True Dave! But the Food was MUCH Better and some of the Menus were fit for a King! There was a thread last year about a Feast on the Panama Express that was Absolutely Astounding and of Course the Super Chief Turquise Room/20th Century Ltd.("Hows the Trout?")etc. were Great!
And I'm sure prices were also fit for a king. I doubt that the average meal on a pre-Amtrak train was much better than we get in the dining car now. Remember that most trains weren't all-Pullman luxury trains, like the Panama Limited or the Super Chief. In the real world, the menu probably looked a lot more like
this from 1954. Imagine asking the equivalent of $3.84 for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And what do you want to bet that the "Chuck Wagon Beef Stew" at $11.51 was Dinty Moore?