I vividly remember childhood trips in the 1950s on the Silver Meteor to Florida. The highlight during the 24-hour journey was having three meals in the dining car. Each course was freshly made in the kitchen car and served by white gloved waiters on heavy china emblazoned with the Seaboard Railroad’s logo. Mark Vaughn wanted to restore that romance. This past July he realized his dream inaugurating the debut run of the Columbia Star Dinner Train.
Restored Pullman cars and GM locomotives
Serving a four course dinner Friday and Saturday and brunch on Sunday, the five car, two engine train makes the 34 mile round trip dinner run from just north of Columbia, Missouri, to Centralia in three hours. The four 1938 restored rail cars sandwich a 1940s baggage car converted into a sizable galley kitchen. At each end are diesel locomotives built in 1948 and 1953.
Railroad man since 17 years old
Mark Vaughn has been working on the railroad, literally, since he was 17 years old. Over the years he moved up to management before taking a decade long break. Relocating to the Caribbean, he first operated a tug boat before purchasing the ship and building a fleet of tugs. When the opportunity arose to acquire some locomotives and old rail cars, Mark sold the fleet and moved back to Missouri in order to pursue his dream of owning and operating his own train. He’s currently assistant general manager of a freight line in Iowa but commutes every weekend to serve as engineer of the Columbia Star.
During the week the business is under the able supervision of General Manager Greg Weber, Dining Room Captain Amando Garcia and Chef Scott Hampton. Although the dining cars can seat 224, only half that capacity is utilized during these first inaugural months for the dinners and brunch. The additional dining cars, or the entire train, can be reserved for special events during the week. There are wedding receptions and Christmas parties already booked and a live jazz dinner has been scheduled. Additional theme dinners are under consideration.
Brunch on the Columbia Star
I was a guest of the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Beenders Walker Group on a brilliantly sunny Sunday for the two hour brunch – a 20 mile round trip to Hallsville. Advance reservations are required and selecting your entree for both brunch or dinner is made at that time. All food is prepared on site in the kitchen car.
As the train slowly moved out of the station promptly at 11:30 a.m. our table was served well prepared Bloody Marys and an antipasto platter of marinated artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, olives, onions and feta cheese with fresh crusty bread. A plate of fresh grapes, melon slices and strawberries was soon presented. For my taste the coffee was weak, but then I do love very strong coffee.
Our table had ordered all the varieties of entrees and they were generous portions served with nicely seasoned hash browns and smoked country ham or thick slices of bacon. The French Toast was garnished with strawberries and real maple syrup. Both the Quiche Lorraine and Vegetable Frittata were flavorful but a little on the dry side. Perhaps the kitchen’s holding ovens need to be adjusted for moisture control. The brunch concluded with a variety of mini muffins and a nice walnut streusel cake.
The Columbia Star celebrates slowing down
For me the real pleasure was the leisurely pace of the train with the slowly changing panorama of Missouri farmland and the civilized atmosphere of the restored dining cars. The acoustics were excellent allowing guests to easily converse and the two hour journey to nowhere in particular encouraged diners to pace their eating. In our always hectic world of rushing and consuming plastic wrapped food, the Columbia Star Dinner Train serves as a real life reminder that slowing down and enjoying life can, and should be, a reality.
Marc d'Entremont - Years of experience as a chef, historian and teacher guides my travel and food writing. I explore all things that shape a culture.
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