Penn Central Dining Car China

[081552]

This question is for anyone who rode PC trains between 1968 and 1971 and ate in the dining car.

Did you remember if the PC had their own dining car china or did they use PRR or NYC china? I've been told that the Metroliner service had their own china.

Thanks!

[PBenham]

Penn Central used left over Pennsylvania china, as well as former NYC china. Both had considerable amounts of china, since many diners had been retired after diner service was dropped from almost all trains in favor of "dinette" or "bufffet" services. I never saw china on "Empire service" trains, only cheap paper plates, styrofoam cups and plastic knives, forks, and spoons! Some blame us railfans for walking off with most of the stuff, but it is not so. It got tossed out. I was sad witness to this fact when I saw a dumpster near Buffalo Central Terminal, full of the contents of the commisary there.[:(]

[David_Telesha]

*Clears throat*

You know the New Haven became part of PC - it wasn't just NYC and PRR...

If you visit the www.nhrhta.org site, go to the image page via the consist and look at past image pages you can see pictures of NHRR china, ware, and menus. Also go to the links page and visit Marc Frattsio's website for more pics.

[PBenham]

Well hit me-[:0] Hard-[B)] make me listen to John Stirling's[:o)] asinine play-by-play of the Evil Empire's games for forgetting that NH[V] dining service lived on after 12/31/67! No NH train I had ridden had china. No NH train I rode on had any food service, other than what I had bought in a GCT take out place (I cannot recall the name of that dump) it was awful and awful expensive. BUT I forgot the late great "Yankee Clipper" which ran almost until A-Day (5-1-71) With a full Diner!

[David_Telesha]

Obviously you were riding a commuter train and almost nobody's commuter trains (NYC or PRR) ran with diners.

Ease off the bad mouthing, if you rode any of the through trains you would've probably had a diner or at least a grill or cafe, and the consist books say so.

Heck, even some of the sleepers had a buffet section.