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The last time I was on a train, I got a wrinkled hot dog and a bag of chips in the dining car. “Fine dining” and “railroads” are, to me, as incongruous a pairing as “high-speed service” and “Amtrak.”

It wasn’t always like this. As rail historian James Porterfield told ideastream’s Dan Polletta, railroad dining used to be a lot better, more glamorous and luxe. It also used to be a lot worse.

Porterfield is the author of  “Dining by Rail: The History and Recipes of America’s Golden Age of Railroad Cuisine.” He’s also a chef.

He said between 1870 and 1930, the peak of their popularity, passenger trains offered dishes like roast beef with mustard sauce, corn chowder, peas in butter and five different kinds of French toast.

This brings new meaning to the phrase,  “gravy train.” And, no, I’m not talking about  dog food.

Railroad companies started adding kitchens to rail cars in the 1860s and the first dining car opened for service in 1867. But  passenger rail service had been around for thirty years prior to these innovations. Eating options in those earliest days were pretty awful.

Rail station vendors sold “soot-covered hotcakes, eggs soaked in lime water and gritty black coffee,” Porterfield said. Those who wanted table service had to get off the train, order food and eat – all in the 20 minutes they had before the train continued its journey.

“There was a lot of chicanery that went on, where the operator of the eating house would serve the food just as the passengers were ordered to re-board the train,” Porterfield said. Their untouched meals were likely resold to passengers in the next train that came along.

Porterfield sounds like he’s got some great stories to tell. If you want to hear more, listen to Porterfield’s  full conversation with Dan or head to the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum in Sugarcreek on Jan. 15, when the railroad historian will talk about his book.

See you bright and early tomorrow morning on the radio,
Amy Eddings

Need to KnOH

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