Service Plate. In the great age of railroad passenger service, dining cars often featured service plates on dining car tables. A service plate is basically a piece of china that indicates a place at the table; it is usually not actually used for eating. Some railroad service plates were beautiful works of art, and surviving pieces are a major focus of railroad china collectors. Few service plates were as beautiful as the Illinois Central Railroad's "French Quarter" series of service plates. An example is shown here; photo taken by Rob Hoffer at the Gaithersburg show held in November, 2011. Click on the image for a larger version. See past featured Items.