Bar cars well-worn and well-loved

On a damp, dark Thursday night, nothing shakes off the chill like a ride on the 6:15 p.m. bar car from Grand Central Terminal.

As the New Haven Line train hurtles northward, beer is quaffed, while scotch on the rocks and vodka tonics swirl in plastic cups. Laughter and convivial chatter fill the air.

Commanding a corner beside the 20-foot-long bar stands a foursome whose friendships straddle county and state lines. When Going Places joins them, they are jovially unwinding over a beer apiece.

Told that Metro-North Railroad plans to raise drink prices on Feb. 1 they are, if anything, relieved — relieved that their "Cheers'' on wheels will keep rolling even though this will be the second price increase since last January.

http://www.thejournalnews.com/newsroom/ ... laces.html

If CDOT is smart, it will make sure that at least a few cars in its new order of EMUs are "bar cars" (perhaps a great use for a few of the middle cars in the M8-triplets -- not that it'll be of any difference to me personally since I don't drink, but I'm generally not opposed to anything that makes $$$ ).

Very interesting article, indeed. Especially that the CDOT actually listened to someone way back when. The bar car seems like an interesting investment to have on the new M8 cars when they roll around, but will they come? I guess only time will tell.

Way back around 1982, CDOT announced they were going to eliminate the New Haven line bar cars (of which there were 20 at the time --- 10 owned by CDOT and 10 by NY). The idea, ostensibly, was to reconfigure the cars as straight coaches and thus create more seating. Well, that announcement resulted in the mounting of a gross-roots storm of protest from commuters the like of which has rarely been seen. Somebody whose name I forget started up a "save the Bar Cars" (That may not have been the exact name) commuter group who mounted protests to the DOT; and when the DOT stood pat, all the way to then-Conn. governor Bill O'Neill. I remember this well, as I was a commuter at the time and one of the disciples of this group. To cut to the chase, the upshot of all this was that the governor personally directed the commissioner of transportation to cease and desist. The gov's words were something like "while I can understand what you're trying to accomplish, I cannot see that the value of this overrides the magnitude of the unpopularity."

Well folks, considering that specs for new New Haven line cars may be on the verge of getting drawn up again, perhaps it's time for such a group to get going again.

Tom Curtin wrote: The gov's words were something like "while I can understand what you're trying to accomplish, I cannot see that the value of this overrides the magnitude of the unpopularity."

If they are popular, keep 'em, I say, especially since they turn a profit. AFIAK, nothing in the apparently quite tentative M8 design precludes bar cars.

Well folks, considering that specs for new New Haven line cars may be on the verge of getting drawn up again, perhaps it's time for such a group to get going again.

Yep, sad to say, let's hope they don't waste too much more time on this. Though they'd be foolish to drop bar cars from their new car orders.

I guess commuters on the Hudson & Harlem Lines didn't yelp loud enough when our cars came off in 1985. the M-1's were already on the property since the early 1970s, so we weren't going to see any EMU bar cars... and back then, electric territory was only 21 miles to White Plains or Croton, which meant not a lot of time to enjoy a drink anyway. I dont think we'll ever seen the return of premium services to NYS. Can you buy a drink from a bar carT on one of the trains now? or are all alcohol sales on the platform before you board?

-otto-

Otto Vondrak wrote:I guess commuters on the Hudson & Harlem Lines didn't yelp loud enough when our cars came off in 1985. the M-1's were already on the property since the early 1970s, so we weren't going to see any EMU bar cars... and back then, electric territory was only 21 miles to White Plains or Croton, which meant not a lot of time to enjoy a drink anyway. I dont think we'll ever seen the return of premium services to NYS. Can you buy a drink from a bar carT on one of the trains now? or are all alcohol sales on the platform before you board?

-otto-

All on the platform, from what I've seen. The bar cars are scheduled, same trains every day. I've also seen them added to consists on weekends when heavy bicycle traffic is anticipated. The bar is closed, but one can still ride in the car, which I prefer, as they're roomier.

Of course, the other argument against the bar cars is that some might say it encourages DUI/DWI: Drinking on the train, immediately followed by driving home from the train station.

mncommuter wrote:Of course, the other argument against the bar cars is that some might say it encourages DUI/DWI: Drinking on the train, immediately followed by driving home from the train station.

Feh, so do tailgate parties. I guess if you rode from GCT to NHV, you could get plastered in an hour and 40 min ride. Then again, if you drink like that you'd probably stop in a barroom before going home.

I do see your point though, and the Mothers Against will use any shoehorn to further prohibition. I think eliminating the bar car would be foolish, but wouldn't be surprised to hear that argument make the headlines.

Actually another reason the bar cars were eliminated was the comptroller of the State of New York stated that the state of New York was not in the bar business and that it was one thing to have a bar in Grand Central but another thing to have a bar car and that the state of New York could not spend money on a bar car. Thus they were eliminated.

Maybe the bar car should be expanded to be "beyond the barcar". In other words, offer more non-alcoholic drink, maybe even sandwiches.....

Any ideas?

non alcoholic drinks & sandwiches is NOT what the railroad makes money on.

I just don't see too many people wanting to buy a ridiculously expensive sandwich on the train. They can easily get that at Grand Central. If they sold sandwiches, they'd probably have to pay more people to clean up, seeing that I'm sure people would make a mess.

It would also put the car under Health Dept for inspections etc.
For Food a whole new set of rules apply. doing that would most probably condemn the bar cars for sure.

Otto & Crew,

We lost the Bar Car on the Hudson and Harlem because the NIMBY's (No, Inebrateds May Bore You) outnumbered the STEWBALLS.

There was a cry, and early PC fascism prevailed.

Dieter.