Old Amtrak table set up

[TylerP42]

It sounds dumb, but I want to know what the old table set up looked like, including china, glasses, and flower.

Thanks in advance. You guys will know why soon.

 

[TylerP42]

I'm also looking for where it was positioned on the table.

 

[R30A]

I don't think the official setup has ever been particularly static in Amtrak's existence, and I highly doubt its execution was ever particularly consistent.

 

[fairviewroad]

Sounds like someone's planning a romantic dinner with a special someone!

 

[TylerP42]

Is there at least an old standard? Or something I can go off of?

 

[CHamilton]

Here's a photo that will give you an idea. http://history.amtrak.com/archives/dining-car-1970s

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

While very pre-Amtrak, many of the California Zephyr Dining Car procedures likely survived up to and into the early years of Amtrak. This Bulletin also makes for a fascinating read, especially while traveling on today's CZ

http://californiazephyr.org/resource_library/Documents/Manuals/Dining_Car_Dept/Bulletin_No_1-032049.pdf

 

[SarahZ]

From here: https://csanders429.wordpress.com/tag/amtrak-40th-anniversary/

 

[NorthShore]

California Railway Museum has a great display of all kinds of classic dinnerware setups in an old passenger car.

 

[fairviewroad]

This photo would be more accurate if there were two random strangers seated next to this couple.

From here: https://csanders429.wordpress.com/tag/amtrak-40th-anniversary/

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I'd take it one step further and put a sleeping Cat "Chessie style" at one of the empty places :lol:

 

[rrdude]

Sarah's photo on the museum train NAILS IT. Damn, I think I totally used up all my old Amtrak linen. I "came across" a service for 8 while I was In college, n for 3 years we ate off Amtrak China n linen... Word got around, it was a "hard ticket" to get invited to our apartment for dinner....

 

[FormerOBS]

I've seen lots of variation over the years. In general, the bud vase is centered by the window. Note the direction the train is traveling. The pepper shaker is beside the bud vase, AHEAD of the vase; the salt shaker is to the rear. (The old adage is "pepper to the power" --- the power being the locomotive). Usually the sugar is in front of the bud vase, with the creamer near it. The dinner fork is always to the left of the dinner plate; the knife is to the right, with the sharp edge of the blade facing the plate; the spoon is to the right of the knife. To start, we always put the salad in the place where the dinner plate would eventually go. Bread plate to the left. Carafe of water at table center. That arrangement always worked well on my train, but it might be done differently on a train with a different menu.

I've seen lots of variations on this general theme, but the positioning of the silverware in relation to the plate never (or rarely) has varied, and the pepper/bud vase/salt arrangement has always been the same. The most important thing is that the tables are set uniformly, so that everything in the diner looks orderly and attractive.

Tom

 

[TrainLoverJoy]

From here: https://csanders429.wordpress.com/tag/amtrak-40th-anniversary/

I was just at the Railroad Museum in Sacramento last week.....I saw many old place settings, but I don't remember seeing this "couple." This must be a different museum......

 

[PRR 60]

From here: https://csanders429.wordpress.com/tag/amtrak-40th-anniversary/

I was just at the Railroad Museum in Sacramento last week.....I saw many old place settings, but I don't remember seeing this "couple." This must be a different museum......

This is from the Amtrak exhibit train.

 

[SarahZ]

Joy, if you follow my link, you'll see it's the exhibit train.

NorthShore is the one who mentioned the California Railway Museum.

 

[StanJazz]

This is the Amtrak display from The California Railway Museum back in 2010.

 

[TrainLoverJoy]

This is the Amtrak display from The California Railway Museum back in 2010.

When we were touring the dining car last week at the Railway Museum, the docent noticed us talking about the Amtrak place setting. At just that moment, he pointed out the window and said "there goes the eastbound Zephyr right now." We said we will be riding it ourselves on Friday, and he said "so will I."......it was his turn to be the historical commentator in the Lounge that day.