked to their cars.

When you have 1 3 car train to/from Hoboken hourly, and 1 Train to/from NY hourly, you have a pretty full train on the Weekend.

 

[AlanB]

During the summer months only, the LIRR still offers a high end bar car on Fridays to the Hamptons. You actually have to pay extra and make a reservation to ride in this car. It has special seating in addition to the bar. Don't know if it also serves snacks, or if it's only drinks.

 

[Amfleet]

Is it nice seating like an Amtrak coach?

 

[AlanB]

Is it nice seating like an Amtrak coach?

Alas, I haven't had a chance to sample this new service.

I did once get to ride in one of their old Parlour Cars, and that was far superior to Amfleets. They used real cushioned chairs like they used to in the old days, like I just saw on the Hickory Creek last week.

 

[tp49]

The LIRR also has bar carts which make regular appearances on certain platforms in both Penn and Jamacia. When they ran the old diesel fleet you could tell the bar car because of the orange stripe it had on the outside as opposed to the blue stripe on the regular coaches. I do not know what the situation is now with the C-1's and C-3's (the bilevels) but I would figure that at the very least a cart makes the eastbound run Friday's year round on the Montauk train.

 

[F59 PHI]

Unfortunately the new LIRR Parlour cars are a real dissapointment, They are standard C3s with a small bar at one end of them. The seats are normal, with seat numbers above the window nothings really special about them.

 

[tubaallen]

I believe that Metra in Chicago has a few cafe cars on selected trains. Not sure if they sell alcoholic beverages, or are strictly for coffee & donuts.

Sorry guys, I must have been asleep on this one.

Yes, Metra does have snack cars. It is just a regular car, but instead of a standard vestibule in the middle, the doors are sealed, and it is just a counter with an attendant behind it. They sell alcoholic drinks (the biggest seller) along with chips, sandwiches, non-alcoholic drinks, etc. I'm not sure if they have coffee and donuts in the mornings anymore...I think they used to.

They only run this car on one or two of the rush hour trains of each line.