Meals on Trains that are Running Late

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TrulyTracy

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A question about the timing of meals, particularly when the train is running late:

i assume that the hours that meals are served in the dining car are fixed. Are they approximate or are they consistent from train to train? Does the area that sells the more casual food stay open 24 hours? Also, if our train was due to arrive somewhere at say, 4 PM, but due to delays doesn't get in until 8 PM, do sleeping car passengers get dinner? Thanks in advance for any answers.
 
TrulyTracy said:
A question about the timing of meals, particularly when the train is running late:

i assume that the hours that meals are served in the dining car are fixed. Are they approximate or are they consistent from train to train? Does the area that sells the more casual food stay open 24 hours? Also, if our train was due to arrive somewhere at say, 4 PM, but due to delays doesn't get in until 8 PM, do sleeping car passengers get dinner? Thanks in advance for any answers.
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Lounge cars are not open 24 hours a day regardless of whether a train is on time or nor.

Meals in dining cars are served at scheduled times. For dinner, I have seen that run to 9:00pm. YMMV
 
TrulyTracy said:
A question about the timing of meals, particularly when the train is running late:

i assume that the hours that meals are served in the dining car are fixed. Are they approximate or are they consistent from train to train? Does the area that sells the more casual food stay open 24 hours? Also, if our train was due to arrive somewhere at say, 4 PM, but due to delays doesn't get in until 8 PM, do sleeping car passengers get dinner? Thanks in advance for any answers.
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Meal times are usually fixed for that particular route.

Some routes, they take reservations & require you to wait for a call on the intercom. Some give you a time & you just stroll on down at that time!

If trains are very late then most times you will be able to enjoy another meal.

Each train route is different & you should listen to the crews instructions!!!!!

Have Fun
 
Meals are served at the "normal" hours, but if the train terminates at or near a meal hour, that meal may be abbreviated - like breakfast on the SWC in LAX (have a french dip for breakfast, it so much better) :rolleyes:

If the train is late (4PM to 8PM as you said) I would expect dinner to be served in the dining car.
 
I was on the westbound Lakeshore Limited a few years ago when we were extremely late getting into Chicago due to flash flood warnings. (we were traveling at about 15 mph). After everyone that was connecting in Chi got off the train (to be bused to CHI at more than 15mph), lunch was served to the sleeper car passengers in their rooms. Lunch was canned beef stew. :( Fortunately, since I am a very picky eater, I had plenty of snacks with me to hold me over until I arrived in Chicago.

I was on a very late Auto Train about 14 years ago and we were served lunch. I do not recall what it was, but it was not beef stew. I remember eating whatever it was. I was not so picky way back then.

Bottom line is that if you are in a sleeper, you likely will get food, but you might not like it.
 
pennyk said:
I was on the westbound Lakeshore Limited a few years ago when we were extremely late getting into Chicago due to flash flood warnings. (we were traveling at about 15 mph). After everyone that was connecting in Chi got off the train (to be bused to CHI at more than 15mph), lunch was served to the sleeper car passengers in their rooms. Lunch was canned beef stew. :( Fortunately, since I am a very picky eater, I had plenty of snacks with me to hold me over until I arrived in Chicago.

I was on a very late Auto Train about 14 years ago and we were served lunch. I do not recall what it was, but it was not beef stew. I remember eating whatever it was. I was not so picky way back then.

Bottom line is that if you are in a sleeper, you likely will get food, but you might not like it.
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Thanks for the reminder. I have eaten the beef stew on several very late trains when the were late enough to extend an additional meal period (e.g. lunch to dinner) and they were out of diner food.
 
I've had the Famous "Beef" Stew a few times on Late Trains, I agree it's better than the so called "Shrimp" Scampi and also a few of the other Daily "Specials on some Trains! :rolleyes: Also had KFC/Sandwiches w/Chips/Pizza/Bottled Water etc. a few times when the Train was Very Late and/or Full since they also feed the Coach pax when Late trains happen on Most Routes! Even have been told to go to the Lounge Car and Order a "Meal" on Amtrak but I was in a Sleeper when that happened!
 
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I was on the Lake Shore Limited that caught fire outside of Schenectady last January and the Emergency Snack Packs were deployed to all passengers. They had a couple crackers, cheese spread, cookies and some other kind of little nibble. The Beef Stew wasn't an option since HEP was down, but I was teasing to dish it out anyways as that stuff is almost as good right off the can.
 
3 weeks ago on a 12 hour late CZ, an extra complimentary dinner was served to all passengers. Sleeping cars were called first with regular menu service, with choices removed as they ran out. No salad or dessert choices, and people were not happy with that - really? Coach was called last with chicken fricasse as the only choice (complimentary for them).

1 week ago on a 9 hour late CZ, snack boxes were offered free for pickup in the sightseer lounge (didn't get one so don't know what was inside). An extra complimentary lunch was served. Coach was called first, our sleeper was called as we were getting off, so I don't know what options were available.
 
On the CZ leg of our trip two weeks ago, we were 4.5 hours late into Sacramento where the wife and I were getting off, approximately 6:30 pm. Out of idle curiosity, I had inquired of my SCA about an additional meal service for those passengers going all the way to Emeryville. (Those of us getting off in SAC were already plotting our dining excursions while we waited for the CS at midnight) He didn't know, but was curious enough about the answer to go ask.

He was told that there would be NO additional meal service for passengers regardless of the fact they would not be arriving until after 8 pm that evening. Sadly I was not surprised, as the dining car crew on that trip was the most unfriendly and unhelpful we encountered on all legs of our journey. :eek:hboy:
 
I've been on the TE a lot when it was late. Because I don't go "through" to Chicago (I usually go MIN-BNL), and my family lives in BNL, it's not so crucial for me.

Once, I got on very late, it was just hitting 9 pm as I got on. I said to the sleeper attendant, "I suppose the dining car is closed?" hoping he'd at least give me a voucher for the snack car. Turns out the dining car was just still open, and they served me a full meal and everything, even though I was the only diner in the car. (I tipped well for that; I really appreciated them).

There have also been times that they've picked up Subway sandwiches at the stop in Springfield and given everyone onboard a sub sandwich.

And back in 2000, when we were 12 hours late (ice storm, freight derailed ahead of us - I was traveling coach back then and that was part of what cemented my decision to spend the money on roomettes in the future), they served everyone hot beef sandwiches and mashed potatoes in the diner. (We were stopped outside of Poplar Bluff, I think. I was in the observation car and I actually saw the dining car crew get out, leave, and come back with bags from a Piggly Wiggly store! Or at least, I remember it as Piggly Wiggly, I could be wrong on that.)

Still, I do bring nuts and crackers and stuff like that with me just in case...turns out I have some weird food allergies and I have to be careful what I eat, so a "mystery meal" might not work out for me.
 
zephyr17 said:
You know your train is horribly late when the break out the Dinty Moore. I've eaten the Late Train Stew more than I'd like
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Just for reference sake the diner might not have enough food on the regular menu to feed everyone~ and that includes coach pax in a very tardy time frame sooo...out comes the stew. I was a little irked when I saw my SCA eating a steak as all the pax got canned stew a la mode on rice. :eek:hboy:
 
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