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It would be interesting to find out the answer to this question: WHAT DOES THE ENGINEER OF A LONG DISTANCE TRAIN DO WHEN IT COMES TO EATING HIS MEALS?
Since The dining car and the locomotive of the train are not connected so that a crew member can go from one car to the other while the train is moving, I was wondering how the Engineer gets his food for his meals on board the train.
Does the Engineers have their own cooking or heating (hot Plate, Microwave Oven) inside the Locomotive compartment so they can heat up their food? Or does the Engineer tell the Conductor via Radio what he wants from the diner and he therefore gets his meal at the next stop the train comes to. If anyone out there knows the answer to my burning question, I would appreciate an answer so that I can have piece of mind. This is driving me crazy.
Eric Member # 674
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I believe that the engineers can get their meals from the Sightseer Lounge "bar", or from the dining car. At station stops, I've seen an engineer walk to the passenger cars, and come back with a box of food. Many engineers, after finding out when their next tour of duty is, grab a meal at a local restaurant. This can probably hold them for their 8-12 hour trip. They can carry snacks in their grip as well. The locomotive cabs have refrigerators, and the 16-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine can make a nice hot plate!
[This message has been edited by Eric (edited 12-22-2001).]
Charlie McCandless Member # 939
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This is when you have the other guy in the cab run awhile, if there is one. There was a story in a railroad magazine (I forget which) a few years ago of an engineer on the ``City of Los Angeles'' getting hungry while running through Nevada. He has his 21-year-old fireman take over while he eats his lunch. After he was finishes he told the young fellow, ``I can take over while you eat yours.'' The younger man, suffering from a case of throttle fever, said he didn't bring one. The old head saw what was going on and let his fireman run all the way to Las Vegas.
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