Yard office and Diner

[RicZ]

I am modeling a transition era freelance railroad (circa 1959).  During a recent clinic, the discussion of the yard office included a diner for the crew to get a dinner prior to leaving for their train.  Would such a diner have been run by the railroad on RR property, or would it have been a an off- site location close to the yard?

I plan to use an old combine as the yard office, but would an old RR diner also serve the feeding needs of the crews?

RicZ

[csmith9474]

We still sort of have a railroad diner. Penny's diner was created just to serve railroad employees. Can't answer for your era, but thought I would throw that in there.

[BRAKIE]

Most major terminals had a Railroad YMCA located near the yard where the away road crews could get a room, a hot shower and a meal. The outbound crews and yard crews ate there as well. These YMCAs was outlawed due to the yard noise interfered with sleep..These closings was mandated by FRA or STB rulings.

Also there was a break room centrally located in the yard where you could buy items from vending machines including hot can soup. Switch crews would venture over there for lunch and short breaks.

We called these break rooms 'ptomaine palaces.

[train18393]

in that timeframe the C&O Walbridge Ohio yard had a combination YMCA, with the beanery being run by Fitzjeralds(who was a contractor I would guess.) It also had RR offices, locker rooms, showers etc. on the first floor. also on the first floor was a lounge with a television set, pool table lounge chairs and couches if you did not need a room, but just needed to relax for awhile, or if you were a kid of a worker (Leonards son, Paul) who went to work with pop(me) but you had to be quite if the room was occupied by others sleeping in a lounge chair. try playing pool while being quiet. The building was rebuilt but it is still its original size and can be found on google earth et al...even though most of the yards have since been removed. The building is now all railroad offices, I do not even know if there is a beanrey there.  Dad was on a yard crew, but mostly the road crews hung out there.  We would go there when we wern't humping cars.

Paul

Dayton and Mad River RR