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J3a-614 · **Posted:** Sat Apr 01, 2023 3:40 pm

Either way, it still fits at the Illinois Railway Museum!

And it ain't April Fool's!!

https://www.irm.org/in-the-news/histori ... od_tMG5FZQ

Quote:

UNION, IL — When you think of White Castle, “historic artifact” may not be the first phrase that comes to mind, but it was for volunteers at the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) in McHenry County, northwest of Chicago. When they saw that the oldest active White Castle restaurant in the Chicago area, located in Whiting, Indiana, was closing to be replaced by a new building on the same property, they sprang into action to ensure this piece of Americana wouldn’t vanish.

In 1935, the chain opened Whiting No. 1, the city’s first White Castle restaurant, on Indianapolis Boulevard at 119th Street. The building featured the typical castellated styling and newly developed prefabricated porcelain panels on the exterior. For its first five years, streetcars ran right past the door on their way between South Chicago and downtown East Chicago. The castle was remodeled in 1956, but it retains its porcelain-clad exterior. It is closing at the end of March but will be replaced by a newly built structure on the same property.

“When we learned that the White Castle in Whiting was being replaced, we thought about a way to adaptively reuse and display the façade of this iconic American scene,” said Dave Diamond, the museum’s Facilities General Manager. “It fits perfectly with IRM’s late-1950s Midwest Main Street project, and we have an immediate location for it to be recreated.”

Museum volunteers are working with White Castle to carefully remove the restaurant’s porcelain panels after it is decommissioned. The museum plans to rebuild the façade of the structure on its historic streetscape as time and funding permit.

Overmod · **Joined:** Thu May 24, 2012 1:37 pm **Posts:** 2492

ALWAYS time to buy 'em by the sack at a railroad museum.

Of course they'll need to learn how to cook the little square hamburgers correctly, and then fold up each box with one hand while bringing the built burger up to it with the other hand -- 20 of them in 20 seconds or so. And, unlike Lucius Beebe, I shall be there if I can...

Incidentally, the White Castle in Fairview was the official place to go for refreshments after visiting the PRR North River Tunnel portal for some GG1 action.

Dave · **Posted:** Mon Apr 03, 2023 7:40 am

Now if the Gold Coast would just add a Royal Castle, complete with the proprietary root beer..... I'd even make a trip down through crazy country to Homestead to relive that part of my childhood.

scratchyX1 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 14, 2020 12:17 pm **Posts:** 152

Overmod wrote:

ALWAYS time to buy 'em by the sack at a railroad museum.

Of course they'll need to learn how to cook the little square hamburgers correctly, and then fold up each box with one hand while bringing the built burger up to it with the other hand -- 20 of them in 20 seconds or so. And, unlike Lucius Beebe, I shall be there if I can...

Incidentally, the White Castle in Fairview was the official place to go for refreshments after visiting the PRR North River Tunnel portal for some GG1 action.

there is NO WAY harold and kumar can't find this white castle.

Overmod · **Joined:** Thu May 24, 2012 1:37 pm **Posts:** 2492

Quote:

"I'd even make a trip down through crazy country to Homestead to relive that part of my childhood."

I second this... and add that we need red birch beer, preferably straight from a tap. Crib one source from those hot-dog places along 46 near the Delaware Water Gap, then get a license or the formula or whatever for Brier's Bark-Brewed Birch Beer Bottle By Best Brand Beverage in B.... well Fords, NJ. Either of these is world-class, with a production and distribution system, and no downside risk whatever of cross-marketing... just think of all the thirst that can be thoroughly and expediently quenched there!

ironeagle2006 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 22, 2017 11:27 am **Posts:** 142

White Castles or as my wife calls them the ultimate in colon cleansing treatment short of Mira Lax and Mag Citrate. Those things will literally give the Waffle House a run for the money.

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 05, 2023 1:55 pm

ironeagle2006 wrote:

White Castles or as my wife calls them the ultimate in colon cleansing treatment short of Mira Lax and Mag Citrate. Those things will literally give the Waffle House a run for the money.

So often someone says something that tickles these brain cells, and some memory pops up.

In this case it was me and a friend many years ago. He commented on my diet then, being too many such hamburgers and other things due to being on the run all the time.

I said, "I don't have too much to worry about, I have a cast iron stomach it seems."

His reply was, "Well, I hope that oily stuff at least keeps it from rusting out!"

He is a colorful character.

He used to work as a National Park Ranger at Harpers Ferry, W.Va., one of those fellows who dress in Civil War era clothes to tell the history of Harpers Ferry, John Brown, and the Civil War to the visitors.

For a while he was riding a motorcycle to work. He was working at demonstrating the blacksmith shop at the time--yes, he's a blacksmith, too--and one time he passed another road where his supervisor was just coming out, also on his way to work. This supervisor took note of a guy dressed in old style black and white clothes (and wearing a helmet that completely hid his head) on the motorcycle, and proceeded on to work at Harpers Ferry behind this friend.

Now this friend got to Harpers Ferry well ahead of his supervisor, and had put the motorcycle away, out of sight as normal, behind the blacksmith shop, and his helmet was put away, too, by the time the supervisor showed up.

This supervisor was talking about this strange sight he'd seen on the way into work, of someone in those old style clothes on the motorcycle. My friend's response was, "Maybe you just saw the first Amish member of the Hells' Angels!"

Oh, he's big fan of the Pennsylvania Railroad, too.

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