Dinner trains eat while you roll on.

BCR's Dinner train was incredible...and sadly gone, AFAIK.  Even better than the Canadian on VIA....and that's saying something!

I am aware of friends taking a couple of these....I tried to once, but that one is gone,

another one in southern Indiana, Corydon, was taken by friends, out of what was a short line terminal on the Louisville and Corydon written up by Beebe and Clegg.  These friends also took one out of Bardstown, Ky. (bourbon center).  I don't know if

the Bardstown one still runs?  I don't think the Corydon one still does.  A couple of

short trips in eastern Indiana ran once, one out of Connersville, Ind., another out

of a town on U.S. 40 not far from there, I don't think either offered a dinner train,

but the Connersville one was long enough to have.  It ran to a touristy village that

once boomed before the recession, with flea markets, etc., and paralleled a canal with

locks, a water covered bridge that carries the canal over a creek, a restored canal

powered mill, etc.  It ran with steam once, and had a small yard with interesting

steamers such as a small Heisler......dunno how active it now is....I last saw trains

pulled with diesel switcher.  I hope some that are still viable are posted here.

Just my opinion but, if I/we desire a nice train ride, we take a train ride, to enjoy the experience, i.e. Strasburg Rail Road.  If we desire a nice meal, we go out to a nice restaurant, and enjoy that experience. I have no desire to mix the two, especially since there are no longer ant REAL passenger trains with full dinning cars, like the Super Chief, the Empire Builder, the Daylight, etc., etc., etc..

Yup, I have. Here in Colorado several times.

 

In each case, I had a very good meal. But, to tell the truth, that's only part of the draw. The idea, in my mind, is just to get away from the everyday doldrums, do something out of the ordinary and be in a place with friends or family where you won't be interrupted by the run of the mill stuff.

 

I think the most enjoyable was on the Georgetown Loop. Got on in Silver Plume and kind of chugged down to the high bridge where the train stopped on the bridge and we munched away to our hearts content. After awhile, it went on down toward Georgetown where it stopped for about 30 minutes so folks could get out and take photos and stuff like that. Then it chugged on back up the hill again - probably didn't go much more than 3 mph the whole time.

 

Also have done the Royal Gorge train a couple of times. Entirely different type of experience, but it was again well worth it. I've also done some in Arizona and in Europe - and they've all been nothing except a good relaxing time that was well worth the time and money.

We've done the dinner train on the Valley Railroad in Essex CT twice now. Great time, good food and great staff. Its pulled by one of their switchers and has two cars with tables and a full kitchen car--produced for the Army during the Korean war but not used.

Scotie

I'll second the Valley, very good meal, good ride.  The only way it could be better is if it was pulled by one of their steamers.

My wife and I did the Old Kentucky Dinner Train a few years ago.  The train ride isn't really much, but the equipment was fabulous, and the food and the staff were all top notch.  It was a VERY nice experience.

...especially since there are no longer ant REAL passenger trains with full dinning cars,

 

What???  This looks like a "real" passenger train with a "real" dining car.

http://www.amtrak.com/onboard-the-train-meals-dining

 

Ron

 

Seaboard,

    If you get up my way around the Grand Canyon of Pa, just outside of Wellsboro, Pa we have a Dinner Train, that runs up to NY and back, simply a beautiful ride thru the mountains.   Especially when the leaves are changing, with decent food you order in advance and nice people.  My best friend and our wives usually take this dinner train once a year, just for a nice evening out.  It was at one time, Part of the Sole Leather Line, Logging Railroad, that ran thru the Pa Grand Canyon up thru to NY.  Now the Tioga Central RR.   My Great Grandfather was the Engineer way back when it was the WAG, Sole Leather Line.  It is still kind of like my home Railroad, and it serves dinner every now and then, even today.  Lots of family memories for me, eating dinner, as we ride the rails. 

PCRR/Dave

 

If you get up my way around the Grand Canyon of Pa, just outside of Wellsboro, Pa we have a Dinner Train, that runs up to NY and back, simply a beautiful ride thru the mountains, especially when the leaves are changing, with decent food you order in advance and nice people.

 

+1 on the Tioga Central Dave.  We trek up there every 4th of July to ride the fireworks train.  Great ride and great fun!

 

Ron

 

Ron,

   The fire works train is great stuff, however we usually go into Galeton for the big fire works display on the 4th, maybe this year we will ride the Tioga Central Fire works Train in stead, have not done that in years.  Is there dinner still available at that time Ron?

I have never been, but I once worked with a woman (not a train nut) who went on the Newport (RI) Dinner Train with her date.  

 

When I asked her how it was, she had two pieces of advice:

1. "Always go with another couple.  The tables seat 4 and if you go as 2, they'll pair you up with strangers.  We ended up sitting next to an older couple from North Providence who kept hitting each other."
2. Be sure to sit on the water side of the train.  The water side has unbelievable views of the sunset over the bay.  The other side has views of the trash recycling center.

The second tip is specific to the Newport train.  The first might be universal.

 

I'll get there some day....

 

Steven J. Serenska

 

I had dinner on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. Great time, great food, great train ride. I recommend it to all.

I have been on two.  One was billed as a dinner train.  It was in Boone, Iowa and ran out on an abandoned spur and then back again.  The food was very good, the scenery was great, and it was over all a very fun time.

 

The other was a Zephyr Route excursion out of Chicago to Quincy, IL and back.  At Quincy we boarded a chartered bus and rode down to Hannibal, MO where we saw the Mark Twain attractions and rode a river boat.  The food was fantastic both ways and it was great fun.  Highly recommended!

 

Art

Funny thing, of all the trains I've ridden in so many places in my lifetime, I've never ridden a 'dinner train' as such. Got lunch on plenty, such as the Grand Canyon Ry (back when they had daily steam) and several NRHS excursions over the years (best scenery was behind SP 4449 up Stampede Pass, nice buffet in the dome car)  but never in a dedicated 'dinner train'.

Good advice to go with two couples, as seating is for four. Pick nice weather.

Big plus one on the Tioga Central Dinner Train.   RS1 powered and lobster Newburg on the table, a la NYCS !  Can I get a double YOY !

I read a travel article from the 70s about a rail trip somewhere in Turkey. The author had made plans to visit the dining car.

The locals said not to go there as it was "dirty".

He asked what they were eating, and this was followed by a small charcoal brazier being set up right on the passenger car floor, and he was soon "half-way through a cooked chicken and a bottle of something that skinned my stomach."

Yeah...you can go have your Blue Plate Special at Joe's Bar & Grill, or you could ride the train from LA Union Station to Santa Barbara, or Amtrak.  Those are fun.  But mixing the two is outstanding!  I have been on the Napa Valley Wine train many times.  In December, we rode their Moonlight Escape Dinner train.  It was a great train ride, a great meal and some great wine tasting.  On March 24 we are taking our daughter and son-in-law from Virginia on the Napa Valley Wine Lunch train.  We'll be riding in the vista dome. You get to see those Alco's pulling heavy weights. It doesn't have to be Amtrak or the Daylight to be a REAL passenger train...they're just shorter routes or destinations.  It's still a passenger train! I would like to try other trains like it.  So all of you considering any type of "meal" train...go out there and enjoy it!  They are a great train...and...food experience!

 Matt

My favorite dinner train is four days long, VIA RAIL Canadian.   Vancouver / Toronto   

 

Clem

I drove up from York one day to see the Grand Canyon of Pa., and to visit the logging

museum (it was under construction), for it was raining and open shows were stagnant.

Did see both in the rain.  Did not know there was a train ride up there, but THAT was

not a good day for it.    The Old Kentucky ride is the one out of Bardstown, isn't it.

Didn't see the cars there last time as I have in the past.  And isn't the Great Smoky

Mountain one HQ'd in a town on the North Carolina side?  Saw a train leave there

once when I came across the Smokies a different way.

jaygee,

   If you plan on riding the Tioga Central Dinner Train, definitely take another couple with you, they do not have the single couple dinner seating any more, unless all the tables are not filled.  Long ago I liked to have one table for just me and my wife for a little romantic dinner set up.  Almost impossible to have happen now.  You might be able to purchase all 4 seats, I do not know if they permit it however.

PCRR/Dave

 

I like to thank every body for their replys.Sounds like some thing worth trying some time.And again thanks.

Would you believe the best seafood item i've EVER had  ( crab stuffed trout)   was on ...Amtrak ....Oct. 1990.  Was willing to pay for an extra portion, and was told to take a hike !   Cal. Zephyr W/B to Grand Junction!

Firewood,

 

I served in the USAF and was stationed in Turkey at Karamursel Air Station from 1969-1971.  We were at the southern edge of the Maramara Sea,  in the middle of nowhere.  Made it to Istanbul on occasion and got to see the Orient Express which was still steam powered then,  but on my wages a trip on that was out of the question.  However,  I got to ride on a number of the local "express" trains and sampled the local cuisine.  The locals were also steam powered,  usually with 2-8-0's or 2-6-0's,  and were mixed trains with passenger and freight.  The passenger cars were designated 1st class and 'everything else"!!!  The only difference between the two was that the conductor kept the animals(goats, chickens, and lambs, dogs, cats)out of the first class car.  There was a small coal/charcoal fired stove in the first class car where the "chef" mostly shish-ka-bobed lamb and chicken along with the vegetables on a couple of skewers.  The food was pretty decent especially if washing it down with Raki-a licorice tasting licqouer laced with poppy extract!!  The everything else cars were a different story-it was a free for all!  The locals sometimes had open fires burning inside the cars or on the end platforms and would actually kill and butcher the small animals and cook them right there on the train.  The "express" would stop at every small village and dirt rr crossing.  The only ones that were not allowed on the trains were the gypsys.  Their wagon trains and caravans were forced to set up camp outside of all the towns.  It was an experience that I'll never forget.

 

Nick

The fire works train is great stuff, however we usually go into Galeton for the big fire works display on the 4th, maybe this year we will ride the Tioga Central Fire works Train in stead, have not done that in years.  Is there dinner still available at that time Ron?

 

PCRR Dave,

When we arrived there was a special dinner going on in the dining car at the station.  I was unsure if that was a private event or just an early scheduled dinner.  By the looks of it, they ate prior to the train ride.

 

They had a snack car to get hot dogs and such, but not a seated meal during the train ride itself.

 

Ron

 

North Freedom, Wisconsin has a Mother's Day Dining Train and a Snow Train, among others they offer. My sister and her husband did the Snow Train this winter and said it was awesome...great food and great ride. Mary and I will do it soon. Here is a link to their web site for those who live near Southwest Wisconsin area.

 

http://www.midcontinent.org

I took an NRHS trip along the Minnesota Zephyr Dinner Train in April, 1996.  The dinner and rail companionship was nice, the on-board entertainment, with performers singing late 30s songs, then WWII, then a postwar set at each of the stops.  Since their route was 7 miles, there was a lot of standing still.  Luckily, the performers kept things light.  Otherwise it would have been a looong night.

My next dinner was on an NRHS convention special in 1998, from Syracuse to Auburn, NY.  The Susquehanna RR provided the meal.  I found it to be a decent meal.  Since the route was about 10 mph, there was plenty of time to serve everyone who bought a ticket.

I also ate in the Amtrak Crescent's diner from Philadelphia to Atlanta in 2000.   Eating with strangers should not be a problem.  Polite conversation for a half hour never hurt anyone.  The diner was the "Silver Tureen," if I remember correctly.  This was a real diner, and the food was fine. 

In 2005, I had a lunch on the Western Maryland Scenic RR.  The railroad, if you remember, was in danger of being shut down, and some track was already pulled up.  (It's back now.) We ran from Cumberland to Woodcock Hollow.  They served heated pre-packaged meals and were served poorly.  Since my friend and I sat at the end of the car, we got the leftovers.  People at the other end got a choice in what they ate, but by the time the servers reached us, we got the remaining meals.  Macaroni & cheese, I believe it was.  I don't know if lunch or dinner are regular items on this train, or if it was just for that excursion.

So that is my experience.  I am not a food person.  I always found the company to be what makes a trip memorable.  The scenery sometimes, the food is just to pass the time.  

In Scranton,PA, the Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society is preparing for their first season serving meals on the road.  There is no schedule as of yet, but here is their web page.  www.eldcps.org

 

 

MICHIGAN DINNER TRAIN

  CLICK TO ENLARGE

Royal Canadian Pacific Dinner Train  

  Click photo to enlarge.

Algoma Central Railway / CN

   Click photo to enlarge.

Ron45,

   I had heard that the Fire Works Train was no longer offering dinner, that is a bummer.  I will have to look into the dinner before the Fire Works Train ride, it might just be held by the Tioga Central themselves.  Ron let me know if you are planning to take your family on the Fire Works Train this July, maybe we will see you there.

PCRR/Dave

 

Station 885

Not a dinner train, but a great place to watch the CSX Railroad, in Plymouth, Michigan.

Ever time the train is coming, the bartender, rings the train bell. I go here about once a week. If you are in the area, check it out.

  Click photo to enlarge.

Boy ain't that the truth!  We rode that line back in the 90's, and had a couple seated across from us where the guy proposed.  She wasn't sure.  Talk about uncomfortable.  Also, the curves were all super-elevated, but the train was going 10mph.  Doesn't work too well to keep your food on the plate!

 

Our BEST dinner train experience was the CAPE COD DINNER TRAIN.  Best food.  Best equipment.  Best views.

 

Jon

 

Jon

 

I was thinking about taking the Columbia Missouri diner train soon, but it went out of business last winter, 2014.

 

They are looking for a buyer!

Dan

Last year, my wife and i rode the Cafe Lafayette Dinner Train in Woodstock, New Hampshire.

 

The two hour ride was nice, slow, and easy going.  The food was spectacular.  They offered a 5 course gourmet meal that was completely prepared and cooked on the train!  There was no loading of food trays at the station, the chef cooks it as you go.  Only 3 cars long, they have plenty of time to prepare and serve the meal in a formal yet relaxed setting.

 

This was an Anniversary dinner for us so we booked a "table for two"... just a few dollars more and no table-mates.  We did have a nice discussion with fellow travelers in nearby booths.

 

Some info on the main dining car.... The popular 1952 Pullman Planetarium car, the Granite Eagle, is an unusual tri-level car with an upper observation dome that also has windows fore and aft, giving the diner views forwards and back while the car is underway. There are also two coach-level sections, and a sunken lounge. This car was the very first DOME car to enter New Hampshire when brought from Kansas by rail in the winter of 1995

 

Way too many forks, knives and spoons!

 

The silver car in the middle is the kitchen.  We asked and got a tour of the kitchen at the end of the trip.  By the time we hit the station, all the dishes were washed and stowed and the kitchen look spotless!

 

Ed

The Cape Cod Dinner train is a favorite with locals as well as tourists. The meal is gourmet and there is a wine list. Nice scenery. Cape Cod Canal. Buzzards Bay Tower.

Check it out. 

 

For a great overnight trip try VIA Rail's Ocean to Halifax.  Great scenery and Nice destination. Food is very good.

 

Conductor Earl  

The Newport Dinner Train just went out of business last year. Take it from someone who worked there through college....The bad view was the least of your worries.