Chicagoist: Chug-a-chug-a Choo Choo

lamgray

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:37:39 -0600

Metra had bar cars? Man, I'm riding the wrong line!

Prescott Carlson

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:47:57 -0600

It's even cheaper to just carry a flask in your briefcase. At least that's what Steinberg told me.

Spook

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:27:20 -0600

Well, I did get off the train and by a case of beer at the liqour store across the tracks in Hammond while they cleaned the dude of the tracks because the liqour stores would be closed by the time we got there. It was hell carrying that case up the dune mountains at night! Hell Hotwater, don't go interupting my drinking stories! I'm sure I must-ah brought plenty of beer from some beer car! Come to think of it, maybe it was Amtrack

mss2400

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:12:48 -0600

I've heard that you are better off stopping at the CVS in the Riverside Plaza and buying your beer there, rather than paying the inflated bar prices in Union or Ogilvie Station....

hotwater30

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:43:39 -0600

Spook, I aint saying you were not drunk, I'm not even saying you didnt get drunk on the train. I am just saying you didnt buy drinks in a bar car between Chicago and Michigan City. Cheers,

via chicago

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:22:11 -0600

they still sell tall boys "to go" at the carts at union station. not to mention the 2 bars in the station.

El Thirdrail

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:13:29 -0600

The Bars in the station have always been there - and IIRC, didn't they (or don't they) offer 'go cups' still? Shame no more bar cars... they were fun while they lasted.

Spook

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:08:06 -0600

Well what ever car goes to Michigan or Indiana. I should no if I rode the train drunk or not! Heck there was a bar right in the station as well called the Caboose or something!

hotwater30

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:46:09 -0600

Never been any bar cars on the South Shore line.

Spook

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:39:23 -0600

Are you sure? Not even ten years ago, I think it was called the southshore line? Or was it the bar we drank in at the station?

hotwater30

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:17:10 -0600

Spook, Did Metra ever go to Michigan City? No bar cars on the South Shore.

Spook

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:03:42 -0600

So sad. I haven’t drank on one in a long while. But back in the days when yer Spook wore a younger man's cloths, a good friend of mine had a weekend beach house sitting gig in Michigan City. So After work on Friday's we would jump on the train and drink with the locales on the bar car. It came in handy one labor day weekend after when train wast was stopted on the tracks for three hours at Hammond Indiana after the town drunk committed suicied by walking infront of the train. Good times.

HateBrianClub

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:25:44 -0600

Everybody in the know buys cans of beer outside Ogilvie anyway, but I'm always sad to see a place that sells alcohol shutter its doors.