Texas & Pacific was controlled or owned by Missouri Pacific for most of its existence until the two finally merged in 1976. Although they kept separate corporate identities before the merger, T&P streamlined trains were, like MoPacs, called “eagles” and wore the same blue-and-silver colors. This menu was probably used on the Louisiana Eagle, the only T&P train that used the eagle name.
Click image to download a 1.1-MB PDF of this menu.
The menu includes seven table d’hôte entrées, although two of them–sirloin steak with onion rings and t-bone steak–are nearly identical. The others are prime ribs, pork chops, fried chicken, roast turkey, and gulf trout, which could mean any of three different species of sea-going trout. The trout, chicken, and turkey join a Spanish omelette and various sandwiches on the a la carte side. Price range from 85 cents (about $5.50 today) for a cheese sandwich to $4.50 (about $29 today) for the complete sirloin steak dinner.
The Louisiana Eagle may have been the only ALL T. & P. train to use the “Eagle” name, but the Texas Eagle also operated via T. & P. between Texarkana and El Paso….