I would like to build/have built a model of the now-demolished BEL-LOC Diner in Baltimore; the best food in town and reasonably priced. I took these photos on my last visit:
I even have a menu to put a small repop in side on some tables:
The Diner should be relatively easy to duplicate with Polystyrene sheets and strips. I used a single Photo to build these models. You can scale the size from something in the Picture. For instance the steps in your photo of the diner. Steps are usually 8"to 9" high and there are 4 steps 4x9=36. So the wall below the windows is about 3' high, You can scale the rest of the building from that measurement. The White Tower Diner was made from plans. Good Luck with your project.
@MELGAR posted:These were built from Whistlestop Diner kits sold by Twin Whistle Sign & Kit Company (http://twinwhistle.com/whistlestopdiner.aspx). Also see first post on this thread for Whistlestop Diner models on my layouts.
MELGAR
Mel, here are the pictures of the Clever Models, White Castle'''
This diner, known as the Texas Tavern, has branches in both Lynchburg and Roanoke VA.
A River Leaf Models kit. I wish Andre's business was still open. He made some nice stuff......
Peter
Several diners on my L-shaped layout ..
1) The iconic Mel's Diner by MTH was the first such building on my layout. After many years, it's still in business today.
2) Stella's Diner by K-Line by Lionel with smoke and sound. I bought coffee-scented smoke for it, but never used it for the sake of visitors who might have asthma. I removed it and replaced it with a new diner. I don't have a photo of it..
3) The current diner is Menard's recent building - the Rocket diner. A must-have for me because I'm a Rock Island fan. No smoke or sound features to it, but I may add a diesel horn sound chip to it.
Mike Mottler LCCA 12394
Not exactly a diner, but still a place to eat, for my Times Square subway station, along with a pic of the real thing. NOTE: prototype photo was deleted by moderator because it did not follow OGR copyright guidelines/policy.
EDIT: My apologies. Here is the link to the prototype photo. I hope this conforms to the policy.
Great thread. Here is my diner, started out as a Lionel kit and then I went crazy on 3d print and painting figures.
Based on South Street diner in Boston (2 blocks from the railroad station)
@Putnam Division posted:This diner, known as the Texas Tavern, has branches in both Lynchburg and Roanoke VA.
A River Leaf Models kit. I wish Andre's business was still open. He made some nice stuff......
Peter
Hi Pete, did you scratch build the Texas Diner, or is that a kit. I have photos of it and was planning a scratch build. I haven't seen any kits of it. Either way, it looks very good;...
@EmpireBuilderDave posted:Great thread. Here is my diner, started out as a Lionel kit and then I went crazy on 3d print and painting figures.
Based on South Street diner in Boston (2 blocks from the railroad station)
Very cool', which station, Bay Back, South station, or the main?...
@Quarter Gauger 48 posted:Hi Pete, did you scratch build the Texas Diner, or is that a kit. I have photos of it and was planning a scratch build. I haven't seen any kits of it. Either way, it looks very good;...
River Leaf Models kit
Peter
@Putnam Division posted:River Leaf Models kit
Peter
Looks like River Leaf went out of business, Oct 2022......... Shame, he had some great kits'..👺
@West Side Joe posted:Not exactly a diner, but still a place to eat, for my Times Square subway station, along with a pic of the real thing.
I really enjoyed following your build of this lunch counter. The Niedicks drink machine is incredible.
@EmpireBuilderDave posted:Great thread. Here is my diner, started out as a Lionel kit and then I went crazy on 3d print and painting figures.
Based on South Street diner in Boston (2 blocks from the railroad station)
I love the old school construction of the banquettes.
I have 2 on my Christmas layout. Diners always look good on layouts.
Hey I passed that everyday going to college at Towson. That’s the bel loc at Joppa and loch raven.
@EmpireBuilderDave posted:Great thread. Here is my diner, started out as a Lionel kit and then I went crazy on 3d print and painting figures.
Based on South Street diner in Boston (2 blocks from the railroad station)
Dave, great diner scenes...those two young ladies could use some company? I see a second dinner plate set across from the lady in the booth...? Maybe the guy standing by the counter is with her??
@Quarter Gauger 48 posted:Very cool', which station, Bay Back, South station, or the main?...
Thanks!
This is near Boston South Station. Behind South Station is Atlantic avenue and then one block back is South Street. I'm slowly modeling South Station and the city blocks behind it. The diner is the most detailed I've gotten so far. There is some great prototype to model in Boston between street running of the Union Freight and passenger operations at South Station.
Some day I'll maybe put it into a thread but I tend to jump around alot as interest strikes me.
@coach joe posted:I love the old school construction of the banquettes.
Thank you! I spent way too much time looking at photos of the real South Street diner and found I could model tables and benches closely enough with some scrap wood and stain, and thin polystyrene for the vinyl seat covers.
@Quarter Gauger 48 posted:Looks like River Leaf went out of business, Oct 2022......... Shame, he had some great kits'..👺
Yes....a great loss!
Peter
@Capetrainman posted:Dave, great diner scenes...those two young ladies could use some company? I see a second dinner plate set across from the lady in the booth...? Maybe the guy standing by the counter is with her??
Thanks Paul - actually now that I look at this I see I was in the midst of painting figures. I handpaint each figure which happens whenever I feel like getting that detailed, so I am a few figures shy.
Here is the latest, as of today, and still missing a few customers and some counter help. Note in the figure packages I did not get enough variety of seated characters, so i modified a few to lose legs to fit the benches. Most figures are unpainted from China and a few are storebought.
These are some of the 'dining establishments' I've had the pleasure of creating through the last few years. The layout isn't ready...YET!
...for 'planting' of the buildings. It's on the 2Do list, of course.
White Tower...
Fred & Red's...
The Burger Stand...
And Lori's Lunch Stand...
They'll look better when finally situated. But they were all fun projects...which is what they're supposed to be, anyway!
KD
Positively delightful!! I'm inspired!
Can you tell me where I can get stools??
john
@Csxcellent posted:Hey I passed that everyday going to college at Towson. That’s the bel loc at Joppa and loch raven.
The sign was "preserved" by the Baltimore industrial museum. I say preserved as it is in storage somewhere.
@PRRMP54 posted:The sign was "preserved" by the Baltimore industrial museum. I say preserved as it is in storage somewhere.
I know they had a Starbucks there, but it closed due to the increased crime in the area. It’s a shame, even the town center area is struggling with the issue.
Here's my diner.
LOL, I posted a photo of this same diner on my prior layout on this thread (page 1) on 3/18/17. Here it is now:
@dkdkrd posted:These are some of the 'dining establishments' I've had the pleasure of creating through the last few years. The layout isn't ready...YET!
White Tower.
Fred & Red's...
The Burger Stand...
And Lori's Lunch Stand...
They'll look better when finally situated. But they were all fun projects...which is what they're supposed to be, anyway!
KD
Wow. Just wow. Very talented work on those interiors KD. I love all the super detailing you've done on these eateries...
The 20th Century Diner is a 24/7 operation...between it's location by the bus station and the brewery across the tracks, the place is humming most of the time!
The diner is among my favorite "old" K-line pieces...
Here is the "how to" for a very special Standard Gauge Diner I made in honor of my brother:
These dinner photos are awesome...amazing work!
Found another one!...buried and waiting for the day it'll find a final resting spot on the (still) unfinished layout...
Started with a Bar Mills' Betty's Diner. Added lights, interior, hungry folks and passers by, outdoor accoutrements... Yeah, I get carried away with these distractions. Retirement will do that to you.
I see I've gotta do some background repairs! The fake is beginning to 'flake'!
Also need some behind-the-counter help for those patient patrons!!! Good grief! Who's minding the store??
Meanwhile, back at the ranch basement...
KD
dkdkrd that is one heck of a nice job, I like the way you got carried away with the 'distractions', looks pretty darn like the real thing in my old neighborhood, but what, no cats guarding the garbage cans? Fantastic job, thank for sharing. This has been a great thread, so much talent amongst the OGR clan.
KD, what Chuck said!
Other people have posted Joe's diner before. Here's mine. When it came out of storage after some years I gave the sounds a try. Rock Around the Clock just kept on rocking until I killed the. Powered it up again, Bill Hayley gave it a try but he faded off into static and the juke box quit.
And there's always Dolly's
Here's my latest effort, obviously a work in process:
(. . . and before the protests, yes, this *is* an old thread, but one I came across while doing my research on how to decorate the kit, and thought it might be informative to show the steep learning curve such kits can drop in the lap of the erstwhile modeler! 
)
Thank you Steve for resurrecting this topic: I completely missed it the first time. It made me realize that, as I begin contemplating my urban development, I gave no consideration to a diner(s). Thank you.
Jay
@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:Thank you Steve for resurrecting this topic: I completely missed it the first time. It made me realize that, as I begin contemplating my urban development, I gave no consideration to a diner(s). Thank you.
Oh, no problem, Jay. In trying to get some guidance on how to put my new kit together, I came across the earlier discussions, and they were so helpful I felt they deserved some new attention. I hope I'll soon be able to do a further update showing the successful completion -- stay tuned!
These are views of Mel’s Diner on my 10’-by-5’ model railroad as of 11-17-2023. I built the model from a kit by Twin-Whistle Sign & Kit Company. It requires patience and modification – but worth the effort…
The scene is reminiscent of a railroad diner next to the tracks in White River Junction, Vermont that I visited many years ago. The diner is still there but it seems to have been modernized and changed.
MELGAR
Mel. What were you serving? Are they asleep or sick?
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