The Dining Car

Artifacts Pages:
Menus, Paper and Linen *   China and Silver


Menus


A Travelogue by Menu -- In March, 1953, two passengers rode the CZ from California to Chicago. They documented their trip with brief notes on the menus for the meals they ate, and then pasted these menus into their scrap book (unfortunately, this means that the backs of most are obscured). As was typical of the thoughtfulness of the planning of the CZ, the menu scenes reflect the train's location at the time the meal was served. Several of the menus are not from the dining car, but are included here for completeness. (Note: to preserve readability, the inside views are fairly large files!) (A. Radecki collection)



Buffet Lounge -- This menu is from the buffet car rather than the diner. Notation inside, "March 2, 1953 4: PM lunch as dinner is at eight."

   Dinner -- Notation inside, "March 2, 1953 Dinner at 8 PM" W.F. Young was the Steward in charge this evening. (Sorry that some of the selections are obscured, but I didn't want to remove the old staple holding the broiler special card in place. The back is had beverage selections, but is unreadable.)

   Pullman Service -- This would have been from the lounge in the dome-observation car. Notation inside: "March 2, 1953, Mount Vernon and Ginger. $1.00, 20% tip" (Back is blank.)

   Breakfast -- No notations. Compare the extensive offerings and low prices to the later breakfast menus below!

   Luncheon -- Lunch would have been served near where the cover art depicts, between Grand Junction and Glennwood Springs; some of the best menu cover art they had! Notation inside, "March 3, 1953" and checkmarks besides the selections. Back is somewhat readable.

   Dinner -- Notation inside: "March 3, 1953 Nat & I had dinner at 6:00 PM." Back is somewhat readable.

   Buffet / Morning Service -- An alternative to breakfast in the diner was the pared-down menu of the Buffet-Dome car. W. Blair was waiter-in-charge that day.

   Luncheon -- Notation on cover: "March 4 Nat & I for lunch at noon before getting off in Chicago." Scheduled arrival time would have been 1:30 pm. View inside. (Beverage selections on back were too obscured with residue from the scrap book.)

*   *   *   *

Breakfast, May 1962. Complete with waiter's stamp and food stains! (John Wilson collection). Compare prices and offerings with the 1953 menu above, and this February 1969 edition (A. Radecki collection)

Chef's Early Dinner, October 1969. Even at this late date in the train's history, such a great price!

Dinner, October 1968. Feather River Canyon, California. View inside. Logos on back.

Dinner, February 1969. Winter Park, Colorado View inside (unusual vertical format). Logos on back.

Paper

   Chef's Early Dinner: A passenger saved this group of items from his April 1951 trip. Top is an information card on the Chef's Early Dinner, a "bargain" seating in the dining car, bottom left is the reservation card that the Zephyrettes would issue. Due to crowding problems, all dinner seatings were strictly by reservation.

   Meal Checks: Here are two examples of the meal checks used by dining car patrons to order their delights. The one on the right was for government personnel only. Does anyone know why the waiters were not allowed to serve verbal orders?

   Basket Service Check: Used by waiters to keep track of items sold. (Thanks to Bill Nixon for this one!)

   Employee's Meal Check: Used by Zephyr staff to account for their meals. (Thanks to Sherrie Smith for the scan)

Linen

   Waitstaff Jacket (Loli Bryant collection)

   Waitstaff Jacket (Loli Bryant collection)

   Napkin (Loli Bryant collection)

   Dishtowel (Loli Bryant collection)

Back to the Diner

Back to the Main Lobby...

Menus
	A Travelogue by Menu -- In March, 1953, two passengers rode the CZ from California to Chicago. They documented their trip with brief notes on the menus for the meals they ate, and then pasted these menus into their scrap book (unfortunately, this means that the backs of most are obscured). As was typical of the thoughtfulness of the planning of the CZ, the menu scenes reflect the train's location at the time the meal was served. Several of the menus are not from the dining car, but are included here for completeness. (Note: to preserve readability, the inside views are fairly large files!) (A. Radecki collection)
	Buffet Lounge -- This menu is from the buffet car rather than the diner. Notation inside, "March 2, 1953 4: PM lunch as dinner is at eight."
	Dinner -- Notation inside, "March 2, 1953 Dinner at 8 PM" W.F. Young was the Steward in charge this evening. (Sorry that some of the selections are obscured, but I didn't want to remove the old staple holding the broiler special card in place. The back is had beverage selections, but is unreadable.)
	Pullman Service -- This would have been from the lounge in the dome-observation car. Notation inside: "March 2, 1953, Mount Vernon and Ginger. $1.00, 20% tip" (Back is blank.)
	Breakfast -- No notations. Compare the extensive offerings and low prices to the later breakfast menus below!
	Luncheon -- Lunch would have been served near where the cover art depicts, between Grand Junction and Glennwood Springs; some of the best menu cover art they had! Notation inside, "March 3, 1953" and checkmarks besides the selections. Back is somewhat readable.
	Dinner -- Notation inside: "March 3, 1953 Nat & I had dinner at 6:00 PM." Back is somewhat readable.
	Buffet / Morning Service -- An alternative to breakfast in the diner was the pared-down menu of the Buffet-Dome car. W. Blair was waiter-in-charge that day.
	Luncheon -- Notation on cover: "March 4 Nat & I for lunch at noon before getting off in Chicago." Scheduled arrival time would have been 1:30 pm. View inside. (Beverage selections on back were too obscured with residue from the scrap book.)
	* * * *
	Breakfast, May 1962. Complete with waiter's stamp and food stains! (John Wilson collection). Compare prices and offerings with the 1953 menu above, and this February 1969 edition (A. Radecki collection)
	Chef's Early Dinner, October 1969. Even at this late date in the train's history, such a great price!
	Dinner, October 1968. Feather River Canyon, California. View inside. Logos on back.
	Dinner, February 1969. Winter Park, Colorado View inside (unusual vertical format). Logos on back.

Paper
	Chef's Early Dinner: A passenger saved this group of items from his April 1951 trip. Top is an information card on the Chef's Early Dinner, a "bargain" seating in the dining car, bottom left is the reservation card that the Zephyrettes would issue. Due to crowding problems, all dinner seatings were strictly by reservation.
	Meal Checks: Here are two examples of the meal checks used by dining car patrons to order their delights. The one on the right was for government personnel only. Does anyone know why the waiters were not allowed to serve verbal orders?
	Basket Service Check: Used by waiters to keep track of items sold. (Thanks to Bill Nixon for this one!)
	Employee's Meal Check: Used by Zephyr staff to account for their meals. (Thanks to Sherrie Smith for the scan)

Linen
	Waitstaff Jacket (Loli Bryant collection)
	Waitstaff Jacket (Loli Bryant collection)
	Napkin (Loli Bryant collection)
	Dishtowel (Loli Bryant collection)