International Railroad Discussion > History of the "McTrain" in Germany

A recently published article about the American fast food chain McDonald's unsuccessful attempt to run dining cars on German railroads in the 1990s.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/38221/the-mctrain-the-rise-and-fall-of-mcdonalds-ambitious-plan-to-conquer-the-railroads



 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/21 22:05 by Soo715.

We already had a discussion on the Passenger forum, so I suggest people follow the TO link below before ranting, to save your strength and not repeat things already said. Same article was linked in the link below:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,5166161

I still patronize McDonald's, here and abroad, since I don't suffer from anti-McDonald's snobbery. Here's an off topic McD + railfan experience I had in Japan few years ago:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,4681872

In case we get off topic rants about eating "healthy", avoid soda and fries. Seems those 2 items lure people who already have unhealthy diets? Otherwise, the food you eat isn't too different from stuff you get from other places (meat, bread, cheese, lettuce, pickles, sauce). 

Anyway, McTrain wasn't meant to be. They don't offer enough McUnique items that can be served cold to avoid the logistical difficulties. In Japan, people are used to eating cold bento (lunch box), so putting them onboard to be sold on carts going down the aisle is no problem. There are more expensive bentos that can be eaten warm, with a heating pad built-in:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,3715328,3715339#3715339

Having said all that, I've enjoyed eating in dining cars onboard Amtrak trains.

Sorry I didn't see it had been posted on the Passenger board, which I don't read all that often. I thought because it was Germany that it belonged in International board.

Is that the normal protocol, that any article on Passenger trains, even internationally, should be on the Passenger board rather than the International board?

Or is it different because McDonald's is a US based corporation?

Soo715 Wrote:
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> Sorry I didn't see it had been posted on the Passenger board, which I don't read all that often. I thought because it was Germany that it belonged in International board.
>
> Is that the normal protocol, that any article on Passenger trains, even internationally, should be on the Passenger board rather than the International board?
>
> Or is it different because McDonald's is a US based corporation?

I chose to put the post on the USA Passenger board because there has been an ongoing "discussion" -- more like continuous rants -- about the quality of Amtrak's on train eating experience. 

There are a number of folks who seem to think that privatization is the cure all unicorn.  Even after pointing out numerous times that the politically motivated, death by 1,000 cuts Mandate in the PRIIA Legislation that food service by itself -- as a separate category -- can not lose money has to be eliminated before any chance of decent food can return on board.

So yea, this is a special case.

Brian

 

Soo715 Wrote:
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> I thought because it was Germany that it
> belonged in International board.

There's a more relevant board, European Railroads. I suspect you might have gotten more insightful replies had you posted there. 

> Is that the normal protocol, that any article on
> Passenger trains, even internationally, should be
> on the Passenger board rather than the
> International board?

Protocol is the wrong word. What's the intent? Who's your audience? I think choodude articulated his reasons for posting on the Passenger Board well.