The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-03-06
HOW THE RAILWAYS
RUN DINING CARS
Work of the Commissary One
of the Hardest Tasks
in the Service.
palladium SpeclaD

THIS is the GOmfnlsbary n secoHu sec
ton on number 80? All right. |
haven't got car. but I'll get one.
Number 2O0l just came into Jersey
City. Have her sent over Good bye.
This cryptic telephone conversation
was heard recently by visitor to the
dining car commissary OF the Pennsyl'
vania railroad at Sunnyside Yard on
Long Island. IL took place at 80
=. m. IL meant that by 2:45 car
which had just arrived in Jersey City
after "A long run must leave the yards
To be made up In the eighteen hour
train for Chicago prepared to serve
table d'hote dinner TO from so 10 rs
travellers on the trip west as far as
Altoona. and luncheon and dinner on
the return trip the next day.
II was short notice. but, as was ex-
planned by the assistant superintend-
cnt OF dining cars and restaurants.
who Is In charge OF the commissary,
the dining car man is used to short
notices. Immediately the big supply
depot was In hum of preparation.
Until the steward arrived with his
car to report the supplies on hand
and make requlsition for the new
ones needed. the exact amount to pre-
pare could not be known. There was
no waiting. however. With long ex-
perience IA his guide the storekeeper
Immediately set about estimating
what would be called for, and soon
porters were hurrying from the huge
cold storage rooms with fresh meat,
poultry. butter. eggs and all the nu.
merous articles that might be needed
70 supply the wants of $50 or 200 peo-
pie.
As soon as the diner came into the
yard little army of washers fell
upon her. Every inch of the steel car
inside and out. was thoroughly scrub
bed. All the soiled table clothes, nap
kins. etc. were taken to the linen
room and exchanged for clean ones.
The foodstuffs on hand were carefully
inspected and anything that was not
in perfect condition was condemned.
The steward turned in his report
showing what he had brought back
and what new supplies he would need.
Together with one OF the commissary
checkers he examined each article to
see that he received everything called
for In his requisition. The supplies
were then carried TO the car on mot
or truck and stored away In the com
pact little kitchen and pantry which
were shining from their recent scrub
bling
Promptly at two.forty-five the car
pulled out. every table cleaning with
shining silver and spotless linen, the
whlte-coated walters ready to serve
the evening meal.
This was merely an incident in the
general routine Of dining car manage
ment: one of the many contingencies
which must be met by the men charge.
The new Pennsylvania plant at Sun
nysidc Yard is the largest and best
equipped In the world II is the base
Of supplies for forty-eight steel cars.
In II are stores worth hundreds of
thousands of dollars. There are 612
persons engaged In operating the
cars and force of IS I'm the commits.
sary.
But the direction OF this great plant
Is only n part of the work entrusted to
the superintendent OF dining cars ard
restaurants. His Office is In the Penn
sylvania station at Thirty-third street
and Seventh avenue. New York. has
control OF 1.120 men. Besides the
steel cars at Sunnyside Yard there
are ten wooden ears and six station
restaurants on the lines east OF Pitts
burg.
The management OF the restaurant
In the recently completed station at
New York Is gigantic undertaking in
itself. II requires the services of two
hundred employees. Instead Of the u.s.
ual railway lunch room. with its hur-
ricd service and food spelled by long
warming" tho restaurant situated mt
the inside end of the arcade Is equal
In appointments and service to those
In the large hotels OF New York
ready beginning to attract crowds 9th.
or than travellers from the district
around the station. The classical SIM
plicity Of the rooms themselves IL a
relief after the tinsel and git of the
Broadway tavcrns.
An inspection of the kitchens and
rantrics shows that the equipment
represents the last word i'm modern
culinary apparatus. The labor saving
devices for washing dishes. pee!ing
and MASKING potatoes. etc. are a cor.
slant source Of wonder TO visitors who
are used to seeing things done ''as
mother use to do them"
Here electric motors do the work.
There IL an Ice cutting machine that
resembles n miniature saw mill All
tho ice used in the glasses, and there
In none used in any other way for
tho rcfrigerators are cooled by cold
storage system. Is cut into little cubes.
One man devotes all his time to run
ming this machine
In the kitchen an army of cooks and
helpers In white caps and aprons.
busy themselves around twelve glow
Ing Arcs. Besides these there are
four gas and three charcoal broilers,
and six gas roasting ovens.
All cupboards. drawers and shelves
are of metal and white enamel. which
can be easily kept clean. The greasy
wood that one expects TO see in a
kitchen Is not to be found
When the visitor has been led