Nostalgia & History > An Amtrak Thanksgiving, The Upstairs - Downstairs Version

Tomorrow night, in all sorts of remote locations that sure aren't home, Amtrak Long Distance crews will figure out a way to mark Thanksgiving. 
These photos are from Thanksgiving night aboard the Coast Starlight in about 1990 or 91. 
The kitchen crew had smuggled a turkey aboard in Seattle.  (Okay, "smuggled" is probably a bit strong- it's not like there was someone who didn't know and expect it)  Late that night after the diner had closed up, The word was passed up and down the train, "Diner is Served!".  Out of sight, in the lower level of the SuperLiner diner, one by one, crew members took a moment away from there duties to pull up a milk crate or a bag of linen and sit down to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the "fix'ns". 
Not home- but not bad.  Not bad at all!

Happy Thanksgiving to All- where ever it finds you!
SR Bush
Dutch Flat

Note:  In the top photo, sitting in the lower left corner- that's Carolyn, Art Laidlaw's daughter.  

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Happy Thanksgiving to BoilingMan. Love the stories.

Posted from Android

That's cool, shades of the AFT. Where were we on Turkey Day anyway?

Serious?!!  
Tallahassee, Florida. 
It was the only day in our time with the AFT we were closed- our only day off in a year!  There was a baseball game (Security vs Army), Mad Dog Manning BBQed the Turkey, and then made his fare-well speech.
SR

You remember now, don't you!

In the photo (Thanksgiving Day on the AFT, 1976) are three TO members: SP4360 on the ground in the center, SP3201 on the far right hanging on with his arm up, and Tommy (whose TO name I can't remember at the moment) sitting on the roof in the center wearing brown boots.  I guess I was there too- I took the photo.

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BoilingMan Wrote:
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> Serious?!!  
> Tallahassee, Florida. 
> It was the only day in our time with the AFT we
> were closed- our only day off in a year!  There
> was a baseball game (Security vs Army), Mad Dog
> Manning BBQed the Turkey, and then made his
> fare-well speech.
> SR
>
> You remember now, don't you!

> In the photo (Thanksgiving Day on the AFT, 1976)
> are three TO members: SP4360 on the ground in the
> center, SP3201 on the far right hanging on with
> his arm up, and Tommy (whose TO name I can't
> remember at the moment) sitting on the roof in the
> center wearing brown boots.  I guess I was there
> too- I took the photo.

Now seeing the photo I sort of remember it, many trips to the "mail box reefer", that day. Third TO member is "Towazy "
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/15 23:22 by SP4360.

I see Dale there !
Tom

Nice behind the scenes photos in the dining car!

Andy

Are any of those OBS people still with Amtrak?
Steve

In Dec '91 I transfered from LA to Oakland to work the Capitols, so I'm not entirely up to date on LA happenings...
Carolyn (seated) was involved in horse shows on the side (or was it the other way around?).  Not long after this photo she was very badly injured in an accident in a show in France.  She spent months in a Paris hospital. She never returned to Amtrak.
I can't remember the fellow's name who's standing (Eric?), but he was young enough and certinally could still be working.
Sandra, standing, I saw a couple of years ago.  She always worked the same crews as her husband and I know he retired a few years ago.  If she hasn't retired yet, she's very close.
All three were/are Train Attendants, although I think Sandra worked diners sometimes?
The chef, in the lower photo was an old timer then, I think, so he must be long retired now.  I didn't work with him regularly and didn't know his name.
And I'm still working too, but Tic-Toc...   I go exactly 8mo from today.
SR

We haven't had a decent Thanksgiving meal, smuggled or otherwise, on 58/59 for over a half-decade.  The last good one we had is a great memory, however!

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

SR...SP3204 not SP3201.

Ha! Should have left well enough alone- I had it 3204 then, just before hitting send, doubted myself and changed it....
Oh well
SR