RAILROADS & RAILROAD FOOD

In August 2010, about 23% of all railway cars in the U.S. were in storage.

Total miles of railroad in the U.S. peaked in 1916 at 254,000 miles.

During the 1850s more than 21,000 miles of new railroad were put into service.

In 1876 railroads delivered over 25,000 cars of freight to Minneapolis and carried away over 31,000 cars of freight.

The golden age of railroad travel lasted for roughly 75 years starting in 1868 with the introduction of the first dining car (named Delmonico in honor of the N.Y. restaurant).

Railroad competition was so great that the best food possible was served regardless of cost. Terrapin stew, scrod and Cotuit oysters, broiled sage hen, aged Kansas City beef.

Fred Harvey was in charge of food on the Santa Fe line and supposedly fired a dining car manager who was only losing $500 per month on food, and replaced him with a man who was able to lose $1,500 a month! Compare that attitude with the food situation you find on today’s airlines!

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