Some of you are aware of the Levi & Appalachian's award wining coffee, Golden Spike. As it says on the side of the L&A's billboard boxcars "Only found on L&A diners and find railroad hotels" and is concentered to be some of the best coffee you can drink. It is made by the Dorsey & Arbuckle Coffee Importers of Covington, KY. and has been a staple on the L&A since 1899. It's a blend of the finest coffee beans and the its recipe is a company secret. Here we have a couple of Golden Spike boxcars sitting at the Dorsey & Arbuckle Coffee Importers dock.
The coffee blend master at Dorsey & Arbuckle was working on a blend that has a very high caffeine content and finally landed on a perfect combination #31. The problem was the taste is very strong and the caffeine was even stronger and the tasters that tried it complained of rapid heartbeat, jitters, and one guy couldn't sleep for 2 days! So it was put on the shelf along with other experimental blends and forgotten. One day a young salesman complained of being tired and the regular company coffee wasn't doing it for him and the blend master pulled #31 out and brewed a pot and the salesman fell in love with it. He then remembered being at the L&A shops in Norwood dropping off the regular shop coffee and remembering one of the guys saying he wished it coffee had a bit more zing. The next week the young salesman took a few pounds of #31 to the Norwood shops along with the regular order. When he returned to drop off that weeks regular coffee service he was surprised to find many of the crew asking for more of that "boilerplate coffee" and the name stuck.
Old Boilerplate as it came to be known was now being served through the L&A shops and offices for those daring enough to drink it. About a year or so later a cook on one of the L&A diners had a pot brewing next to a pot of Golden Spike when a customer asked what was that strong coffee he smelled brewing and the cook warned him it was the crews coffee not recommended for normal people, but the customer persisted because he had a hangover and he had a cup. He claimed it cured his hangover , but the taste reminds you of paint stripper or rust remover.
Over the years Old Boilerplate developed a following despite it not being on the menu of any of the company dining cars. Word got back to Dorsey & Arbuckle Coffee that people wanted Old Boilerplate coffee and well, the picture below tells the story.
So if you find yourself on an L&A diner or at the companies shops or offices ask for a cup of Old Boilerplate, but don't be surprised if they say "are you sure?" Oh and before I forget the boys in the backshops said if you're having trouble with the staybolts sticking just pour some Old Boilerplate over them and let them sit about an hour. Those frozen bolts will come right off
.
Dave
If anyone is interested in the Old Boilerplate boxcar I will ask if I can release the reskin.
The coffee blend master at Dorsey & Arbuckle was working on a blend that has a very high caffeine content and finally landed on a perfect combination #31. The problem was the taste is very strong and the caffeine was even stronger and the tasters that tried it complained of rapid heartbeat, jitters, and one guy couldn't sleep for 2 days! So it was put on the shelf along with other experimental blends and forgotten. One day a young salesman complained of being tired and the regular company coffee wasn't doing it for him and the blend master pulled #31 out and brewed a pot and the salesman fell in love with it. He then remembered being at the L&A shops in Norwood dropping off the regular shop coffee and remembering one of the guys saying he wished it coffee had a bit more zing. The next week the young salesman took a few pounds of #31 to the Norwood shops along with the regular order. When he returned to drop off that weeks regular coffee service he was surprised to find many of the crew asking for more of that "boilerplate coffee" and the name stuck.
Old Boilerplate as it came to be known was now being served through the L&A shops and offices for those daring enough to drink it. About a year or so later a cook on one of the L&A diners had a pot brewing next to a pot of Golden Spike when a customer asked what was that strong coffee he smelled brewing and the cook warned him it was the crews coffee not recommended for normal people, but the customer persisted because he had a hangover and he had a cup. He claimed it cured his hangover , but the taste reminds you of paint stripper or rust remover.
Over the years Old Boilerplate developed a following despite it not being on the menu of any of the company dining cars. Word got back to Dorsey & Arbuckle Coffee that people wanted Old Boilerplate coffee and well, the picture below tells the story.
So if you find yourself on an L&A diner or at the companies shops or offices ask for a cup of Old Boilerplate, but don't be surprised if they say "are you sure?" Oh and before I forget the boys in the backshops said if you're having trouble with the staybolts sticking just pour some Old Boilerplate over them and let them sit about an hour. Those frozen bolts will come right off
.Dave
If anyone is interested in the Old Boilerplate boxcar I will ask if I can release the reskin.
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