View source for Dining Cars and Catering

'''Dining Cars and Catering'''

In the early days catering was provide on major mainline routes by providing 'Refreshment Rooms' at selected major stations.

It was only later that all the major trains, like the Grand Trunk Express, the Frontier Mail and the Deccan Queen, had luxurious dining cars attached. The caterers were British companies <ref>[http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/onmyplate/refreshing-the-railways-regional-foods-may-reinvent-pantry-cars/ “Refreshing the railways: Regional foods may reinvent pantry cars" by Vikram Doctor. 25 Feb 2016 ''The Economic Times'']; Retrieved 25 May 2016</ref>, quoting Malcolm Murphy in The Last Children of the Raj <ref name=name/>. 

*'''[[South Indian Railway]]''' catering was provided by '''Spencer & Co Ltd''', Madras. The arrangement for catering service is is fully described in "The Illustrated Guide to the South Indian Railway"<ref>[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MOhiCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT24&lpg=PT24&dq=Spencer+%26+Co.+Indian+Railways&source=bl&ots=ZjdKEIPwD-&sig=VC0GLQMhfXzao9UDHuTLooHt-k0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwivv8LhtfXMAhXqBcAKHYMYDv0Q6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=Spencer%20%26%20Co.%20Indian%20Railways&f=false  "The Illustrated Guide to the South Indian Railway" by South Indian Railway Company Ltd, 1900 reproduced by Google Books, 2015]; Retrieved 25 May 2016</ref> of 1900 which gives details of arrangements for 'Refreshment Rooms' at certain stations and the method of pre-ordering and reserving Refreshment Room seating.

*'''[[North Western Railway]]''' 'Refreshment Room' service was provided by '''Spencer & Co Ltd''' Madras <ref name=name>[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wSgBAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=Spencer+%26+Co.+Indian+Railways&source=bl&ots=h9u78mrjO7&sig=vFg7rlE2tBUJ3biqzE0KwAPD5n8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwivv8LhtfXMAhXqBcAKHYMYDv0Q6AEINzAH#v=onepage&q=Spencer%20%26%20Co.%20Indian%20Railways&f=false "The Last Children of the Raj - British Children's Childhoods in India 1919-1939" compiled by Laurence Fleming, Radcliffe Press,2004. Reproduced by Google Books . Page 24 account by Malcolm Murphy]; Retrieved 25 May 2016</ref>

*'''[[Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway]]''' 'Refreshment Room' service was provided by '''Spencer & Co Ltd''', Madras <ref name=name/><ref name=madr>[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=pwMk4FIcpuUC&pg=PA274&lpg=PA274&dq=Spencer+%26+Co.+Indian+Railways&source=bl&ots=ohHC869Nmq&sig=gjDsjwD7znaPo0Qcg3_S2t0J3nM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwivv8LhtfXMAhXqBcAKHYMYDv0Q6AEIKTAE#v=onepage&q=Spencer%20%26%20Co.%20Indian%20Railways&f=falseThe Madras Tercentenary Commemoration Volume by the Madras Tercentenary Celebration Committee, page 274]; Retrieved 25 May 2016</ref>

*'''[[Mysore State Railway]]''' 'Refreshment Room' service was provided by '''Spencer & Co Ltd''', Madras<ref name=madr/>.

*'''[[East India Railway]]''' catering was provided by '''G.F. Kellner & Co'''<ref name=name/> 

*'''[[Great Indian Peninsula Railway]]''' catering was provided by '''Brandon'''<ref name=name/>.

*'''[[Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway]]''' catering was provided by '''Brandon'''<ref name=name/>. 

*'''[[Bengal Nagpur Railway]]''' was the only railway to undertake its own catering<ref name=name/>. 

==Later History==
'''G.F. Kellner & Co''' was aquired by '''Spencer & Co Ltd''' in 1929<ref name=keln>[https://indiankanoon.org/doc/445726/ Madras High Court- Spencer & Co. Ltd., Madras vs The Commissioner Of Wealth Tax ... on 13 December, 1967]; Retrieved 25 May 2016</ref>.

== References ==
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[[Category:Railways]]
[[Category:Railway Service Providers]]