Around the corner and down the street from my dear friend Diane’s house was once the most intriguing old diner. Even though there is very little resemblance, it took me back to the old Whistle Stop Cafe from the book/film Fried Green Tomatoes. I don’t know much about the Diner Cars Cafe except for what I could glean online.
From what I can find, the Dining Cars Cafe was built (or should I say assembled) by Ed Mullens in 1945-46. The Cafe consisted of of two Type-B Huntington Standards that were originally built in 1911. Mullens had at one time been a Southern Pacific railway steward. With the rail cars and some land, he built Mullens Dining Cars on Old Highway 101 just north of Santa Barbara, California.
With the new multi lane “Highway 101” in 1949, the diner found itself on a side road instead of the main thoroughfare. Because of this, the diner lost much of its business. By 1958, after several goes with different owners, the diner shut down. I don’t believe it ever opened again. We took these photos in July of 2010 when I believe the cafe was a residence. When the property was recently re-zoned, the dining cars were sold. I read they were moved to the Moro Bay area. Perhaps we’ll see them open for business again one day.
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