After reading a very interesting article in the TRANSPORTATION section of the Chicago Tribune about bar cars this morning, I though I would share a neat web site with all of you. When I lived in NY and commuted on Metro North (back then it was only Penn Central) I would occasionally ride in the bar car or catch a beer from one of the platform bar carts, and now live in metro Chicago and ride Metra now and then, but have not heard of bar cars on Metra (are there any?). Enjoy www.barcar.com
Jim
Nataraj wrote:metra is a commuter train, not sure they would make a lot of money with a cafe car...
I doubt they could do it Legally due to Liquor License restrictions of various Municipalities.
Metro North is also a commuter train that runs through many individual municipalites and they still have a bar car on many of their longer distance trains, so where's the difference?
Interstate,travel time,distance and number of passengers? I believe the various Liquor Licencensing regulations would prohibit the sale on Metra Trains. Public consumption
is also prohibited in some communities.
eolafan wrote: Nataraj wrote:metra is a commuter train, not sure they would make a lot of money with a cafe car...Metro North is also a commuter train that runs through many individual municipalites and they still have a bar car on many of their longer distance trains, so where's the difference?
Big push to get the bar carts off the LIRR and MNRR because of an incident where an underage girl was drinking prior to riding an LIRR train and fell thru a gap at the Stoneybrook station. She basically was told to stay where she was and ended up walking in front of another LIRR train. NY wants to ban the bar cars however the state of CT wants to keep them.
You can buy an alcoholic beverage prior to riding a Metra train and drink it however it is not sold on any Metra train. However they do have bar cars from their prior service with the CB&Q and CNW trains.
Metra had/has bar service on some trains. I haven't comuted on Metra for about 20 months now, so I'm not certain they're still there.
I know one was on the Rock Island route and I believe the other I knew about was on the UP line to Harvard. But, as stated, the standard on Metra is to buy a drink in the station and take it with you. I think it's technically illegal because the bar is licensed only to sell alcohol consumed on its premises.
I'd generally treat myself and buy a drink "to go" on Fridays.
Nataraj wrote: eolafan wrote: Nataraj wrote:metra is a commuter train, not sure they would make a lot of money with a cafe car...Metro North is also a commuter train that runs through many individual municipalities and they still have a bar car on many of their longer distance trains, so where's the difference?Metra is not long distance.
eolafan wrote: Nataraj wrote:metra is a commuter train, not sure they would make a lot of money with a cafe car...Metro North is also a commuter train that runs through many individual municipalities and they still have a bar car on many of their longer distance trains, so where's the difference?
Metro North is also a commuter train that runs through many individual municipalities and they still have a bar car on many of their longer distance trains, so where's the difference?
It is becoming more obvious that some folks simply do not read some posts thoroughly or can not comprehend what is written. I did not say Metra was a long distance train service (i.e. Amtrak), but rather said I was not sure if Metra had bar cars on their "longer distance" trains (i.e. those into Wisconsin to Kenosha or up the U.P. Northwest line to Harvard, etc., which are over fifty or sixty miles). Also, Metro North is reported to have noted that there are few, if any, incidents of rowdiness on their train bar cars and I expect the same would occur on Metra. May I respectfully suggest that some of you either completely read the posts submitted by the rest of us, or perhaps simply read them thoroughly and do your best to comprehend the words contained.
Pretty bad when a guy can't even go an hour's trainride with out a drink in his hand. Especially on a commuter line.
Great, show up on the job with a couple fresh snorts under the old belt, ready for work.. I guess that way at least the hard cases might be able to last till lunch before the shakes take over again.
eolafan wrote: It is becoming more obvious that some folks simply do not read some posts thoroughly or can not comprehend what is written. I did not say Metra was a long distance train service (i.e. Amtrak), but rather said I was not sure if Metra had bar cars on their "longer distance" trains (i.e. those into Wisconsin to Kenosha or up the U.P. Northwest line to Harvard, etc., which are over fifty or sixty miles). Also, Metro North is reported to have noted that there are few, if any, incidents of rowdiness on their train bar cars and I expect the same would occur on Metra. May I respectfully suggest that some of you either completely read the posts submitted by the rest of us, or perhaps simply read them thoroughly and do your best to comprehend the words contained.
Since you reference my comment immediately before your respectful suggestion, it would appear that you include myself in your comment, however I cannot recall seeing any previous mention being made about the potential problems caused by rowdiness.
Just because Metro North has no problems with rowdiness, does not mean that Metra would not take that potential into consideration when making a decision on the issue.
Or maybe rowdiness is not an issue at all.
eolafan wrote:No Datafever, I was not referring to you at all.
That's good to know, eolafan, although I must admit that I have made a couple of "off the wall" comments myself.
TheAntiGates wrote: Pretty bad when a guy can't even go an hour's trainride with out a drink in his hand. Especially on a commuter line. Great, show up on the job with a couple fresh snorts under the old belt, ready for work.. I guess that way at least the hard cases might be able to last till lunch before the shakes take over again.
OK, let me explain. It's coffee in, hootch out.
It's been common for people to set up in Metra stations during the morning selling coffee, pastry, newspapers, etc. I've seen large thermoses on a bench, catering trucks, etc. Sometimes, this got formalized into an actual "place of business" in the station.
Again, I no longer ride Metra - so I don't know if there's been a "crack down" on these informal business operations.
If you buy the alcohol, you buy it going home, not going into work. Of course, this does mean that people are getting in their cars at the station after having consumed alcohol. But that's a bigger issue. In any event, I have never seen a comuter train "bar car" selling alcohol in the morning.
I haven't seen it mentioned -
Does Metra even have a snack car or such where non-alcoholic beverages are served?
snagletooth wrote: I dont commute on metra, but I take it from Aurora to Chicago for events and such. from what I understand from the conductors is that alcohol is allowed at the conductors descretion. As long as noone complaining, or your being biligerent, ect., ect., not a problem.Its only 30-50 minutes, depending on the schedule. Most problems are caused from people arlready blitz and pissed before they even get on board, not those slaming a 40 or sippin' a rum & coke in a taco bell cup.
Catch a train home after an afternoon Cubs game and you'll be with a few who've had a few. 'Course, the Cubs probably lost big time - which don't make 'em happy.
Datafever wrote: I haven't seen it mentioned -Does Metra even have a snack car or such where non-alcoholic beverages are served?
Yes, at least they did when I last rode.
Bottled water, ice tea, coffee, diet soda, etc. were all avaialble. It's all part of the Chicago Experience. Of course, the Cubs Fans just drank hard liquor and anoyed every civilized person aboard the train.
greyhounds wrote: Datafever wrote: I haven't seen it mentioned -Does Metra even have a snack car or such where non-alcoholic beverages are served? Yes, at least they did when I last rode.Bottled water, ice tea, coffee, diet soda, etc. were all avaialble. It's all part of the Chicago Experience.
Bottled water, ice tea, coffee, diet soda, etc. were all avaialble. It's all part of the Chicago Experience.
What about Chicago style pizza?
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
greyhounds wrote:Of course, the Cubs Fans just drank hard liquor and anoyed every civilized person aboard the train.
Of course, the Cubs Fans just drank hard liquor and anoyed every civilized person aboard the train.
But I thought someone had mentioned that people drinking alcohol on the trains wasn't a problem.
Datafever wrote: greyhounds wrote: Of course, the Cubs Fans just drank hard liquor and anoyed every civilized person aboard the train.But I thought someone had mentioned that people drinking alcohol on the trains wasn't a problem.
greyhounds wrote: Of course, the Cubs Fans just drank hard liquor and anoyed every civilized person aboard the train.
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
RABEL wrote: Nataraj wrote:metra is a commuter train, not sure they would make a lot of money with a cafe car...I doubt they could do it Legally due to Liquor License restrictions of various Municipalities.
Both are very good points. I dont think that this will last very long regardless of how many cities you have to go through to get from point a to b.
Lionel collector, stuck in an N scaler's modelling space.
It's interesting how the culture has changed in such a short time.
Before the railroads became An Efficient and Ecologically Sound Alternative to driving into work, people actually rode trains to avoid some of the hassles of dealing with rush hour traffic. My father used to commute into New York from New Haven. On his way back home from New York, he would patronize the bar car for a couple of drinks. Since we picked him up at the station, drinking and driving was not a problem. The bar car was something akin to the local pub, and the regulars met there to discuss the day's events.
Given the state of the New Haven railroad at that time, a couple of things amaze me:
First, that anyone was able to keep a drink in a glass. (Yes, they actually used glasses on the train. Amazing... even a bankrupt railroad let it's patrons have their libations in reuseable drinking containers.)
Second, that given the wonderful ride the New Haven offered, that there was not at least one bar car for every two commuter coaches. I can't think of a better way to smooth out a roadbed...
Erik
The "Bar Cars" that I used to see were on the daily 5:16 "Harvard Express" and the daily 5:20 "McHenry Express". The "Bar Cars" were older cars that had been converted. I don't know if Metra has replaced them. I also don't recall any new order by Metra for new "Bar Cars".
A few quick random thoughts on other posts...
Alcohol is allowed on Metra trains, except for the major holidays and other special events in Chicago.
Wrigley Field is the world's nicest beer garden on a warm sunny summer day. Why do you think that the Cubs continue to have sell outs for a team that hasn't won a World Series since 1908?
Mobile beer concession stands are setup for the evening rush hour to sell beer to commuters at Union Station. And there's always a pretty young woman working that concession stand.
Chicago style deep dish pizza? You can get that at Union Station too. I think that Connie's pizza is still there. Of course the price is jacked up a little. Call it a surcharge for the right to make a Metra coach smell like a suasage pizza.
The metra trains of the future will/should have the following specialized cars: the cafe/bar car, the quiet car and the cell phone/loud radio/loud talker (my life is very important & I want everybody to know about it) car.
CC
RR Redneck wrote: RABEL wrote: Nataraj wrote:metra is a commuter train, not sure they would make a lot of money with a cafe car...I doubt they could do it Legally due to Liquor License restrictions of various Municipalities. Both are very good points. I dont think that this will last very long regardless of how many cities you have to go through to get from point a to b.
The Chicago Tribune article I originally referenced noted that Metro North made in the tens of thousands of dollars in profit from thier bar car service in 2005....ditto Long Island RR.
I have read that Metra still has a bar car in use on UP north line trains 322 and 335.
Bert
An "expensive model collector"
The Cubs Fans thing was supposed to be a joke.
It's a Chicago thing. I'm a White Sox fan. No person can be both. No person can change. A double header sweep is a Sox win and a Cubs loss. Two people may be best of friends, but the Cubs/Sox divide will never be crossed. It will always be between them. It's a Chicago thing.
It was a freaking joke.
Really, the on train alcohol doesn't seem to cause problems. The rides are relatively short and anyone who's intoxicated got that way before boarding. If someone wants to sip a beer/highball/wine on the train ride home, it's his/her business.
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