I love Butte. It’s about 85 miles west of me, which in Montana terms is a hop skip and a jump. Every time I go, I comb the streets and always find new and interesting things and always leave with the feeling that I’ve barely scratched the surface. Butte is a city of hidden treasures, of tucked away secrets, of back rooms and second stories.
Some recent additions to my collection. These photos were taken in 1965. There used to be quite a few trolley conversions in the mid atlantic (and elsewhere), but they just didn’t hold up as well as factory built diners. By the time they came into service as diners, most had served a full lifetime of service on the roads, so the condition was obviously not as good as a factory built diner. It took work, money and some jerry-rigging to change them over from transportation to food service. But they could be picked up and converted on the cheap, so they were a good way to get into the business. It seems most owners traded up to a proper factory built diner, or to a on-site construction once they had earned enough money to do so, so the trolleys didn’t survive very well.
Maryland
Maryland
Virginia
Virginia
Cousin’s Diner. Great food, nice owners, fast service, and a great looking place to boot. Certainly worth a stop if you’re ever in the area.
Windsor Park Market. Old Pepsi and Kit Kat signs
Armview Food Shop – Old Pepsi signs
Old Coke Sign
Transmission shop mural
And, going past it today, I found that the Quincy’s neon is gone.
Diner Hunter 