By J. Bruce Richardson, Corridor Rail Development Corporation; December 4, 2020
“Ride the ‘400′ Streamliner Fleet – America’s Finest Trains” said the Chicago and North Western Railway. The 400s were, indeed, fine trains, with lots of passenger creature comforts. Examining the C&NW fleet reveals a host of trains running northwest and west from Chicago, with every offering boasting at least some sort of lounge, grill, or full dining car. The C&NW management believed in feeding its patrons.
Most trains traveled routes of less than 650 miles, and, if you were traveling on one of the overnight streamliners, you woke up to a full service dining car with an impressive breakfast board of fare.
In 1963, after a choice of Chilled Orange or Tomato Juice, Prunes, Fresh Seasonal Fruit, Cereal – Cooked or Dry with Cream, it was time to get serious with the main breakfast courses:
- Smoked Ham, Bacon Strips or Link Sausages with Two Eggs as desired; $2.00
- Corned Beef Hash, with Poached Egg; $2.00
- Shirred Eggs with Little Link Sausages; $2.00
- Bacon Strips or Link Sausages with One Egg as desired; $1.75
- Two Eggs cooked as desired; $1.60
- Minced Ham and One Egg Scrambled; $1.60
All choices included either Muffins or Dry or Buttered Toast with Jelly, Tea, Coffee or Milk.
The Chef’s Special for $1.75 was Choice of Fruit, Juice or Cereal, French Toast or Griddle Cakes with Bacon Strips or Sausage Links, Maple Syrup or Jelly, and Tea, Coffee or Milk.
The Club Special for $1.00 was Orange or Tomato Juice, Muffins or Sweet Roll or Toast with Tea, Coffee or Milk.
All food was freshly prepared. As was customary at the time, no oral orders were allowed; passengers had to write their individual orders on a meal check. A note at the bottom said, “Employees are forbidden to serve food unless written on Meal Check furnished by Steward in charge. Please write each item desired. Pay only on presentation of Your Meal Check.”
Perhaps most notable of the era, onboard services crews were all male, with White stewards and Black waiters and mostly Black chefs and cooks. This had been an industry unfortunate caste system from the earliest days of passenger trains and the Pullman Company, and stayed in place until after Amtrak Day on May 1, 1971.