Where else can I eat in a parked RR car?

Aarne H. Frobom · **Posted:** Mon Aug 27, 2018 1:20 pm

On my last trip through Martin, Michigan (halfway between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids) I discovered the Martin Diner had been bulldozed for a Dollar Store parking lot. This had been an actual free-standing diner in a fairly-intact wood interurban-car body. I have no word of the carbody being preserved.

In Lansing, the Clara's Restaurant in the PM/MCRR Union Station is closed and for sale, including a carved-up GTW heavyweight commuter-coach carbody (ex-Pullman sleeper) on freight trucks.

Aarne Frobom
On the Road, Michigan

CSontag · **Posted:** Tue Sep 11, 2018 3:49 pm

Aarne H. Frobom wrote:

On my last trip through Martin, Michigan (halfway between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids) I discovered the Martin Diner had been bulldozed for a Dollar Store parking lot. This had been an actual free-standing diner in a fairly-intact wood interurban-car body. I have no word of the carbody being preserved.

In Lansing, the Clara's Restaurant in the PM/MCRR Union Station is closed and for sale, including a carved-up GTW heavyweight commuter-coach carbody (ex-Pullman sleeper) on freight trucks.

Aarne Frobom
On the Road, Michigan

Hi, I used google maps to look at Martin and didn't find any diner in the earliest shots they have available from 2007. Was it at 1588 South Main street next to the water tower and little library? Thanks,

Charles

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Wed Sep 12, 2018 2:04 pm

NS 3322 wrote:

I just reached out to the visitors center in Deming and they told me that the restaurant with the passenger car is in El Paso. Does that sound right? I am just personally curious where this car is as I frequently visit the area, and I like finding a restaurant with a railcar attached :) .

No. It was somewhere in southwestern New Mexico.

ted66 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 12, 2018 10:51 pm

Folks,
Way up near the top of this chat was mention of the Pennsylvania RR P-70 that was the restaurant at the Red Caboose Motel at Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

Years ago, I stayed over night in a motel caboose there and ate a reasonable cheap dinner in the car.

Has the Red Caboose Motel closed down? If so when?

Or has just the restaurant part of it been moved to some other location?

Ted Miles 66

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:25 pm

They're still there; here's their website:

http://www.redcaboosemotel.com/

BTW Thomas is at Strasburg and will be steaming past the motel 9-15 to 9-23

Phil Mulligan

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:53 pm

While we're on the subject, the Southern Railway used to place the Southern Crescent in Washington Union Station well before the scheduled departure time. It was early enough that you could have dinner in the diner and be finished before the train left. One DC-area railfan club used to schedule "Dinner in the Diner" events.

This is the consist that originated in WAS that included the diner and the Crescent sleeper-lounge; the consist that originated in NY would be enroute on Amtrak's NEC and be added to the WAS cars shortly before departure time.

The NEC train had originated in BOS, but a GG1 brought the thru SR cars to Penn Station from Sunnyside Yard and would pull the train to WAS. The GG1 had steam all year for the SR cars and in Amfleet days there was a power car on the rear for the Amfleet HEP.

Phil Mulligan