Free entry Open weekdays 8.30am to 4.30pm
Exhibition open 5 September 2011 to 30 March 2012

The Office of Rail Heritage's new free exhibition Food to Go will open 5 September 2011 it forms part of this years History Week activities, this years theme is 'EAT history'.

The exhibition explores the status of food in NSW's rail heritage. Visitors will discover the practical issues of preparing and delivering food in the small confines of a railway buffet car and the romance of railway dining. Feeding the hungry travelling public has been a service that the NSW railways have provided with pride for over 150 years.
Food to Go is a celebration of all this and more!

Passengers were also able to dine on-board trains, a service which commenced on limited lines from 1926. To cater for the thousands of people who passed through Central Station each day, a range of options was available. In the elegant Dining Room upstairs, guests could enjoy high class silver service three-course lunches and dinners 'under conditions which challenged comparison'. The Grill Room downstairs, which later became the cafeteria, guaranteed excellent cuisine and efficient service and a special two-course quick luncheon between 12 noon and 2pm. Milk shakes, hot aerated milk, fountain drinks and aerated waters were available from milk bars on the Main Assembly Platform and on the Eddy Avenue concourse. For those short on time, food hampers could be ordered ahead and collected for a small fee, which included a deposit for the crockery and cutlery supplied. Basket boys, carrying large cane containers over their shoulders, plied the platforms, selling snacks, sandwiches, sweets and ice cream to passengers. Platform buffet trolleys, equipped with urns for hot tea and coffee, sandwiches, cakes and confectionery, were a feature from the early 20th century. Today, although no longer a railway operation, food services at Central Station provide a range of options to meet the needs of passengers, in keeping with tradition.

Quenching thirst
The first passengers on NSW trains carried their own supplies of water or waited until their trains stopped at stations where they could fill containers from water tanks. Subsequently, water was carried in canvas bags suspended on the outside of carriages and kept cool through the transfer of heat during evaporation. Much of the water was lost through spillage, it tasted of dust and grime and the contents had to be shared amongst fellow passengers.

The first glass water bottles and tumblers were introduced into passenger compartments in 1892, filled at Central and replenished by staff at country stations along mail and mainline routes. In 1914, contractors were appointed to supply large blocks of ice for the station railway water tanks so that the water for refilling the bottles could be kept cool.

In 1883, the sale of alcohol to bona fide railway travellers stopping at Refreshment Rooms with liquor licenses was introduced. The range of wines, beers and spirits was extensive, each carefully measured out by bar staff into a range of specially marked glassware.

By far the most popular hot beverages to have been consumed by railway travellers were tea and coffee. Huge steaming teapots, filled from heated urns, and pots with scalding milk coffee, sometimes flavoured with chicory essence, awaited thirsty travellers at Refreshment Rooms - and who can forget the early morning 'cuppa' delivered to your sleeping compartment by the Conductor on overnight services.

A profusion of choice
The choice of railway food has always reflected the demands of passengers and the logistics required to prepare and deliver it. By regulating the choices and maintaining centralised control of catering and despatch, railway management could ensure consistency, quality and a standard of hygiene. Railway Refreshment Rooms offered a range of menu options designed to suit the pockets and appetites of travellers, from hearty 'Australian home-style' grills and counter meals to staples like sandwiches and cakes. Serving three-course meals to a trainload of hungry passengers whose eating time was determined by timetables and trains which could not wait for the last diners to finish their meals, was challenging.

Cashiers were perhaps the most stressed, relying on staff to confirm orders and check change, all calculated manually on a cash register. The success of the service relied on the efficiency of RRR staff to meet, greet and serve each trainload of passengers with hot food, beverages, clean crockery and cutlery - and a smile. Those same standards applied to on-board dining services, where space for food preparation and service was at a premium.

Automatic vending machines and 'fast food' outlets may have replaced the 'basket boys', platform kiosks and buffet trolleys, but sandwiches, cakes, fruit, tea, and coffee still remain popular take-away food for today's rail travellers.

Cooking for the masses
Catering for railway diners was executed on a huge scale and planned with precision to ensure food was appropriately cooked and ready to serve when required. Railway kitchens needed equipment for heating and cooling food, ovens for roasting joints, hotplates for cooking or re-heating vegetables, tinned items and sauces, frying eggs and grilling meat.

Kitchens were a hive of activity from pre-dawn until the departure of the last train for the evening. A busy RRR might have a complement of chef, second cook, pastry, pudding or sweets cook, pie-maker or roll-baker, third or relief cook, second pastry cook, grill or stove cook, fish cook and a vegetable cook; assisted by stewards and waiters, and kitchen hands, scullery staff and young 'usefuls' for odd jobs. In the absence of today's high standards for food training, skills were acquired through apprenticeship and on-the-job training, with males paid double their female equivalents.

On-board, the opportunities for preparing individual meals for à la carte dining were limited by space for food storage and preparation. Time was short too, with set dining shift times allocated to passengers time, so table d'hôte menus offering a small selection within each course were preferred.

Made to last
Monogrammed china, silverware and cutlery in Railway Refreshment Rooms added an air of distinction to the dining experience, but was probably originally intended as a security measure. For a small deposit, passengers could hire crockery and cutlery, along with wicker hampers to carry food and drink on trains. The deposit was refundable on return of the items, although the frequent issue of instructions to staff regarding inventory control of their stock suggests that considerable quantities were never returned.

Early railway china was manufactured locally at first, then imported from large potteries in England, which produced tough, hard-wearing glazed earthenware and ironstone ceramics in huge quantities for the commercial market.

Each piece was marked with a transfer printed monogram, incorporating a crown, with the letters RRR (for Railway Refreshment Rooms) within a belted garter inscribed NSWGR (for New South Wales Government Railways). This insignia was updated in 1962 when the abbreviation for RRR was replaced by TCS (for Trading and Catering Services). A thoroughly modern look which departed from the use of a monogram, was chosen for the china for the Southern Aurora, introduced in 1952 and the Indian Pacific in 1970. Some items were designed to reduce spillage during travel over bumpy sections of track, like the bowl shaped tea cup. On other routes, drivers would reduce speed to avoid the soup from being spilt during service.

Following the closure of the RRRs, railway dining ware was sold to enthusiasts and collectors, with some purchased by clubs and social organisations. The romance of railway dining - and the washing up which went with it, was finally extinguished with the introduction of disposable containers and utensils.

Wining and dining in style
The laying of the foundation stone for the tower of Central Station on 26 September 1903 was an occasion for great celebration with an impressive luncheon for the attending dignitaries. Hosted by the Railway Commissioners and Engineer-in-Chief for Railway Construction, guests dined on a menu laden with delicacies including oyster patties, lobster mayonnaise and traditional roasts of turkey, duck, chicken, ham and beef. The dessert menu featured sweet treats including ice cream, trifle, jellies, fruit and Charlotte Russe. This exotic item was created using sponge cake to line a mould filled with custard, mousse or flavoured cream thickened with gelatine, especially for Tsar Alexander III, a member of the Russian Imperial family. It was an interesting choice for a railway event. Fifteen years earlier, Alexander had survived a train derailment during which the dining car in which he had been travelling at that time, flew over an embankment and was crushed under its own weight. The ultimate experience in railway dining was reserved for Royalty, Governors-General, Governors, Premiers and the Railway Commissioners who travelled across the state in great style aboard specially-built carriages on tours of inspection and official visits, until the cars were de-commissioned and preserved for their heritage values. The Governor-General's carriage was the most luxurious of the suite, built circa 1900 at the Eveleigh Railway Carriage Workshops. It was fitted with a dining room and a table and chairs for 6 guests. The specially monogrammed china, silver and glassware used in the Royal, State and Commissioner's carriages featured a gilt rim and a highly decorative monogram. Its subsequent replacement with a yellow rim was considerably less impressive.
(These carriages can be viewed at Trainworks in Thirlmere
www.trainworks.com.au)

Quality and Service
The NSW railways have a long tradition of providing quality food and service to their customers. The slogan of the RRRs was “In the Service of the Public” and it was a mission that they, and their onboard catering colleagues took, and continue to take, seriously, and with great pride and efficiency. The working day ran like clockwork, punctuated by the arrival and departure of trains, with breaks subject to timetabling of services. At the smaller stations, trains might stop for 8-10 minutes, with a flurry of activity for staff. At larger stations, staff had 30 minutes to serve a room full of diners with 3 course meals and passengers with light refreshments at the counter bar. A bell would be rung 10 minutes before the train departed - then it was time to wash-up and set tables before the next train would arrive. Staff would be informed by wire in advance of the numbers on board the next train to ensure they had enough meals ready to be served.

World War II was perhaps the finest hour for the railway food industry. Between 1939 and 1945, troop trains carried 5,609,000 personnel to fulfil service obligations here and abroad. In one 36 hour period, 27 special troop trains arrived and departed Sydney for Brisbane and Melbourne during which time 26,850 meals were served. In 1947, the NSW railways reported serving over 8,500,000 meals and light refreshments in its 52 Railway Refreshment Rooms. Another 1,500,000 meals were provided at country stations across the state by railway and volunteer staff - a total of over 10 million meals! Refreshment Rooms were staffed by a large complement of workers, including a manager, head and assistant head girls, barmaids, cooks, dining room waitresses, pantry maids, counter hands, housemaids and buffet girls. Conditions for the women, many of whom worked in partnership with spouses or other family members, were unsatisfactory. Most earned half the wage that their male equivalent received. They had almost no job security and were forced to work part-time on broken shifts, and sometimes with as little as three hours off a day. They were also often the first to be retrenched. Following the closure of the RRRs and the re-organisation of Trading and Catering Services from 1962, on-board staff enjoyed improved conditions and benefits, thanks to union advocacy and new management regimes.

Railway Refreshment Rooms
The first station restaurants were constructed by the NSW railways and leased to private operators. However, following considerable pressure to improve their standards, the Railway Refreshment Room Service was established in 1916, and assumed departmental control for the network of operations across New South Wales. Five different categories of RRRs offered combinations of liquor bar, counter service and full dining room meals depending on the size of the station and the volume of travelling public. The menu choices for hearty home-style fare were standard across the state, For breakfast, a set table meal included porridge, ham and eggs, grills or cutlets, fish, toast with preserves or marmalade with tea, coffee or a glass of milk. Counter lunches included pork sausages and mashed potatoes, haricot chops, steak and kidney pies and vegetables, salads with tea, coffee or milk. Sandwiches, scones, meat pies, cakes, pastries and beverages could be purchased over the counter. Dinner patrons enjoyed hot soup, a choice of fish, poultry or a hot roast joint of meat, followed by pudding and pastry. Initially, the temperance movement fought against the sale of liquor, but eventually wines and spirits became widely available. An extensive range of cigarettes and cigars, which could be smoked on board in designated carriages, could also be purchased.

The last RRR to open was at Wynyard Station in 1932, distinguished by an elegant Art Deco interior, air-conditioning and kitchens where meals could be prepared in full view of the public. The demise of the overnight mail train services, an increase in road and air travel and cost-cutting reviews eventually spelt the end for the RRRs. They were progressively closed from the mid 1950s, with Junee and Dubbo being the last to survive into the 1990s. It also meant the end of the hotel accommodation associated with RRRs at major junctions and interchanges. The first of these had opened at Junee and Werris Creek in 1885, followed by others at Newcastle, Wollongong, Moss Vale, Muswellbrook, Wellington and Yass Junction. By the mid 1980s, they too had all closed.

The scale of the operation was enormous. In1942, 2,316,000 meat pies, 700 tons of meat, 100 tons of sausages, 42 tons of ham, 30 tons of bacon, 454 tons of potatoes, 92 tons of butter, 300,000 loaves of bread, 56 dozen eggs, 37,000lbs of tea, 36,000 lbs of coffee and 250,000 gallons of milk were distributed from Central. Railway kitchens across the state were equipped with huge coal-fired stoves for cooking and heating the water for the boilers. Large blocks of ice for keeping fresh meat, fish, vegetables, butter and milk cold would be sent regularly from Sydney, packed in sawdust and insulated in potato or wheat bags. Later, gas refrigeration was provided to keep food cool.

To improve productivity and efficiency, refreshment rooms were phased out from the 1950s and replaced with on-board dining facilities on country routes. 1930s BS-class carriages were converted and fitted with a food preparation area at one end, complete with gas refrigerator, ice cream cooler, hot water urns, a stainless steel sink, pie warmer and shelves for crockery and cutlery. Passengers could dine in the wide servery space which was fitted with a curved counter and fixed stools or take food back to their seats.

WEIGHT In metric terms, 1 ton is equivalent to1,000 kilograms; 1 lb is almost 500 gram

The Height of Ladies' Fashion
In 1962, Dorothy Darke from the Fashions Patterns Service at the Australian Women's Weekly designed bright new turquoise blue cotton shirtmaker dresses, worn with monogrammed forage style caps. Ten years later, she updated the look with a vibrant jade uniform with gold buttons and embroidered with the initials for the new Trading and Catering Services.

They were replaced shortly after with grey and blue uniforms to match the Public Transport Commission's livery for trains, buses and ferries and the job title changed from waitress to stewardess. In 1980, the look changed again with the uniforms streamlined and coloured maroon and cream to match the new 'candy' livery of orange, dark red and white for State Rail. A strict dress code was enforced. Nail polish, high heeled shoes and non-regulation hair styles were strictly forbidden and jewellery restricted to watches and wedding rings. A small badge was worn to identify the job title and seniority denoted as bars on shoulder epaulettes. Trousers were not introduced as a uniform option for women until the 1980s.

Styles for Men
Male uniforms have had fewer opportunities to depart from tradition and like female uniforms, their changes have reflected the progression of corporate styles, with badges denoting titles. The black and white check trousers and white jacket is the timeless mark of a railway chef, although now seldom worn with a hat. The changing colours of jackets and trousers have generally reflected the colour choices for rail livery as part of an intended 'corporate' look. Blue uniforms associated with the Public Transport Commission were introduced from1972, distinguished with an embroidered logo on the blazer pocket and maintained with slight style and colour variations after the change to State Rail Authority. This was the last uniform issued to lounge car and bar service staff on board the Southern Aurora in1983 and was worn by the stewards who delivered the early morning cups of tea to sleeping compartments.

Dressed for Work
The changing styles of railway uniforms have followed fashionable trends which in turn have reflected prevailing attitudes in contemporary society. Late 19th century Railway Refreshment Room cooks and waitresses adopted caps and serge tunics reminiscent of nursing uniforms. From the 1920s, catering uniforms owed their inspiration to the modernity of American 'diner' styles, in subdued colour tones and jaunty caps and headpieces. These were replaced by green cotton 'wrap' style dresses in the 1940s which were made for easy care and wear. From the 1950s, uniforms were influenced by rail's glamorous competitor, air travel and hostess styles, with mix and match combinations for a corporate, sometimes almost military look, in a range of bright colours.

Mobile Buffet Trolley
Mobile buffet trolleys were introduced for the convenience of passengers to provide cool drinks, hot tea and coffee, sandwiches and sweets on the platform. They were also trialled at some country stations, including Albury and Moss Vale to assist women travelling with young children and who did not wish to leave the train to purchase food and drink. Designed by railway engineers, the original 1915 design specified woodwork of well-seasoned oak, stained a dark colour, copper rails and brass handles. Two copper urns for tea and coffee were included along with a detachable crockery holder and a showcase with sliding doors for the display of food.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
A Century of Central: Sydney's Central Railway Station 1906 to 2006 by Robert Francis McKillop, Don Ellsmore and John Oakes, Australian Railway Historical Society, NSW Division, 2008

On-Train Railway Fashion of the 1960s-1970s by Jim Longworth, draft pre publication.

Sydney's Central by John Oakes, Australian Railway Historical Society, NSW Division, 2002

The Railway Refreshment Rooms 1855-1995 Part 1 by Chris Banger, Australian Railway History, Bulletin of the Australian Railway Historical Society, July 2003

The Railway Refreshment Rooms 1855-1995 Part 2 by Chris Banger, Australian Railway History, Bulletin of the Australian Railway Historical Society, August 2003

The Rise and Fall of Railway Refreshment Rooms on the NSWGR by Ross Langford-Brown Part 1, Roundhouse, October 2002

The Rise and Fall of Railway Refreshment Rooms on the NSWGR by Ross Langford-Brown Part 2, Roundhouse, January 2003

TRAIN UP: Railway Refreshment Rooms in New South Wales by Messner, A., ARM Management, 2003

Most of these titles are available from the Railway Bookshop, out of print items are available from the Railway Resource Centre.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Office of Rail Heritage would like to thank the following individuals and organisations for their assistance with this exhibition:

Ben Barnes
Gordon Burr
Neil Cram
Max and Betty Croft
Bill Phippen
Jack Thompson
Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum, Werris Creek
Mount Victoria Historical Society
New South Wales Rail Transport Museum
Australian Railway Historical Society NSW
City of Sydney Archives
State Records NSW
Volunteers and Staff of the Railway Resource Centre of the Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW)