The New Haven RR Image Page -- Beverage Stands

The 'image page' is where we put a changing variety of New Haven Railroad artifacts for you to enjoy. Be sure to check back here often because we plan to refresh these images on a regular basis.

Beverage Stands

Unlike many other railroads, the New Haven continued to offer a wide variety of first class passenger services on its trains right up through the modern era. Dining, parlor, lounge, club, bar, and sleeping car service were provided on New Haven passenger trains through the Penn Central takeover effective January 1, 1969. Some form of beverage service, alcoholic and otherwise, was offered on most intercity passenger trains and beverage stands were provided to hold the cups or glasses. Here are a few examples of beverage stands used on the New Haven Railroad from the collection of Marc Frattasio.

Here's an example of the type of beverage stand that was part of the original equipment on board club cars, parlor cars, and lounge cars delivered to the New Haven Railroad between the late 1940s and the middle of the 1950s. There are holders for six beverage containers (filled with original glasses furnished to the New Haven Railroad by Libby during the early to mid 1950s) arrayed around an integral ashtray located in the center. This particular beverage stand was used on board electric MU commuter club cars delivered to the New Haven during 1954.

Here's a close-up of the New Haven Railroad identification that's cast into the base of the beverage stand shown above. Although beverage stands of identical or similar design were employed on many types of passenger cars obtained by the New Haven Railroad after WW2, to the best of my knowledge only the beverage stands used on the "Washboard" electric MU cars in private commuter club service were marked in this manner.

This is a later style of beverage stand that was supplied to the New Haven Railroad between 1955 and the Penn Central takeover. The stand has holders for four beverage containers (filled with paper cups used on the railroad during the 1960s) and a central ashtray.

Here's a close-up of the NH logo on the base of the beverage stand shown above. The NH marking is engraved into a square stainless steel tag that is attached to the base with rivets. These same NH tags were also riveted to certain step boxes used on the New Haven. Similar tags decorated with an engraved script monogram were attached to paper towel holders used in the washrooms of many passenger cars and stations.

Here's a visually similar but functionally different ashtray stand that was used on board the smoking lounges fitted to 8600 series streamlined coaches on the New Haven Railroad. Note that this ashtray does not have a rest for beverages. Also, unlike the beverage stands which were all meant to be moved around the car as required, the ashtray shown here was intended to be securely screwed to the car floor. On the New Haven Railroad the internal term used to refer to the beverage stands shown above was "portable smoking stand". The term used to refer to the smoking stand shown here was "fixed smoking stand".

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THE IMAGE PAGE

Beverage Stands

PAST IMAGE PAGES

The NHRHTA web site is © 2006 the New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association, Inc. Do you have comments about our web site? Contact the NHRHTA webmaster. For other NHRHTA questions, check our NHRHTA contacts page.

The NHRHTA web site is © 2006 the New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association, Inc.
Do you have comments about our web site? Contact the NHRHTA webmaster.
For other NHRHTA questions, check our NHRHTA contacts page.