Dining Experience on Texas Eagle

[Lamar]

With all the talk about the CCC and Sightseer Lounges on the TE, I thought I would share my experience this week.

CCC: The Diner was called the CCC, but operated like a normal dining car. It used the CCC menu, which was similar in many ways to the traditional one; there was no lunch special, which I noticed as the biggest departure from the old. "Dinner" was listed as 5:00 and later, while everything else was listed as "all day." This wasn't true! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner operated as usual, with reservations by name at some times and by hour at others. We were waited on at our tables, and even had cloth napkins. Interestingly, the dining car attendant made very certain to call it the CCC, "formerly known as the dining car." I don't know if there is a transition in place, but it is almost indiscernible at this point.

Sightseer Lounge: This was no different from the past! The schedule very clearly states that no food service would be available, but it was, just as usual. No changes here. Can anyone shed any light?

 

The food was the best I've had on the TE so far, btw.

 

[had8ley]

With all the talk about the CCC and Sightseer Lounges on the TE, I thought I would share my experience this week.
CCC: The Diner was called the CCC, but operated like a normal dining car. It used the CCC menu, which was similar in many ways to the traditional one; there was no lunch special, which I noticed as the biggest departure from the old. "Dinner" was listed as 5:00 and later, while everything else was listed as "all day." This wasn't true! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner operated as usual, with reservations by name at some times and by hour at others. We were waited on at our tables, and even had cloth napkins. Interestingly, the dining car attendant made very certain to call it the CCC, "formerly known as the dining car." I don't know if there is a transition in place, but it is almost indiscernible at this point.

Sightseer Lounge: This was no different from the past! The schedule very clearly states that no food service would be available, but it was, just as usual. No changes here. Can anyone shed any light?

 

The food was the best I've had on the TE so far, btw.

 

According to the Amtrak manager on board when CCC was first introduced the lounge car, with one man/woman staff will be coming off the TE entirely after the summer rush.

 

[Rail Freak]

With all the talk about the CCC and Sightseer Lounges on the TE, I thought I would share my experience this week.
CCC: The Diner was called the CCC, but operated like a normal dining car. It used the CCC menu, which was similar in many ways to the traditional one; there was no lunch special, which I noticed as the biggest departure from the old. "Dinner" was listed as 5:00 and later, while everything else was listed as "all day." This wasn't true! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner operated as usual, with reservations by name at some times and by hour at others. We were waited on at our tables, and even had cloth napkins. Interestingly, the dining car attendant made very certain to call it the CCC, "formerly known as the dining car." I don't know if there is a transition in place, but it is almost indiscernible at this point.

Sightseer Lounge: This was no different from the past! The schedule very clearly states that no food service would be available, but it was, just as usual. No changes here. Can anyone shed any light?

 

The food was the best I've had on the TE so far, btw.

 

According to the Amtrak manager on board when CCC was first introduced the lounge car, with one man/woman staff will be coming off the TE entirely after the summer rush.

So, having both the CCC & Lounge in Season/ only CCC off Season? Does CCC have the large windows like the lounge? (Assuming the Lounge is also the Sightseer/ Observation??)

So much to learn!!!

 

[Shotgun7]

With all the talk about the CCC and Sightseer Lounges on the TE, I thought I would share my experience this week.
CCC: The Diner was called the CCC, but operated like a normal dining car. It used the CCC menu, which was similar in many ways to the traditional one; there was no lunch special, which I noticed as the biggest departure from the old. "Dinner" was listed as 5:00 and later, while everything else was listed as "all day." This wasn't true! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner operated as usual, with reservations by name at some times and by hour at others. We were waited on at our tables, and even had cloth napkins. Interestingly, the dining car attendant made very certain to call it the CCC, "formerly known as the dining car." I don't know if there is a transition in place, but it is almost indiscernible at this point.

Sightseer Lounge: This was no different from the past! The schedule very clearly states that no food service would be available, but it was, just as usual. No changes here. Can anyone shed any light?

 

The food was the best I've had on the TE so far, btw.

 

According to the Amtrak manager on board when CCC was first introduced the lounge car, with one man/woman staff will be coming off the TE entirely after the summer rush.

So, having both the CCC & Lounge in Season/ only CCC off Season? Does CCC have the large windows like the lounge? (Assuming the Lounge is also the Sightseer/ Observation??)

So much to learn!!!

No. The CCC is just a refurbished Superliner Diner with a service counter in the middle and seating that goes in a squiggly kind of line down the length of the car on both sides. The basic features like the downstairs galley and window arrangements are still identicle to the old diners.

 

[SeaCascades]

With all the talk about the CCC and Sightseer Lounges on the TE, I thought I would share my experience this week.
CCC: The Diner was called the CCC, but operated like a normal dining car. It used the CCC menu, which was similar in many ways to the traditional one; there was no lunch special, which I noticed as the biggest departure from the old. "Dinner" was listed as 5:00 and later, while everything else was listed as "all day." This wasn't true! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner operated as usual, with reservations by name at some times and by hour at others. We were waited on at our tables, and even had cloth napkins. Interestingly, the dining car attendant made very certain to call it the CCC, "formerly known as the dining car." I don't know if there is a transition in place, but it is almost indiscernible at this point.

Sightseer Lounge: This was no different from the past! The schedule very clearly states that no food service would be available, but it was, just as usual. No changes here. Can anyone shed any light?

 

The food was the best I've had on the TE so far, btw.

 

According to the Amtrak manager on board when CCC was first introduced the lounge car, with one man/woman staff will be coming off the TE entirely after the summer rush.

So, having both the CCC & Lounge in Season/ only CCC off Season? Does CCC have the large windows like the lounge? (Assuming the Lounge is also the Sightseer/ Observation??)

So much to learn!!!

No. The CCC is just a refurbished Superliner Diner with a service counter in the middle and seating that goes in a squiggly kind of line down the length of the car on both sides. The basic features like the downstairs galley and window arrangements are still identicle to the old diners.

This sounds like what I had on my recent Cascades trip and I must say I was not a fan. It worked fine for a 4-hour run to Vancouver but I can't see liking it for a cross-country trip. Also, the seating leaves a lot to be desired as half the seats don't face the window closest to you. At least in the old diners, you only had to turn your head a bit to look out the nearest window.

 

[Lamar]

With all the talk about the CCC and Sightseer Lounges on the TE, I thought I would share my experience this week.
CCC: The Diner was called the CCC, but operated like a normal dining car. It used the CCC menu, which was similar in many ways to the traditional one; there was no lunch special, which I noticed as the biggest departure from the old. "Dinner" was listed as 5:00 and later, while everything else was listed as "all day." This wasn't true! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner operated as usual, with reservations by name at some times and by hour at others. We were waited on at our tables, and even had cloth napkins. Interestingly, the dining car attendant made very certain to call it the CCC, "formerly known as the dining car." I don't know if there is a transition in place, but it is almost indiscernible at this point.

Sightseer Lounge: This was no different from the past! The schedule very clearly states that no food service would be available, but it was, just as usual. No changes here. Can anyone shed any light?

 

The food was the best I've had on the TE so far, btw.

 

According to the Amtrak manager on board when CCC was first introduced the lounge car, with one man/woman staff will be coming off the TE entirely after the summer rush.

 

Yes, but I was expecting the CCC menu/setup with nobody working the lounge car at all, per the schedule.

 

[Mark]

The wife and I just returned from St Louis on the TE yesterday 7/20. The consist was: P42 #100 followed by TCD/SLS, (our car),/CCC/Lounge Cafe/ and four Coaches. My daughter and I walked the train to look out the back, a favorite spot for both of us. The CCC was being used as a regular Diner with the CCC-TE specific menu. From what I could tell there were two attendants working the top and two chefs on the bottom. I saw the chefs later as we were getting close to Chicago and they passed through my sleeper on the way to the TCD. The Lounge Cafe was configured in the Empire Builder style and an attendant worked the bottom. Only about half of the menu selections were available, mostly pop, beer and chips with a few of the other items. Many of the refridgerator shelves were empty, I don't know if they sent it out this way or if people were just eating the LC dry. I asked the attendant about the CCC and LC configuration but he didn't seem to know or care much about how the train was made up or why. He had the other half of the bottom blocked off just slightly past the other side of the stairs. There seemed to be no appearant reason for this and those tables were unable to be used. The food was decent, I had the vegie enchaladas. Bringing back the Haagen-Daz ice-cream was a big hit with my wife. I did get a TE t-shirt which is fairly similar to the ones sold on EB.

What surprised me was the four coaches, which were about 80% full going into Chicago. Where was the LA-through sleeper? Shouldn't it have been back there as well?

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Is there anything unusual on the new menu or is it pretty much the standard Dining Car fare?

 

[ray828]

With all the talk about the CCC and Sightseer Lounges on the TE, I thought I would share my experience this week.
CCC: The Diner was called the CCC, but operated like a normal dining car. It used the CCC menu, which was similar in many ways to the traditional one; there was no lunch special, which I noticed as the biggest departure from the old. "Dinner" was listed as 5:00 and later, while everything else was listed as "all day." This wasn't true! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner operated as usual, with reservations by name at some times and by hour at others. We were waited on at our tables, and even had cloth napkins. Interestingly, the dining car attendant made very certain to call it the CCC, "formerly known as the dining car." I don't know if there is a transition in place, but it is almost indiscernible at this point.

Sightseer Lounge: This was no different from the past! The schedule very clearly states that no food service would be available, but it was, just as usual. No changes here. Can anyone shed any light?

 

The food was the best I've had on the TE so far, btw.

 

According to the Amtrak manager on board when CCC was first introduced the lounge car, with one man/woman staff will be coming off the TE entirely after the summer rush.

 

Yes, but I was expecting the CCC menu/setup with nobody working the lounge car at all, per the schedule.

 

 

Lamar on saturday where you on the 21 or 22 I was on the 21 from chicago on the 18th till the 19th and stayed in fort worth a night and came back sunday on 22 which was over 5 1/2 hours late into chicago today monday evening. I thought the food in ccc was pretty good and noticed that my ccc still had the dining car name plate on the vestibule doors. Also on the 22 to chicago the train was sold out and the ccc ran out of some food items and ran without most things on the lunch menu today which made some people mad but the crew was very good so everything was fine for me. By the way did you have Monty in the lounge?

 

[printman2000]

He had the other half of the bottom blocked off just slightly past the other side of the stairs. There seemed to be no appearant reason for this and those tables were unable to be used.

He probably did not want people using the restroom down there. That way, he does not have to clean it. I guess it could have been out-of-order, but I have seen this tactic one too many times not to be suspicious.