The 412 diner of Tonawanda NY has reopened.
Story about the reopening
Just wanted to clear some things up about the diner.
From the article:
“a pre-1900 train car”
“peculiar wooden train-car-turned-diner”
“the old car was a trailer used to feed workers on the Erie Canal”
“details scarce about the car’s history”
” ‘modern’ tile work that was still likely installed before some readers were born”
The diner looks to me like an old O’Mahony or a Tierney (their products were similar) with renovations, most notably to the windows and facade. Definitely not a train car, and not from 1910.
In old pictures, it had roughly the original shaped windows (now they’re bigger) and a sliding door facing the street. The tilework, noted as one of the changes since new, appears to be one of the most original aspects of the place.
The 412 has the same vent hood as Letterman’s diner, which has been confirmed as an O’Mahony
Letterman’s before it was encased
Kaspar’s diner- the “Victory” model- advertised in O’Mahony’s c.1943 Catalog This model was an update on what they were producing through the 1920s.
Dan’s Diner of Spencertown, NY. Photos from their facebook Page. Dan’s is a 1925 O’Mahony.
I thought those photos looked familiar — oh yeah, they’re mine… For more, see this page:
http://www.agilitynut.com/diners/ny.html
(The current ones of Dan’s Diner that is).
This diner is actually located in North Tonawanda and is currently open as The Soup Lady at the 412.