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Diners are everywhere in real life and also on model railroads. They are available in 1:48 scale in kit form from Twin Whistle Sign & Kit Company (Whistlestop Diner) and Bar Mills Models (Betty’s Diner), and ready-made from MTH (Mel’s Diner 30-9105) and Lionel (Irene’s Diner SKU 6-24176). I’m sure there are many others that I don’t know about.

I have a diner on each of my two layouts. Both were built from the kit sold by Twin Whistle and are shown in the photos below. “Whistle Stop Diner” is at the front of my 12-by-8 layout and was built around 2002. “Mels Diner” is at the front of my under-construction 10-by-5 layout and was completed recently. The Twin Whistle kits build up into nice models of a classic wood railroad car diner but have some drawbacks. Mine required a lot of cutting and fitting, had inadequate instructions, and were missing some of the laser-cut parts (doors, curved roof supports), wood and cast details that should have been in the kits. Nonetheless, when completed, they are perfect for placement along the tracks, in a town or near a yard, and worthy of space at the front of a layout. My models were modified by adding vertical boards beneath the windows. They also have interiors including  a stove, counter, stools and people. And, by the way, my “Mel’s Diner” really is Mel’s diner.

So, I would like to see some examples of diners on your model railroads. Here are mine. What do you have?

MELGAR

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 I have had a number of diners on the layout over the years. The Twin Whistle is probably 20 years old. No. laser   cutting back then. Lots of cutting and fitting. It recently got moved to what I call RR Ave. . It was once on a country road and now it resides just outside the city rail yard. I had two other diners in another portion of the RR. The first one was one from my wife. It was actually a working telephone if you chose to use it as one. It was actually a fairly well detailed close to O Scale Diner. The one that replaced it was an aluminum K-Line one. That got removed as well and was replaced with a Grill and a few other structures. I did detail the interior of it. I need to get a period menu printed to place behind the counter. Both of these areas do have a modeled sidewalk that resides on the edge of the layout. The road and what is parked there is left to your imagination.

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I too have the Joe's diner phone, the sounds make it a hit.  It replaced one of those K-line kits that I was trying to detail.  I added some stainless steel duct tape to the corners, hexagon floor tiles was even installing some toy details behind the counter.  Never finished that one.  Think about buying a Lionel Irene's diner so both the wife and I are represented on the layout.

Wow!  I'm so glad that I stumbled on this topic!  Coincidentally I just ordered the Whistlestop Diner kit from Model Train Stuff minutes ago.  When I did a web search for more photos and information on the kit, I got this hit.  

In case you are unaware, I started a Forum thread for real diners that used to be trolleys and railcars a while back.  It also includes photos of "real" diner buildings and train station restaurants: Diners, Trolleys, and Railcar Topic. The photos and info might inspire some modelers.

Everyone's posts here are certainly inspiring me. But I only have a carpet layout. Thus, my options are limited to "story telling" using an odd rail car or scale figure.  Here's what I ordered along with the diner kit for some of those stories:

Woodland Scenics Farmer's Market set so that my diner will have fresh produce.  I can also use the figures and objects for accessorizing a RR commissary if I ever have room for a train station.

Preisers Railroad Personnel (with waiter and etc.) and an Arttista milkman; and unpainted cows, sheep, and goats for more Farm to Table fun at the diner and my PRR dining car.

Lastly, an Arttista Pizza Delivery Boy figure for the diner so that the PRR dining chef (Chef Chuck Wagon) can order out.

MELGAR, I liked your vertical wood slat adaptation to the sides of the Whistlestop kit in your initial post's pictures.  My plan is to do something to fix the windows.  The proportions seem incorrect and could benefit from a band of 1940's Worcester Lunch Car-style orange stained glass at the top.  This will be my first kit, so I'll have to see how successful that will be.  My web search says the prototype diner was in Malden, MA.  I'll see whether I have any photos.

Tomlinson Run Railroad

TOMLINSONRUNRR,

I think the Whistlestop Diner makes for a great scene on a model railroad. But, even with the kit, it is a bit like scratch-building. Despite that, I intend to buy another for some as yet undetermined future railroad. Send me an e-mail if you run into any problems and want to talk about it. As a former resident of the Boston area, I sure would like to see any documentation to the effect that the real thing was once in Malden. There certainly were (are?) tracks through there.

MELGAR

MELGAR,

Thank you so much for your offer of help.  I appreciate it!  I'm not sure how soon I'll start work on the diner once the kit arrives as I am *supposed* to be spending my weekends on my thesis, not trains!   Ha!

The prototype for the Whistlestop Diner seems to be Judy's Diner on 906 Eastern Avenue, Malden, MA. It was built by the Worcester Lunch Car Company in 1932.  I have a small print that shows Judy's Diner when it had the two roof vents that the model includes, but the print is framed and probably won't photograph well.  After several name changes and some exterior ones, too, the diner is now known as The Lunch Box. It is located perpendicular to the street (good for small layouts) and only seems to have one entrance, on the left. The "etched" panels on the model's walls seem to mimic what were probably the original enamel panels.

Amazingly, the diner is a mere 0.6 miles from the Lionel dealer, Charles Ro, located on Cross street, which joins Eastern Avenue.  You are correct about the railroad tracks.  They ran parallel to Eastern Avenue -- in between Charles Ro and the diner.  The track is now the East Coast Greenway (or something) -- a paved rail trail that seems to get a lot of use by city folk.  The diner and train store would make for a great road trip for those living in or visiting the Boston area.

Here are links that show what the building looks like now, including the interior:

 
The interior photo shows a nice "quilt-style" stainless steel back splash in the kitchen.  I've been saving foil tops from Brewer's Yeast cans that have a similar quilted pattern embossed into them.  If I can pull it off technically, this foil might work as a convincing interior detail.
 
My instinct about the windows missing their stained glass was correct.  I also neglected to mention that the roof line of the model is not prototypical.  Hopefully it will be easy for a novice like me to cut off the ends.  However, I *have* seen a roof line like it in a homemade diner built to look like a trolley (see my post mentioned previously for photos of the Trolley Stop in Lowell, MA). 
It may be possible to simulate the stained glass and the upper window sash. Here are photos of another Worcester diner from the 1930s that show what the original windows would have looked like. Sadly, the stained glass has fallen out and wasn't replaced (Shirley, Mass.):
 
Finally, here's an end photograph from a similar Worcester diner in Lowell, MA that shows what the roof ends should look like.  The air conditioner is located where traditionally two vents were inserted.  I will see if it's possible to simulate those vents above the side door on the kit.  Also, this photograph shows a common feature for barrel roof diners that might make for an awesome electrical project for someone (other than me).  Look closely and you can see sockets for five or six or so light bulbs. They follow the ends and curve of the roof line:
Photo showing the amount of roof overhang with the side door and side windows visible:
I hope that this information and these photos are of interest and gives you or other modelers some ideas for your next kits/efforts.
Best,
Tomlinson Run Railroad
P.S. -- I'm not really a "foamer" but good food, architecture, and trains are my favorite hobbies, all nicely rolled into one :-).

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MELGAR,

Thanks for that photograph of the interior of your Whistlestop kit diner.  It looks great -- and surprisingly roomy.  The view suggests that any sash and stained glass window modifications might require more skill than I originally thought.  But I'm also getting an idea for simulating the actual tile patterns in the floor. 

I forgot that I had these photos.  Here's a very early lunch wagon diner -- circa 1900 -- on my layout ... er ... carpet:

This is the Tip Top.  It is in S scale. For some reason, it is impossible to get an in-focus picture with my cheapie digital camera:

Tomlinson Run RR

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Last edited by TomlinsonRunRR

TOMLINSONRUNRR

I'm a fan but not a student of railroad car diners. I think they came about by removing very early passenger cars from their trucks and leaving them at the side of the tracks. The Whistlestop Diner model is two inches wide (8 feet full scale), enough to have been an early passenger car. Many older railroad-car style diners are wider than a railroad car (maximum about 10 feet), so either they were not made from railroad cars or they were widened after becoming diners. That's why I think the Whistlestop model may be prototypical as is.

The tile floor of my model was a piece of paper supplied with the kit. I have made similar floors for other models by drawing the tile pattern onto paper and filling in the areas using a fine black marking pen. See photo below of another of my models.

MELGAR

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OK, here are some pictures of my "diner on my layout". Oh wait!!  Do you mean I have to build it first, then post?

Rats! But seriously, folks.  My Whistlestop kit arrived this week, along with enough O scale food, livestock, cooks, waiters, and other people to supply and fill it. 

This is my first O scale building.  What a fantastic kit.  The construction is surprisingly simple (or perhaps deceptively so?).  In spite of appearances, I want to take my time planning things like interior painting, experimenting with the correct windows and stained glass, and etc. to get it just right.  Then there's that quilted chrome back bar behind the stove to try to recreate. I also want to scan the floor pattern and signs so that I can print more and change their color or orientation on my computer.  Once/when I get started, I'll create a new thread.  For anyone inspired by the finished examples shown in this thread, I give it 2-thumbs up so far.  It was certainly reasonably priced for the quality of the materials and the interior details that are included.  Lastly, it gets bonus points because it's based on a real building, which I intend to try and recreate (except for that roof line :-). 

Tomlinson Run Railroad

P.S. -- I think I'm going to call it the "Run-ny Egg Diner" with a sign that shows a picture of a sneaker-clad egg being chased by a spatula. We'll see ...

UPDATE:  I haven't even built it yet, and already the New York Times has done a review "In Praise of a Runny Egg".  Wow, that chef's a keeper!

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Last edited by TomlinsonRunRR
TomlinsonRunRR posted:

OK, here are some pictures of my "diner on my layout". Oh wait!!  Do you mean I have to build it first, then post?

P.S. -- I think I'm going to call it the "Run-ny Egg Diner" with a sign that shows a picture of a sneaker-clad egg being chased by a spatula. We'll see ...

AA Mutley

Can't wait for the new thread, TR.

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