The thread on the Chicago "diners" has me thinking:

Has anybody assembled a list of railroad-car restaurants/diners/whatever?

I would like to help by keeping this thread to RR cars (of any type) that stand alone as restaurants or diners, or for that matter act as a diner with auxillary equipment attached to it, as opposed to cars parked at a RR station restaurant.

The only such car I have had the priviledge of eating in has been the Reading coach that served as a diner (lastly "The Steak & Bagel Train") in Philadelphia, across the street from the Philly Inquirer Building, and still there last time I was in town, albeit closed for some time. And I have eaten several meals in the Rockhill Trolley Museum's Electroliner/Liberty Liner when pressed into service as a diner during the EBT Fall Spectaculars.

Yes, trolley cars count.

Anything else out there? Remember, we want "stand-alone", not station restaurants with seating in the RR cars/cabooses or former Victoria Stations or Spaghetti Warehouses with the cars still in place.

lner4472@bcpl.net

The original plans were to do something like that with 2 cars at Harlansburg, PA I don't know what became of it.

There was a seafood resteraunt in Houston that included a stainless steam passenger car, IIRC. It was located between downtown and the Galleria area, I believe off of US 59.

It has been around 8 or 9 nine years, maybe more since I have been there. Maybe someone else knows more.

Also, check out the link and picture below of Stoby's Restaurant in Russelville, Arkansas, taken from my website.


Other Industrial Artifacts in the Mid-South

james1@pernet.net

There was a seafood resteraunt in Houston that included a stainless steam passenger car, IIRC. It was located between downtown and the Galleria area, I believe off of US 59.

It has been around 8 or 9 nine years, maybe more since I have been there. Maybe someone else knows more.

Also, check out the link and picture below of Stoby's Restaurant in Russelville, Arkansas, taken from my website. Once again, it has been many years since I have been there; I don't know if it still exists. Two other passenger coaches were in the parking lot.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a


Other Industrial Artifacts in the Mid-South

james1@pernet.net

Don't know how much "eating" you could do in this car given the number of screaming kids inside. This one has been converted to a McDonald's playland, complete with multi-colored ball pit and plastic tube maze. It's located in Fall River, MA.


SJHussar@aol.com

Here are two:

In Great Meadows, NJ is a place called the Riverside that uses the GM&O sleeper "Azalea". Food only so-so. Neat photos of them delivering the car via the now abandoned Lehigh & Hudson River.

In Surf City, NJ (Long Beach Island), is "The Express". This is Erie 2999 a buffet-parlor-lounge car. Never made it inside.

Hopefully us soon out of Scranton and the Poconos, but we will be moving while you eat!

Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society
tstuy@eldcps.org

Near my favorite CA haunt of West Hollywood, there's a UP car turned beanery on Sunset Blvd.

Is that Erie car still in Sea Isle, NJ?

Rob Davis

trains@robertjohndavis.com

>

> I don't know if it still exists or not, but there use to be a diner in White City, Ohio (West of Toledo) that was made out of three or four interurban car bodies. There was also a small house on the property that was built from anouther interurban car,but it's been a good 10 years since I've been there, so it may no longer exist.
Also the McDonalds in Swanton Ohio has an Ex Erie Lackawanna caboose that they use as a party room,and Quaker Square in Akron has three ex-pennsy cars that are heavily dissected in the main eatery.

B. Allan


cvsrkahuna@aol.com

Don't forget McDonalds in Barstow, CA.

There was a series of UP cars for the Carney's Hamburgers chain, one on Sunset Blvd, still open I think.

Vic Stewarts in Walnut Creek, CA is in the remodeled SP depot with dining in an attached open platform heavyweight parlor car. Seats in the observation lounge or in the former rooms.



teamzurg@earthlink.net

I know of a few: a diner in Spokane that was a former Northern Pacific business car (and one of the nicest wooden cars IÂ’ve seen outside of museums); a restaurant east of Edmonton, Alberta, made up of a former Grand Trunk (I think) parlour car (IÂ’ve never eaten there, but I recently read a food review about it); and a former CN smoothside diner (in CP colours!) thatÂ’s a pretty decent eatery in High River, Alberta. ThereÂ’s also a 19th century ex-CN, nee Southern Pacific business car attached to another restaurant in Edmonton. (Oops, I guess thatÂ’s for another thread!)

> The thread on the Chicago "diners"
> has me thinking:

> Has anybody assembled a list of railroad-car
> restaurants/diners/whatever?

> I would like to help by keeping this thread
> to RR cars (of any type) that stand alone as
> restaurants or diners, or for that matter
> act as a diner with auxillary equipment
> attached to it, as opposed to cars parked at
> a RR station restaurant.

> The only such car I have had the priviledge
> of eating in has been the Reading coach that
> served as a diner (lastly "The Steak
> & Bagel Train") in Philadelphia,
> across the street from the Philly Inquirer
> Building, and still there last time I was in
> town, albeit closed for some time. And I
> have eaten several meals in the Rockhill
> Trolley Museum's Electroliner/Liberty Liner
> when pressed into service as a diner during
> the EBT Fall Spectaculars.

> Yes, trolley cars count.

> Anything else out there? Remember, we want
> "stand-alone", not station
> restaurants with seating in the RR
> cars/cabooses or former Victoria Stations or
> Spaghetti Warehouses with the cars still in
> place.

After posting my original response, I thought of some others:

1. Railroad Crossing Restaurant & Catering, off the Hempstead Highway right near the new interchange with the Sam Houston Tollway (or is it Beltway 8?) has a passenger coach used as a dining room. At the other end of the restaurant is a SP bay window caboose used as an office. An uncompleted homebuilt 0-4-0 by with a "Tom Synder 1968-" builder's plate is on display, along with crossing bucks and other stuff inside. It is near an active track, so it is good train watching, food was pretty good when I went their several years ago.

2. A collection of rolling stock made up a tavern with a mile of the Astrodome/AstroWorld. Never been inside, last saw it about 5 years ago.

3. The McDonalds in Baytown has a caboose for a Playplace.

4. Another McDonalds in a community north of Houston also has a Caboose for a Playplace.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Other Industrial Artifacts in the Mid-South
james1@pernet.net

Mickey's Diner in St. Paul, now considered a local treasure with city planning taking the landmark from before I can remember into consideration. Known for its simple but good food. Also, Mark's (No relation)
Choo-Choo Bar in Loretto Mn. (An old Caboose)

mnmach@lakes.com

> Has anybody assembled a list of railroad-car
> restaurants/diners/whatever?

There was a post here 02 November 2002, "Parlour car for sale", that mentioned a car at the Essex House Restaurant, 525 Northfield Ave., West Orange, New Jersey.

It is ex-Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railway office car No. 200 HOPEDALE; ex- Fleischmann Transportation Co. private car MIDDLENECK; ex-CYPRUS (1st) private car of Daniel C. Jackling; built by Pullman in 1909.

There are a couple of photos if you scroll through the "Gallery of Art" link at the Essex House Web site (link below). There's also a photo at my Web page: http://nn.railfan.net/pass/passtang.html

Cheers,
Keith Albrandt

Essex House Restaurant
kalbrandt@rypn.org

Not really sure if it qualifies, but Baker City has a small cafe that is made out of a cut in half UP diner. The car is sitting on a foundation, the trucks are gone, and it is at about a 60degree angle.
So actually not a real diner,
Ron Brinton
Baker City

ronbrin@eoni.com

In Harpers Ferry, WV there is an old Western Maryland bagage car that my Grandfather once had his toy train collection in. When he sold the property the car went with it. Last I was there it had been turned into a restaurant. I believe that it is only open during the summer torist season. It is located across from the railroad station in Harpers Ferry.

Aaron

asholley@hotmail.com