UP cookbook?

Does anyone have any other cooking tips for using the sidewall heaters, besides foil wrapped burritos?

Anything you can wrap in foil you can cook on the sidewall. Tyson chicken wings, the meat and veggies from a Tyson fajita kit, left-over chicken, pizza, reuben sandwiches, burgers, ribs....

Other things used in locomotive cooking, canning jars, bread pans, Corningware.

Hi All,

I probably misunderstood this thread and thought it referred to recipes that UP used on its famous streamliners that had the reputation for having excellent food, served in a super high class style etc. etc.

This would be similar to the recipe for French Toast on board the Super Chief, Santa Fe, in the days when such a Breakfast was something to behold.

UPLee wrote:Does anyone have any other cooking tips for using the sidewall heaters, besides foil wrapped burritos?

Make sure the can is vented B4 turning on the high heat....

This is a great issue. It could easily be it's own forum topic. But which forum, operations or employment?????

I've worked with a guy that actually taken a small cock pot on long pool trips. He is famous for chili dogs. Since the cock pot is just a heating source, it is not effected by the 75 VDC current. I've also worked with guys that take cup size heaters for hot soup. (Just don't run them dry.) Again, not effected by 75VDC.

I've made roast beef with cheddar cheese, wrapped them in foil and reheated them either on the side wall heater or if summer, in the engine compartment on the engineers side of a -9. (There's a small access door [about 9 inches high by 18 long] just before the air compressor compartment that stays nice and warm.) Leave it there for about an hour, and you're ready to eat. Basically anything that can be sealed up can be heated in the engine compartment. In certain parts of the engine compartment, Tupperware will survive nicely. Just make sure that it is the hot air in the compartment that is warming the food and not the heat from the surface it is sitting on.

You can drain water bottles for cold milk if you have a cooler to keep it cold. Put cereal in tupperware and you're ready for some breakfast.

Progresso soup is good too, just make sure you pop the lid open to prevent from being burned when it explodes. BNSF recently had an accident where that happened.

One problem I've always had was the bread getting mushy when put into a plastic bad then into an ice chest. I tried putting cardboard down between the bottom of the basket that fits on the top part of the chest, but no luck. The bottom just gets too cold and the bread gets wet. Any ideas on how to keep the bread dry while keep the meat and other items cold?

freshmeat wrote: Any ideas on how to keep the bread dry while keep the meat and other items cold?

Ziplock or Glad sandwich containers. The bread survives well in the containers.

One tester use to tywrap his soup can to the cooling lines just above the "Y" by the Governor.

Freshmeat has it right on. When i first became a conductor a hogger placed a can of spaghetti o's on the side wall heater. He did not put a hole in the top of the can and forgot about it. It exploded all over the cab. Nasty mess.

I've seen guys take foil wrapped burritos and put them on the exhuast manifold to warm them up. A local I once worked put thier hot dogs in foil as well and placed then in a box on the nose of the SD-45 with the black paint. A few hours later they were good and hot.

Freshmeat, I've just resorted to getting a package of Budding meat in the store for like $.69, grabbing a few rolls in the fresh bread area of the store and a few things of string cheese. I'll throw the meat and cheese into the ice bucket and keep the bread out until I'm ready to eat. Like you I've found the bread goes bad in the bucket. Either wet and soggy or has frozen.

That black box is a good one there slcub, good fix for the 8000 problem.

I use a isobutane/propane backpack stove that I used when I would go hiking at Rky Mtn Nat. Prk or longs peak and such. Anyway I've made hamburgers, patty melts and heated up soups.

I cooked a frozen pizza wrapped in aluminum foil on the engine block, below the front of the exhaust manifold once. It took about 2'30", but came out perfect...

Cooked a can of pork and beans on sidewall with a hole in the can. A chunk of bacon bubbed up and plugged the hole... POP!!! Can exploded, BIG mess... note to myself: make the hole bigger next time.

There was a guy on the NYS&W years ago that had his own written recipes for "sidewall cuisine", but I never heard of a published version. It'd be a best seller...

Had to be careful about this one but a nice warm water hand wash thanks
to the sidewall heaters and a bottle or two of water, low heat and not too
long on it, would stay reasonable for some time.
Noel Weaver

Or you can work for CN in Canada and have fridges, microwaves and hotplates lol.

I wizz in those microwaves when i find those motors trailing, still think there cool??.... Just kidding.

"Take off eh...his topic is the Union Pacific Cookbook you hoser."

Whats left of the spaghetti and the sauce, put it back in the jar, wrap up some garlic bread in foil. Good vittles, but you might want to bring a plate with you. You really have to keep your eye on it while your heating it up, shake it every fifteen minutes or so.

Wait wait wait...

Cooking on a locomotive?

More details please.