Dining Cars
Please note that authentic reprints of the New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department's standard recipe book are now available here. By using the recipes contained within this book, you too can eat and drink just like they did on the old New Haven Railroad!
The New Haven Railroad's diners and grill cars served breakfast, lunch, and dinner depending upon the time of day. Typically, lunches and dinners were served from the same menu. However, the railroad often had separate breakfast menus. This example is from the late 1930s and features an I-5 streamlined steam locomotive pulling a train of lightweight coaches. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This New Haven Railroad dining car menu from the mid to late 1930s is unusual in that instead of being laid out like a magazine, which is how most of them were designed, each page is a vertically oriented tab. We're not sure why they did this, but it certainly stands out as being different. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
During the mid-1930s the New Haven Railroad began to operate special "Snow Trains" during the winter months between New York's Grand Central Terminal and various ski areas in western Massachusetts. In later years New Haven Snow Trains were operated off-line to locations in New Hampshire and Vermont via connections with the Boston and Maine and Central Vermont railroads. Diners or grill cars were always included in the consists of Snow Trains. Here is an early Snow Train dining car menu from 1935. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The East Wind was a special summertime-only passenger train that operated between Washington, DC and Bar Harbor, ME via the Pennsylvania, New Haven, Boston and Maine, and Maine Central railroads. Each railroad contributed passenger cars and during the train's first two seasons in 1940 and 1941 these cars were all painted in a special yellow color scheme. The East Wind was discontinued after the country entered the Second World War and returned for a few years during the postwar era, but not with a special color scheme. Here is a dining car menu from the East Wind from the train's 1940 season. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This New Haven Railroad dining car menu dates from the late 1940s. The cover design features representative examples of the diesel, steam, and electric passenger locomotives operated by the railroad at that time. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The New Haven Railroad ceased to exist 50 years ago on January 1st 1969 when it was merged into the Penn Central Transportation Company. However, it took many years for the New Haven's unique corporate image to fade away. For example, the dining car menu presented below appears to be a New Haven Railroad menu, right? Actually, its not. If you check the bottom of the back page you'll see that its dated January 1969, which was after the Penn Central takeover. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This is a breakfast menu card that came from the dining car on the New Haven Railroad's Mayflower passenger train during early 1960. Card menus like this were frequently used at breakfast and on other occasions such as fan trips or excursions when the limited menu did not warrant a standard dining car menu folder. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
By the second decade of the 20th century the New Haven Railroad was in financial difficulty. Perhaps as a reaction to this, dining car menus took on an austere appearance. This example dates from 1913, a time when the government's investigations into the Morgan-Mellen scandals and Louis Brandeis' charges of near insolvency were daily newspaper headlines. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The cover of this dining car menu from the summer of 1918 presents a notice to passengers that the railroad would not be serving any food containing wheat in accordance with wartime rationing plans. Food rationing does not appear to have been all that much of a problem for the New Haven during the First World War. Although passengers were implored not to waste food, for the most part the railroad appears to have been able to consistently obtain stocks of food items such as meat and butter that were nearly impossible to obtain a quarter of a century later during World War Two. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Merchants Limited dining car menu from the early 1920s. The Merchants Limited was the highest-class passenger train on the New Haven Railroad. After 1918, the Merchants Limited operated with two dining cars coupled back-to-back to provide better service for its upper-crust clientele. In later years the Merchants Limited often operated with both a diner and a grill car. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This plain menu cover design was used throughout the 1930s and 1940s. The elongated version of the classic "script" monogram, as seen here, was featured on a wide variety of articles issued by the New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department during the 1930s such as sugar packs, playing cards, dining car crew schedules, recipe books, etc. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This art-deco design on the cover of this 1938 dining car menu was printed in metallic gold ink. Though pretty stylish, the gold ink tended to wear off over time as seen here. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The interior of the dining car menu presented above listed a variety of "Table D'Hote" dinners, which included everything for one price. It's been a long time indeed since you could order a steak dinner, with all the trimmings, for only two dollars! This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The 1940s was the last decade before the New Haven switched to standardized magazine format menus provided to the railroad by Transportation Displays Incorporated, or TDI, the TDI timetable people. Early grill car menu covers from the immediate pre-war period (this example is from 1940) featured a photograph of an attendant holding a tray. The New Haven's grill cars, which were introduced in late 1937, were famous for having been crewed by a team of female attendants and supervised by a female hostess. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Despite bankruptcy and huge financial losses on its passenger trains, the New Haven continued to offer a high standard of service on its diners and grill cars throughout its final decade. During the 1960s the New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department continued to employ the 8" x 11" magazine-style format of the 1950s era for most menus. These menus were supplied to the railroad on a monthly basis by Transportation Displays Incorporated (TDI), the famous commuter timetable people. These menus were financed entirely through paid advertising collected by TDI.
At the beginning of the 1960s decade New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department menus used the same gold-tone cover design with black and white "scratchboard" artwork introduced during the late 1950s. This menu from June 1961 features an illustration of the famous "Swanboats" of Boston's Public Garden. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
In 1964 and 1965 the New Haven experienced a slight up tick in passengers carried between Boston and New York City on account of the New York World's Fair. Some New Haven menus from those years featured cover artwork depicting a family walking down a station platform past a passenger car, as seen on this example from the Patriot issued during November 1964. This same artwork was also used on Cape Cod passenger train schedules and other advertising in 1964 and 1965. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Here's an unusual variation of the standard New Haven menu cover of the mid to late 1960s. By the simple expedient of substituting green for black on the FL-9 locomotive artwork a festive Christmas color effect was achieved for this December 1968 menu! This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The back cover of the December 1968 menu features a religious Christmas greeting. No doubt such a thing would be a no-no on Amtrak in today's intolerant and politically correct social climate! This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Prior to the late 1940s the New Haven Railroad had no standard format for Dining Car Department menus. However, around 1949 the railroad decided to adopt a standard 8" x 11" magazine-style format for most menus. These menus were supplied to the railroad on a monthly basis by Transportation Displays Incorporated (TDI), the famous commuter timetable people. The menus were financed entirely through paid advertising collected by TDI. This menu, from 1950, demonstrates the standard cover format used on the New Haven throughout the early 1950s. Typically, the front and back covers of menus from this era featured full-page non-railroad related advertisements. Typically, the advertisement on the front cover was for Shawmut Bank while the advertisement on the back cover was for Ballentine ale or some other kind of alcoholic beverage. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The cover on this New Haven Railroad menu from 1952 employed the same basic format as the menu from 1950 shown above. However, note that the railroad identification on the "banner" or "masthead" of this cover is substantially different. Variety was added throughout the early 1950s by altering the advertising graphics and the text and typeface at the top of the cover. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The New Haven's menus evolved into travel guides during the early 1950s. Inserted into the pages of the menu along with the food and beverage selections and paid advertisements were suggestions for things to do and see in Boston, New York City, and elsewhere along the railroad's service territory. This New Haven menu from June 1955 demonstrates the standard "banner" or "masthead" design used on menu covers in the months leading up to the introduction of the McGinnis administration's revolutionary NH logo and colors. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
In July 1955 the McGinnis administration's revolutionary NH logo and red-orange, black, and white colors were applied to dining car and grill car menus for the first time. This particular design format, with the NH logo centered, was employed on menu covers through the end of 1956. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
In late 1956 another new image Dining Car Department menu cover design format was introduced. In this case, the NH logo was moved all the way to the left. Note also that the hue of the NH logo was altered in this era, taking on a rosy rather than orange tint. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
New Haven menu covers changed dramatically during 1958. This time, the paid advertising was relegated to the back cover and interior pages. The front covers featured black and white "scratchboard" drawings of typical New England scenes on a gold background. This style of menu cover remained in use on the New Haven through the early 1960s. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This is the front cover of the style of children's menu distributed on New Haven dining cars during the mid to late 1940s. The design of this children's menu is intended to simulate the personal slate boards used for note-taking in elementary schools during the old days. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Here is the back cover of the children's menu shown, which appropriately shows the back end of the passenger train depicted on its cover. This children's menu design was pictured in the "Fun on the Train" coloring books distributed on the New Haven's passenger trains for many years starting in December 1944. It would appear that this was the New Haven's last special children's menu as these types of menus were discontinued during the late 1940s. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Like many other railroads, the New Haven began to offer special menus for children in its dining cars during the 1930s. The special children's meals were much less expensive than the Table de Hote (full meal) offerings on the regular dining car menus. Additionally, portion sizes were smaller than on the regular menu and the meals were specially selected to appeal to the less sophisticated tastes of children. Special children's menus seem to have gone out of favor on the New Haven during the late 1940s. Despite the fact that it is not marked with the railroad's name, this is a New Haven Railroad children's menu. It is likely that this was the first special children's menu distributed on the New Haven Railroad. This is a standard menu design that was used by a number of railroads during the mid to late 1930s when the children's menu concept was new. Note the illustrations from the "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" children's story. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The cardstock jigsaw puzzle at right, depicting a pivotal scene from the old children's story "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" was distributed in a paper envelope marked "For One Of Our Little Guests", initially with the children's menu shown above and then later (apparently) with a special menu having the exact same artwork on its cover. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This children's menu, in the shape of an I-5 class steam locomotive, was distributed in the dining cars when the streamlined Hudsons were first delivered to the railroad during 1937. This same menu cover cutout design was also used for placeholders at various New Haven executive dinners and other official functions held during the late 1930s and early 1940s. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Here is the inside of the I-5 children's menu shown. The children's meals were much less expensive than the offerings on the regular menu and the selections were specifically oriented to appeal to children. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The New Haven used children's menus shaped like circus animals during the years leading up to the Second World War. Along with the elephant shown here, the New Haven is known to have used children's menus shaped like a hippopotamus and a giraffe. The railroad may also have used children's menus shaped like a lion, monkey, and tiger too but I have not seen them for myself. This menu is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This flyer was dropped on the seats on trains during the mid to late 1930s to inform passengers that there was a dining car attached to the train. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This form was used by food service car crew members to requisition china, silverware, glassware, linens, and other non-consumable supplies required by dining cars, grill cars, bar cars, etc. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Patrons in the New Haven Railroad's dining cars and grill cars were required to write down their orders to provide a tangible record of what they asked for and prevent possible confusion. This is the type of pencil that was issued for this purpose by the New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department during the 1950s and 1960s. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This small (3 inch) glassine envelope was used to hold an after-dinner mint on NHRR dining cars during the late 1930s. A few of these were placed on the so-called "tip-tray" when the waiter returned the passenger's change after a meal in the dining car. The green insignia is SS Pierce, a major supplier of food and beverage items to the New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Though a bit stained, here's something that you never see. This is a mid-to-late 1940s vintage paper cocktail napkin from a New Haven Railroad bar car. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Prior to about 1913 the New Haven, and other railroads, used a common round-bottom glass for the water coolers installed in coaches. These were eventually recognized as disease carriers and were replaced with sanitary disposable paper cups. Here's an example from the late 1930s period. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This is a sandwich pick ("snack pic") used to hold club sandwiches and other thick sandwiches together on New Haven Railroad dining cars, grill cars, and buffet-equipped club cars, parlor cars, sleeping cars, etc., during the 1950s and 1960s. It was made of plastic and is 2.5 inches long. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The New Haven Railroad frequently issued stand-up advertisements for display on ticket window counters, at travel agencies, and other locations. These were generally colorful advertisements that were printed on thin cardboard with a fold-out stand glued to the back. Here are two stand-up advertisements that were used to advertise the New Haven Railroad's dining car service during the 1940 timeframe. This stand-up advertisement presents the New Haven Railroad's Colonial Diners. The Colonial Diners were standard heavyweight dining cars that were remodeled at the New Haven Railroad's Readville Car Shops between 1937 and the early 1940s in an effort to make them competitive with the then-new grill cars. Each Colonial Diner was decorated in a different colonial American theme. The example pictured in this advertisement is actually the dining car Paul Revere. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This stand-up advertisement promotes the New Haven's grill cars. The New Haven bought five grill cars from Pullman-Standard during 1937. The cars, which offered cut-rate meals in a cafeteria-like setting, proved so successful that the railroad ended up rebuilding five heavyweight coaches into home-made grill cars at the Readville Car Shops during the early 1940s. During the years following WW2, the New Haven bought fifteen more grill cars Pullman-Standard. The photograph in this advertisement shows the centrally positioned kitchen and service counter on one of the New Haven's five original grill cars. The home-made grill cars and the post-war grill cars had kitchens and service counters located at one end of the car. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Service Pins
The men and women who worked on board the New Haven Railroad's dining cars and grill cars were issued several different kinds of badges or pins as part of their official uniform. Here are a few examples of such pins.
During the Second World War most metals were strictly rationed and quality jewelry was very hard to get. Here's an example of a wartime expediant dining car waiter's pin from the New Haven Railroad. The pin was stamped out of cheap pot metal and wasn't even plated. It is not hallmarked and may have actually been fabricated by the railroad itself at Readville. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Here's an example of the earliest type of pin issued to grill car attendants. This pin dates from the late 1930s and was used by the women who waited on tables on the grill cars through the end of the Second World War. The numbers were individially assigned to the attendants for identification purposes. Red and silver were the predominate colors used in the interior spaces of the original Osgood Bradley grill cars. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This pin was worn by dining car waiters during the 1930s and 1940s. Each waiter had a specific number which corresponded to the job he was assigned perform in preparing the dining car for its run. The pin is stamped 'John Robbins Mfg Co. Boston Mass.' on the back. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This is a later style of dining car waiter's pin which was issued during the 1950s and 1960s. It is much smaller than the older pin shown above and is not marked on the back in any way. Pins such as this one and the one shown above were typically worn on the waiter's jacket. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This pin was worn by grill car attendants and some dining car waiters during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The New Haven's famous grill cars were operated by female crews who were called 'The Grill Car Girls'. In common with dining car waiters, all grill car attendants were assigned a number. This pin features a blue enamel inlay and is not marked on the back in any way. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This sterling silver pin, in the shape of a stylized DL-109 powered passenger train, was issued to grill car hostesses and other female train crew members during the late 1940s and early 1950s. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This sterling silver pin, with blue enamel inlay, was issued to grill car hostesses and other female passenger train attendants during the mid to late 1950s. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This sterling silver pin, once again in the shape of a stylized DL-109 powered passenger train, was issued to grill car hostesses during the late 1950s and 1960s. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
China
The food service china pattern that collectors call "Old Saybrook" was introduced when the Pullman-Standard streamlined grill cars and diners arrived on the New Haven during the summer of 1949. Former New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department employees recall that the Old Saybrook pattern was purchased for use on diners and grill cars assigned to the Yankee Clipper and Merchants Limited. Apparently Old Saybrook was only used for a few years before being replaced by Platinum Blue. This limited service, plus the fact that the vast majority of pieces carry no railroad identification, make it a fairly rare pattern today.
The only Old Saybrook china articles to carry any kind of railroad identification markings were the 9 1/2 inch diameter dinner plates. Note the legend "New Haven R.R." printed directly below the artwork of the New England village scene. That's it! All Old Saybrook pieces were supplied to the railroad by D.E. McNicol of Clarksburg, West Virginia. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
No other Old Saybrook pieces carry railroad markings of any kind. Dinner plates, luncheon plates, tea plates, several different sized oval platters, berry bowls, oatmeal bowls, coffee cups, demitasse cups, chowder cups, and creamers are all that are known to have been produced in this pattern. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The New Haven Railroad introduced the so-called "Platinum Blue" food service china pattern during the late 1930s. The new china pattern was but one element of a general dining car upgrade that took place on the railroad after the five Osgood Bradley streamlined grill cars went into service during late 1937. Platinum Blue china was the New Haven's standard food service china pattern during its final thirty years. Initially the pattern was purchased for use on dining cars, where it replaced "Indian Tree". However, in later years Platinum Blue saw service on grill cars as well. This pattern remained in service on the New Haven Railroad through the Penn Central merger. Platinum Blue articles were furnished by Buffalo China and Lamberton-Scammell.
All Platinum Blue articles, such as this dinner plate, were decorated with two white stripes and a picture of a nude woman kneeling to pick berries off a bush. In early years, the New Haven bought Platinum Blue articles that were specially marked on the back as railroad property. However, in later years many Platinum Blue articles were bought from manufacturer's stock that had no railroad markings. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
A wide variety of Platinum Blue articles were purchased by the New Haven Railroad including plates, platters, coffee cups, demitasse cups, hot chocolate cups, chowder cups, oatmeal bowls, salad bowls, salad plates, vegetable bowls, butter chips, creamers, gravy boats, tea pots, tea tiles, celery trays, etc. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The New Haven Railroad introduced a new food service china pattern during late 1937 for use on the Osgood Bradley lightweight grill cars. Although collectors call this china pattern "Merchants Limited", it was actually called "Grill Car China" on the New Haven Railroad. Grill Car China was also subsequently used on board five home-made grill cars and two buffet cars converted from heavyweight coaches at the Readville Car Shops during the early 1940s. This pattern was retired around 1952 when the original five Osgood Bradley lightweight grill cars were converted into coaches. Grill Car China dinner plates were highly prized as souvenirs by New Haven passengers and the railroad sold them to anybody who wanted them for $2.00 each.
Grill Car China plates were decorated with a picture of a New Haven Railroad Baldwin I-5 class streamlined Hudson steam locomotive pulling a two car train of Osgood Bradley lightweight coaches superimposed over a map of southern New England. Only the dinner plate, luncheon plate, and tea plate in this pattern had this picture. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Coffee cups, chowder cups, egg cups, oatmeal bowls, and square relish dishes in the Grill Car China pattern did not have the train picture and were relatively plain. All articles of Grill Car China, however, were marked with the railroad's initials on the back along with the Buffalo China manufacturer's mark. Note, there were never any saucers manufactured in this pattern. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The New Haven Railroad utilized a number of other dining car china patterns during its 'modern' era, defined for the purposes of this web page as the period between 1920 and the Penn Central merger effective January 1st, 1969.
The so-called 'Indian Tree' pattern china was used on New Haven Railroad dining cars between about 1920 and 1940. Indian Tree china was used by the Pullman Company as well as by the New Haven Railroad. The Indian Tree pattern china used on the New Haven was supplied by Buffalo, Shenango, and Syracuse and was always backstamped with the railroad's name or initials. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This single-serving baked bean pot was used on New Haven Railroad dining cars between 1955 and the Penn Central merger. Note the crude rubber stamped marking on the front of the bean pot. This crude rubber stamped marking is normal for these bean pots, in fact, the example shown here features a better than average marking! This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Manuals
The New Haven Railroad was famous for the food that was served on board its passenger trains. Typically operated at a loss, the New Haven was the only railroad in the country that boasted of earning a profit on its food service during the modern era. This month we present some of the specialized manuals that the New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department issued to food service car crewmembers.
This manual was issued to dining car crewmembers. Although it is entitled a "book of rules", it is in fact an instruction manual for operating dining cars. Among other things the book explains the duties of stewards, waiters, and cooks before, during, and after a run, describes the use of air conditioning, kitchen gear, and other equipment, and provides instruction in the sanitary handling of certain food items. Intended to supplement the railroad's standard recipe book (presented below), this manual also provides instructions for preparing and serving a variety of foods and beverages, describing in detail the specific china, silverware, and glassware to be used. If you're interested in dining car service or are a collector of dining car artifacts, this "book of rules" is a very important item to track down. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This manual was issued to grill car crewmembers. Like the dining car "book of rules" presented above, this item is a comprehensive instruction manual for operating grill cars. It is organized and laid out in pretty much the same way as the dining car book but of course covers the duties of grill car hostesses, attendants, countermen, cooks, and bartenders. This is another "must have" item to track down if you're interested in dining car service or are a collector of dining car artifacts as it presents very comprehensive information about the use of china, glassware, and silver on grill cars. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department issued its own safety rule book to food service workers. Intended to supplement the standard railroad safety rule book, the Dining Car Department's safety rules covered the specialized hazards found on diners and grill cars such as stoves, boiling water, knives, broken glassware, etc. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department published a standard recipe book during the late 1930s as part of a general effort to upgrade food service operations across the railroad. Prior to the development of this book, each New Haven cook prepared food items in the manner he was most familiar with. The standard recipe book was intended to bring consistency to passengers' dining experience. Not only does the recipe book contain several hundred recipes, it also contains instructions on portion sizes and on serving methods. This is another very desirable and hard-to-find item from a collector's perspective. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio. Authentic reprints of this book are now available here.
This unusual manual covers rules associated with serving alcoholic beverages on the New Haven's diners, grill cars, bar cars, lounge cars, and buffet equipped parlors, sleepers, and other cars. Each state that the New Haven's passenger trains ran through had its own laws regarding alcoholic beverages that covered, among other things, taxation and minimum ages for consumers and servers. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This interesting manual covers the agreement between the American Federation of Labor and the New Haven Railroad regarding working conditions for Dining Car Department employees. Among other things, the manual covers rates of pay for each class of union worker employed by the Dining Car Department. For example, in 1945 a waiter working on New Haven diners on most trains earned 51 cents per hour. Those waiters lucky enough to be assigned to work the Merchants Limited, however, earned the princely sum of 52.67 cents per hour! This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Beverage Service
The New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department offered alcoholic beverage service on dining cars, grill cars, bar cars, and parlor cars. In fact, the New Haven credited its hard-drinking New York City commuters with keeping its entire food service operation profitable!
The New Haven Railroad operated special bar cars starting in the late 1940s. These cars were literally bar-rooms or taverns on rails. This beverage shaped advertising "drop" was placed on coach seats to remind passengers that there was a bar car available. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Although the New Haven's bar cars were most commonly associated with the New York City commuter trains, bar cars were operated on a variety of special movements, such as the "Gansett Flyer" horse race trains to Naragansett Park. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Here is a selection of New Haven Railroad bartender's equipment used during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Shown are a cocktail shaker, drink cooler, glass and cobalt blue stirring stick set on a bar tray. All of the silverplate articles were made by the International Silver company in 1947 and are marked with the words "New Haven RR" on the bottom. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
These items were used on bar cars and parlor cars during the 1960s. The paper cup features color artwork of an EMD FL-9 locomotive, the S.S. Pierce brandy bottle has "The New Haven R.R." printed on its label, and the plastic drink stirrer is marked "NHRR". This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
The Pullman Company operated the beverage service offered on board most New Haven parlor cars between 1913 and 1956. Afterwards, this service was provided by the New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department. At left is an example of a parlor car beverage menu from the late 1950s. This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
Sugar
At first, sugar was provided to patrons on board New Haven Railroad dining cars in lump form in silver plated sugar bowls. Starting in the late 1930s, lumps were replaced with granulated sugar provided in individual serving packs. These were placed on the serving tray on grill cars or were provided in sugar bowls on diners. Note, when these sugar packs were used on diners the sugar bowls were used without their lids, which is one of the reason that so many later type New Haven Railroad sugar bowls are found without their lids today.
This item is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.
This item, which is a later style sugar pack used during the early to mid 1950s, is from the collection of Marc Frattasio.