Last Call
www.djcooley.com
Blue Ridge Chapter, National Railway Historical Society 36th Annual
LYNCHBURG RAIL DAY
2014
BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, the last bar car will have pulled away from the bumping block at Grand Central Terminal, making its final trip to the tony suburbs of Connecticut. It’s a tradition nearly as old as commuting itself, and one of the last vestiges of tradi- tional railroading to remain on the modern MTA Metro-North Railroad. The Connecti- cut Department of Transportation (CDOT) is in the midst of a multi-million dollar pro- gram to replace its aging fleet of electric m.u.’s with modern equipment. Unfortu- nately, that means the end of the last pur- pose-built bar cars in daily commuter serv- ice in America. The idea of selling refreshments on board
Saturday, August 9, 2014 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
RURITAN CLUB 1065 Coffee Road
BOONSBORO Lynchburg, Va. 24503
Admission: $6/person, Family admission: $10. 12/under free w/paying adult
TRAIN EXHIBITS, SLIDE SHOW, AND OPERATING MODEL LAYOUTS ON DISPLAY
DOOR PRIZES AND FRESHLY PREPARED FOOD/BEVERAGES AVAILABLE
*BARGAIN MART* Model train items and Railroad Memorabilia with Vendors from around the Region. Sales tables available to the general public, advance registration/payment required.
Table Size Subject To Availability
8 foot tables: $33.00 each, 6 foot tables: $25.00 each,
*“WHITE ELEPHANT” TABLE* Available to train show attendees, the Blue Ridge Chapter N.R.H.S. will sell your model trains and Railroad Memorabilia for a 20% commission, MAKE MONEY WHILE YOU BROWSE THE SHOW.
PHOTOGRAPHY CONTESTS OPEN TO PUBLIC
RAILROAD MODEL/
Notice: All Email Inquiries Please Write “LRD 2014” Question” In the Email Subject Box
Model & Photo Contest Information: Contact Jean Raas (434-384-0798)
jraas1@verizon.net
For more train show information and to rent Vendor Tables contact: Barry Moorefield (434-821-2174 - before 9 p.m.)
rockdalefarm@live.com,
John Tanner (434-525-1318)
flytrains@yahoo.com
Norris Deyerle (434-237-4912)
railcow@msn.com
Blue Ridge Chapter, N.R.H.S., P.O. Box 11731,
Lynchburg, Va. 24506-1731 Website:
www.blueridgenrhs.org 54 MAY 2014 •
RAILFAN.COM
a train is not a new one, and some sort of beverage and snack service could often be found on commuter trains across the coun- try during the 20th century. Of course, you may have heard them go by different names. “Parlor cars” (or “smokers” since this is where one could usually enjoy a fine cigar or cigarette without bothering the other pas- sengers) were typically extra fare cars where you paid for the privilege of enjoying your ride from a single lounge chair. You could order drinks and light refreshments from an attendant who would serve you at your seat. “Club cars” or “subscription” cars were another kind of extra fare service where you would pay an additional fee or “subscription” on top of your monthly fare to join a “club” that had chartered a private parlor or lounge car on a regular commuter train. A bar car was typically open to any- one, and did not require an extra fare to ride. Typically, most customers would order their refreshments from the bar and return to their seats, while others might stay and enjoy the camaraderie of their fellow passengers. The design of bar cars varied, especially
as surplus equipment was handed down from long-distance trains. Streamlined lounges, diners, grill and “tavern” cars could all be found running their final years in dai- ly commuter service in the postwar era. On the commuter trains originating from Grand Central Terminal, both the New York Cen- tral and the New Haven had long traditions of running bar car service. While evening outbound beverage service was the norm, many of these cars also sold coffee, juice, and pastries on the morning inbound trains. The bar cars became an essential part of the ex- perience engrained in a new generation of suburban commuters. As the operation of commuter trains
steadily passed from private to public enti- ties in the 1970s, some of the traditional services like club cars and parlor cars began to fade away. Many of the operating author- ities continued to maintain the fleet of vin- tage cars inherited by the railroads, yet modernization loomed on the horizon. The Metropolitan Transportation Author-
ity (MTA) and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) took over the re- sponsibility for funding and re-equipping the commuter trains to Grand Central. Part of this program included replacing the elec-
tric m.u. fleet (some dating from before World War II) with all new cars designed and built by Budd. The new M-2 “Cosmopoli- tan” cars were to become the new backbone of the fleet on the New Haven Line, the first significant upgrade paid for by CDOT. It has been said that bar cars were not considered for the original order, but when regular com- muters learned they would be losing their special service, CDOT agreed to provide new bar cars in response to the heated protests. The M-2 bar cars entered service in 1973, be- coming a unique part of the electric fleet. The MTA did not have any comparable cars in its M-1 fleet, though bar cars continued on the diesel-powered trains that ran be- yond the electrified territory. When my family moved to Westchester
County, my dad became a regular commuter on the Harlem Line. On average, the trip took anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour from our stop at Katonah (located 41 miles from Grand Central). When my dad began riding in 1980, the shabby diesel-hauled equipment was a far cry from the shiny new m.u.’s running in the electric zone. The MTA had no budget for replacements, and Conrail provided the bare minimum to keep the rag- tag fleet rolling. Despite these setbacks, the MTA did acquire some decent second-hand equipment to help maintain bar car service. My first train rides ever were on these
rolling museums. Being four or five at the time, there’s not many details I remember of these trips, but I always looked forward to them. I remember one particular trip home in the evening, not long after we emerged from the Park Avenue tunnel, I turned to my dad and I told him I was thirsty. “Well then,” he said, “We better take a trip to the bar car!” I had no idea what this meant, but it sounded like a good idea to me. I remember the train rocking back and
forth as we made our way through the cars. Soon we pushed through into a car that did- n’t look like the others. Instead of rows of seats filled with grumpy commuters, we had walked into what looked like a restaurant. There’s a restaurant on the train? I thought to myself, pretty certain that this was the coolest thing I had ever seen. Some of the de- tails are fuzzy, but years later after seeing photos of similar cars, I’m pretty sure we had walked into some sort of tavern-lounge. One-third of the car was dedicated to a bar and small galley, while the rest of the car had lounge and table seating. My dad’s prompting brought me back to reality when he asked me what I wanted to drink. I re- member looking at the amused bartender and earnestly asking for an orange juice, which he dutifully produced (no doubt from his stock of mixers). We then made our way back through the coaches to our seat, and I watched the panorama unfold from my win- dow while drinking my juice. While drinking my juice on the train. In 1983, MTA’s Metro-North Commuter Railroad assumed the direct operation of the commuter trains (see February 2013 issue of RAILFAN & RAILROAD), and with it, a plan
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