I am looking to put together a list of the coffee blends used by the major railroads in their dining cars. If you know any specific railroads and their blend I would appreciate it.

When I saw the title of this thread I thought it was going to be a discussion of crew coffee making habits, to wit my thought was it could also be used for journal oil.

The Scot in me insists:

Oh, that.

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It would be an excellent brew for anybody wanting to taste coffee, real coffee,
especially if your palate has been ruined with mass quantities of that carbonaceous dross served by Charbucks.

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That said, I was rather hoping this was a discussion of what was produced in the Caboose. I've always thought the proper interpretation of the caboose would be a variety of old grocery store brands, that existed through the caboose era. Chock Full O'Nuts, Eight O'Clock, Maxwell House, preferably brewed and kept in an enamel percolator. Yeah, the cheery glow of a potbelly stove in mid July.

Served black. Jet Black and allowed to mature. A hard drink for hard men (or ladies) that need a jolt and don't care how they get it. Smooth and flavorful was for dessert after Sunday dinner.

Good thing caffeine meets the muster of the modern CFR, otherwise I suspect that I and several fellow travelers would be invited to a participate in a "program".

> When I saw the title of this thread I thought it was going to be a discussion
> of crew coffee making habits, to wit my thought was it could also be used
> for journal oil.

No. Cylinder oil. It's too thick for journal oil.

> Served black. Jet Black and allowed to mature.

As God intended. Tina Turner coffee. Hot, strong, black, and proud.

> A hard drink for hard men (or ladies) that need a jolt and don't care how they get it.

That's actually the black tea that Nova Scotian fishing captains drink. The only drink I remember that actually did raise the hair on my head when I sipped it. Do Canadian railroaders make this stuff too?

Quote without comment..........

"RECIPE FOR 'CABOOSE COFFEE' - - - Take several fistfuls of ground coffee and toss them into a tall enamel coffee pot; fill with cold water. Let stand unheated for a couple hours, maybe even overnight. Bring to a boil several minutes before you’re ready to serve. Pour and drink. Pour through strainer or cheesecloth if you don’t want grounds in your cup.
Not for the timid!"

From "Caboose," by Mike Schafer, MBI Publishing Company, 1997, page 61:

True railroad coffee is the stuff that stir with a track spike, and when you pull the spike out of the pot, you notice all the rust is gone...

When you take the beans to the clerk, do you ask that for "pot grind"?

Some of the best coffee I've ever had was on RR dining cars back in the '40s-'50s. My Mom felt the same way and whenever we went somewhere, the minute the wheels started turning, she was off to the diner or snack car for coffee. I've never been able to duplicate that taste. Folger's 100% Columbian comes kind of close.
I miss those days...................

With all due respects for the author and poster,
Toss in some egg shells to settle the grounds.

When you take the beans to the clerk, do you ask that for "pot grind"?

I do remember the coffee aisle grinder in the grocery story with "drip" or "perc" settings.

Reminds me of a discussion about "cowboy coffee": "Thick enough to float a horseshoe".
I don't drink coffee, but I'm sure that Santa Fe dining cars, with that "Fred Harvey service" had some top grade "jamoke".