Nostalgia & History > Crew Bird- Thanksgiving Aboard #11

I've posted photos from this set a couple times before-  kind of a Thanksgiving Day tradition.   
After the diner had closed for the night, the OBS crew gathered for our own turkey diner w fixings.  Here's our bird, fresh out of the oven. rolling through the night somewhere in Southern Oregon.

Happy Thanksgiving All!
SR

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Glad to see this awesome picture.  I'm cooking a 12-pounder now.  Gonna eat off a SOU Piedmont plate.

Brings back memories of happier times on Amtrak. Back when chefs were encouraged to be creative in their food presentations, and several would bring their own collection of spices to add their own flair to the meals. Can't remember how many times I would hear, "That's the best meal I've ever had on the train," when working with a particular chef. We took pride in running a great diner back then. And, we didn't break Amtrak's back in doing so. Doubtful we'll ever see those days again.

irhoghead Wrote:
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> Brings back memories of happier times on Amtrak.
> Back when chefs were encouraged to be creative in
> their food presentations, and several would bring
> their own collection of spices to add their own
> flair to the meals. Can't remember how many times
> I would hear, "That's the best meal I've ever had
> on the train," when working with a particular
> chef. We took pride in running a great diner back
> then. And, we didn't break Amtrak's back in doing
> so. Doubtful we'll ever see those days again.

i remember 2 specific meals i had on 2 trips to vegas on #35.  one meal was the BEST beef short ribs i have ever had and the other was some awesome grilled catfish.  those chefs cooked some great food back then.  good times...........

66

This was in the late 80’s
, kind of a Golden Age Lite for Amtrak OBS. Union Rules were still (mostly) respected, lots of older pre-Amtrak employees around, most of the Long Distance routes still intact, relatively abundant staffing, lots of growth in regional train service pending, etc.
If you got hooked up with the right crew work could really be fun.
SR

SR,
Great picture...that is one happy looking chef.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and thankful for the sharing.

Kent in CArmel Valley

Back atcha Ken! And an early Merry Christmas.
SR

(Huh. I don’t think I ever worked a Christmas trip)

Excellent photo Steve.  Yes good times.

On the flip side I remember Amtrak offering a complete Thanksgiving Diner on the Southwest Limited menu for that holiday at least a couple of years in a row in the early 1970s. .

Then later and for some reason it was no longer offered and the special holiday menu was unavailble for what seemed like years afterwards.  Yet, some dining car crews on Thanksgiving would sit down in the dining room, in the view of paying passengers, and enjoy their own Thanksgiving Dinner with all the fixins, made downstairs in the kitchen.  Not a good look in front of customers who were unable to buy the same.

A distant memory now.

 

Yes, I remember special holiday-only dining car menus- long gone now. When we enjoyed this crew only dinner we all stayed below in the kitchen, out of the passenger’s view. (Upstairs/ Downstairs, right?). We flatten out bags of trash for seating, and ate off our laps. Sounds uncomfortable but it was fun and full of good cheer. That was 11/14 Crew 10, the hardest I ever worked in all my years w Amtrak, but the best crew I worked with!
SR

BuddPullman Wrote:
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> Excellent photo Steve.  Yes good times.
>
> On the flip side I remember Amtrak offering a
> complete Thanksgiving Diner on the Southwest
> Limited menu for that holiday at least a couple of
> years in a row in the early 1970s. .
>
> Then later and for some reason it was no longer
> offered and the special holiday menu was
> unavailble for what seemed like years
> afterwards.  Yet, some dining car crews on
> Thanksgiving would sit down in the dining room, in
> the view of paying passengers, and enjoy their own
> Thanksgiving Dinner with all the fixins, made
> downstairs in the kitchen.  Not a good look in
> front of customers who were unable to buy the
> same.
>
> A distant memory now.
>
>  

Bad look?  It is worse than that....the crew, while enjoying their Thanksgiving dinner, also flips the bird to all the passengers who were denied the same pleasure.  

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA