From the NERAIL list: Old railroad car diner in Schenectady, NY. Not many real detrucked diners left. Haven't seen this one myself. Anyone have a photo?

City gets a single bid for Silver Diner

By MICHAEL DeMASI Daily Gazette Reporter

SCHENECTADY - Perhaps resurrecting a broken-down railroad car diner
downtown seemed a more daunting task than it's worth.

Whatever the reason, only one person submitted a proposal to the
city to purchase the old Silver Diner on Erie Boulevard, despite the
interest the idea generated among history buffs a couple of months
ago.

Edward J. Zemeck, president of Prize Construction Inc. in Scotia,
proposes to renovate the diner and have a nonprofit agency run the
small restaurant as a place where people who are in the later stage
of drug and alcohol recovery can learn job skills.

In a letter to the city, Zemeck said the diner would be modeled
after programs offered locally by the Rev. Peter Young and by the
Mountainside Treatment Center in Canaan, Conn., which runs the
Mountainside Cafe.

"The commitment of funds and operating agency must follow the
determination of the ownership and control of the property," Zemeck
wrote. "Therefore we respectfully request the opportunity to
complete the information process at the time when the city gives a
commitment of ownership."

Prize Construction's work has included restoring one of the
nation's oldest windmills in Fairfield, Conn., and installing
cellular antennas inside.

Housing Rehabilitation Supervisor Steve Jacobson said the
proposal sounds promising because it means the diner would be
restored and job skills provided to people trying to rebuild their
lives, but the details are still sketchy.

The Property Disposition Committee reviewed the proposal but will
hold off making a recommendation to the City Council until Zemeck is
able to provide more information. The purchase price would be $1,
Jacobson said.

Jacobson's understanding of the proposal is that the diner would
be moved from Erie Boulevard to a site that would qualify for
assistance under the federally subsidized Renewal Community program,
which is supposed to help low-income neighborhoods.

Zemeck will try to access funding still available to the city
under the former Enterprise Community program. The funding, which is
controlled by the state, totals about $600,000. The Renewal
Community program, which provides federal tax breaks instead of
direct funding, replaced the Enterprise Community model a couple of
years ago.

Zemeck couldn't be reached for comment Friday.

The old Silver Diner is one of a handful of converted railroad
dining cars still standing in the United States. Housed in a 1918
Delaware & Hudson Railway Pullman car, the diner opened in 1936 and
closed in the late 1990s. The city took it over for back taxes in
2000.


ryarger@rypn.org

> ...The old Silver Diner is one of a handful of
> converted railroad dining cars still standing in the United States...

I have been in many of these "railroad car" diners that were factory-built in the 1930s and 1940s, yet the staff will generally swear that it was part of the first train into East Bugtussle back in the day (I haven't the heart to tell them otherwise).


tr2manz@frontiernet.net

...there ain't much left of it.

Rob

http://www.geocities.com/cornwallace55/capd.html

trains@robertjohndavis.com

more images and info

http://www.schenectadynewyork.org/content.php?page

trains@robertjohndavis.com

> I know of a SP heavyweight Harriman diner complete with trucks in use at Edwards AFB as a eatery for military and civilian personal.

From the NERAIL list: Old railroad car diner
> in Schenectady, NY. Not many real detrucked
> diners left. Haven't seen this one myself.
> Anyone have a photo?

> City gets a single bid for Silver Diner

> By MICHAEL DeMASI Daily Gazette Reporter

> SCHENECTADY - Perhaps resurrecting a
> broken-down railroad car diner
> downtown seemed a more daunting task than
> it's worth.

> Whatever the reason, only one person
> submitted a proposal to the
> city to purchase the old Silver Diner on
> Erie Boulevard, despite the
> interest the idea generated among history
> buffs a couple of months
> ago.

> Edward J. Zemeck, president of Prize
> Construction Inc. in Scotia,
> proposes to renovate the diner and have a
> nonprofit agency run the
> small restaurant as a place where people who
> are in the later stage
> of drug and alcohol recovery can learn job
> skills.

> In a letter to the city, Zemeck said the
> diner would be modeled
> after programs offered locally by the Rev.
> Peter Young and by the
> Mountainside Treatment Center in Canaan,
> Conn., which runs the
> Mountainside Cafe.

> "The commitment of funds and operating
> agency must follow the
> determination of the ownership and control
> of the property," Zemeck
> wrote. "Therefore we respectfully
> request the opportunity to
> complete the information process at the time
> when the city gives a
> commitment of ownership."

> Prize Construction's work has included
> restoring one of the
> nation's oldest windmills in Fairfield,
> Conn., and installing
> cellular antennas inside.

> Housing Rehabilitation Supervisor Steve
> Jacobson said the
> proposal sounds promising because it means
> the diner would be
> restored and job skills provided to people
> trying to rebuild their
> lives, but the details are still sketchy.

> The Property Disposition Committee reviewed
> the proposal but will
> hold off making a recommendation to the City
> Council until Zemeck is
> able to provide more information. The
> purchase price would be $1,
> Jacobson said.

> Jacobson's understanding of the proposal is
> that the diner would
> be moved from Erie Boulevard to a site that
> would qualify for
> assistance under the federally subsidized
> Renewal Community program,
> which is supposed to help low-income
> neighborhoods.

> Zemeck will try to access funding still
> available to the city
> under the former Enterprise Community
> program. The funding, which is
> controlled by the state, totals about
> $600,000. The Renewal
> Community program, which provides federal
> tax breaks instead of
> direct funding, replaced the Enterprise
> Community model a couple of
> years ago.

> Zemeck couldn't be reached for comment
> Friday.

> The old Silver Diner is one of a handful of
> converted railroad
> dining cars still standing in the United
> States. Housed in a 1918
> Delaware & Hudson Railway Pullman car,
> the diner opened in 1936 and
> closed in the late 1990s. The city took it
> over for back taxes in
> 2000.


Forsyth63@Yahoo.com