Dining by Rail: The History and the Recipes of America's Golden Age of Railroad Cuisine [Hardcover]

James Porterfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1993

A culinary look back at America's great passenger trains offers a history of their era, illustrations of the American railroad, and more than 250 authentic recipes for meals regularly served in the dining cars of old.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers who sigh at the names "Super Chief" and "Zephyr," and who remember the meal Cary Grant ate on the train in North by Northwest , may find this book fulfilling their wildest dreams. In an attempt to "preserve a record of one of the ways we used to eat," rail fan and Penn State professor Porterfield presents a detailed history of train dining. Beginning as an alternative to railroad station eateries, train dining reached its peak in 1930, when 1732 railroad dining cars were registered with the Interstate Commerce Commission, and all but ended in 1971 with telegrams like the May 1 order to Union Pacific to shut its passenger lines and make way for Amtrak. Model railroaders and social historians will find the 150 photographs and illustrations invaluable: a photo spread with dimensions of the pantry of the New York Central's Twentieth Century Limited, a sample 1920s dinner menu from the Milwaukee Railroad's Pioneer Limited, descriptions of staff sleeping quarters. The second half of the book offers 250 recipes from 48 railroad lines, featuring early-20th-century fare like Lobster Newburg New York Central, Poinsettia Salad-Merchant's Limited and Baked Potato Pennsylvania. For authentic American versions of lamb fricassee, deviled eggs and blanc mange presented without campiness or apology, this is the source.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...mouthwatering...A sumptuous social history, complete with recipes."--Entertainment Weekly

"A wonderful book of interesting information and great food."--Merle Ellis, Host of "Cookin' USA," The Nashville Network

"Readers...may find this book fulfilling their wildest dreams...invaluable...For authentic American [cuisine] presented without campiness or apology, this is the source."--Publishers Weekly

"[A] loving look at dining cars, first-class meals, and the vanished romance of rail travel."--Beverly Bundy, Staff Writer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"...unique, practical and highly informative...Besides 150 priceless photographs, the book contains...simple and easy-to-follow recipes."--The Virginia Quarterly Review

"...an entertaining and scholarly book...eloquent."--John P. Hankey, Chief Curator, B&O Railroad Museum

"...fascinating...If you're a rail enthusiast who loves to cook, you'll be delighted."--The Milwaukee Journal

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (January 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312087683
• ISBN-13: 978-0312087685
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,261,350 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

People often think I am retired. After all, when people ask me what I do, I tell them: I teach a little, I write a little, and I travel a little. All things people in retirement do. But I think of it as holding down three jobs. Each of those activities produces income. A little. I count it among my blessings that I am able to support myself in this way. And I welcome you to my world, both here and at my web site.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great slice of American history, July 12, 2000

By 

Lisa Clayton "Master Geek" (South San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dining By Rail: The History and Recipes of America's Golden Age of Railroad Cuisine (Paperback)

Although my best friend called me a "weirdo" for reading this book, I'm glad I did.

"Railroad dining" may sound like arcane history, but there is a lot of information about general railroad history, design and maintenance in addition to the fascinating history of passenger service. George Pullman is now one of my heroes.

The recipes themselves are a fascinating look at what was "fancy" back in the early 1900's. Lots of game meat, fish, no vegetable or ethnic entrees. I'm not sure if I'll ever make anything out of this book, but some of them do look good.

If you're a railfan or a foodie (or both, like me), get this book. Very well researched and written.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best history of railroad dining cars, June 14, 2002

By 

Timothy O. Stuy (Hackettstown, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dining By Rail: The History and Recipes of America's Golden Age of Railroad Cuisine (Paperback)

To those who travel by plane today "food service" is the stuff of jokes. If you love food and travel pick up this book. The railroad dining car was the best place to eat in town - whatever town it happened to be in at that moment!

You will find the recipes easy to use and interesting to explore. There are multiple recipes for French Toast - our family has come to use the Santa Fe recipe often.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nostaligia food at its best, July 26, 2006

By 

Adina Salmansohn "Chef Adina" (Lincolnshire, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dining By Rail: The History and Recipes of America's Golden Age of Railroad Cuisine (Paperback)

The book "Dining by Rail" was purchased at the urging of a ten-year old son who is a rabid railfan. The book not only has a treasure trove of the most famous recipes from all the different rail lines, but it features a marvelous history of railroads from the point of view of the customer, the cooks, and others whose job it was to provide customer service. One also learns how the menus on the trains reflected the relations with the most important commercial customers of the railroad, an aspect nostalgic railfans don't always think about.

The book is well written and carefully researched. The pictures are evocative, and the recipes very easy to follow and recreate.

Altogether, this book is providing my son and me with a interesting and tasty railroad education!