I came across this
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/dining/04train.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=subway%20dinner%20party&st=cse
and was wondering what henry6 and others in the NYC area thought about it. Apparently, "officials at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, reached on Monday, were not amused. 'A dinner party on the L train?' said Charles F. Seaton, a spokesman for the authority. 'No. Subway trains are for riding, not for holding parties.'” We think a little diferently down here. Chartering streetcars for parties is a rather popular activity. See
http://norta.com/?page=charters
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
We are talking about contemporary lifestyles and events. These "flash events" seem to be part of it and certainly not on the program for any transit agency. I'm 68 years old. I wonder if I were even 30 years old if this is something I would participate in and feel "cool". Just don't do it when I'm in a rush to make a connection to get to Hoboken for the train to Hackettstown next Monday.
Yes, in days of yore, there were streetcar packages, even transit packages, to special events and venues...streetcar companies often built amusement parks so they had a reason to entice people there via their cars. There were funeral cars, too. Todays systems are so intensely used that there is little room or need for such marketing and promotion. Having said that, MTA provides extra services to Yankee and Mets games, especially during a "subway series". The LIRR just reentered the Belmont Racetrack service and NJT has special service from Hoboken to Secaucus Jct and the Meadowlands Sports Complex for Giant and Jet football games and other special events. Secaucus Jct stop is to pick up patrons from the run through train from New Haven via MNRR and the one ticket ride from LIRR. I can't recall any regularly scheduled dining or party cars on mass transit but owners would outfit a car for a party to show off their properties. As for commuters, I believe there still is bar car service on the MNRR, especially to Connecticut, but non on NJT nor LIRR.
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Dining in North Shore dining cars or snacking on the Electroliners was a regular approved experience, even when riding on the Chicago El
daveklepper Dining in North Shore dining cars or snacking on the Electroliners was a regular approved experience, even when riding on the Chicago El
It's the "L", not "El". Besides, North Shore equipment didn't handle local passengers on the Rapid Transit.
I often get the impression that although NYC was our largest and leading city in many ways, Chicago and other midwestern points often were more civilized in many ways!
henry6 I often get the impression that although NYC was our largest and leading city in many ways, Chicago and other midwestern points often were more civilized in many ways!
Straying a little off topic, but,
I spent a few months in New Jersey at various times in the '70's and '80's and enjoyed visiting NYC for people-watching and got a kick out of just riding the subways. I liked visiting Philadelphia, too, but was struck by the different feel: NYC was very intense, while Philadelphia was noticeably more laid back. I liked both.
You are correct both about the "L" and the North Shore. But the fact that the CNS&M did not handle local passengers wouldn't really be considered by the casual Chicago Rapid Transit passenger standing on a platform and facing into a window showing a couple seated at a table enjoying fine food in beautiful surroundings.
Didn't the LIRR have coktail service on the friday parlor car to Montauk? Also NYC and now Metro North from Grand Central? I've also heard a few stories that my grandfather on a few occasions had some rolling parties on on of the elevated trains(he was Mayor at the time).(no way to onfirm or deny this as it was during prohibition).
Thx IGN
narig01 Didn't the LIRR have coktail service on the friday parlor car to Montauk? Also NYC and now Metro North from Grand Central? I've also heard a few stories that my grandfather on a few occasions had some rolling parties on on of the elevated trains(he was Mayor at the time).(no way to onfirm or deny this as it was during prohibition). Thx IGN
Your grandfather was Jimmy Walker??
A lot of railroads in the NYC area had bar service on commuter trains...MNRR still does on some ex NYC lines and ConnDot supports several others. But the Montauk trains on the LIRR were of a different ilk...it wasn't just bar car service but parlor car service which was a level above. The Cannon Ball at one or another time was an all parlor car train. NJT no longer has such services like the Broker to Bay Head and the Lakeland Express to Dover, Hackettstown and Washington, or the MU parlors to Gladstone and Morristown.
CSSHEGEWISCH daveklepper: Dining in North Shore dining cars or snacking on the Electroliners was a regular approved experience, even when riding on the Chicago El It's the "L", not "El". Besides, North Shore equipment didn't handle local passengers on the Rapid Transit.
daveklepper: Dining in North Shore dining cars or snacking on the Electroliners was a regular approved experience, even when riding on the Chicago El
Johnny
Seem to remember that in the late 1950's the Long Island Railroad had "prom" trains with dancing in a baggage car.
Deggesty CSSHEGEWISCH: daveklepper: Dining in North Shore dining cars or snacking on the Electroliners was a regular approved experience, even when riding on the Chicago El It's the "L", not "El". Besides, North Shore equipment didn't handle local passengers on the Rapid Transit. As I recall, the system in Chicago is called the "L" because of the Loop formed by the tracks in downtown Chicago, and the system in NYC was called the "El" because it was elevated above the street level (of course, the Loop is above the street level).
CSSHEGEWISCH: daveklepper: Dining in North Shore dining cars or snacking on the Electroliners was a regular approved experience, even when riding on the Chicago El It's the "L", not "El". Besides, North Shore equipment didn't handle local passengers on the Rapid Transit.
Referring to our central business district as the Loop predates the L and goes back to cable car days when a common loop was used as a large turnaround for several cable car routes. L is actually word play from eLevated and was used by the Rapid Transit company, if not its predecessors.
Thanks, Paul. That is a bit of Chicago history that I was not aware of. I did not even remember that Chicago at one time had cable cars.
On the London Underground (Metropolitan Railway) there were pullman cars up until 1939.
And it took England's Petula Clark to the early 60's to sing "Don't Sleep In the Subway"! They are slow over there afterall.
Let's not forget the private parlor/bar cars on the C&NW Milwaukee line.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
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