Maverickstation1 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 05, 2021 6:03 am
The original Auto Train Corporation service was popular, and initially profitable, but it was never known for it's food.
Mr. Ken Maverick, as one, possibly the only one, around here who rode the private Auto Train (Dec '72), I wholly concur - it wasn't known for its food that was served college cafeteria style. The only difference is that employees carried your selection to the table (liability issues).
When Amtrak resumed the service during November '83 under WGC, that same Dining service was in place on the Silver Florida trains. It only figured that AT followed suit. My first trip I can recall with full-service was during Dec '92, which I think was its "ultimate". The Diner was for Sleepers an ex-MILW/CN/Princess Tours Super Dome. Princess spent a bundle refurbing the cars for a very short lived "luxocar" added to the single level Starlight. That "never did much" and was gone with, if not before, Superliners were assigned. Princess being Princess Cruises, the cars had a Gangplank added to them in place of the absent vestibules. Amtrak picked them up
(4 cars) , they sat for a while, then made their AT debut. Dinner was an excellent prepared on board "Prime Rib" (highly doubt though, it was USDA Prime - that's not Amtrak).
Note: even though the linked site's owner, Dan Ainsworth, passed during '12, somebody funded perpetual standing of his DomeMain site @ Trainweb. The railfan community owes that party a debt of gratitude.