---> [Current/Future] <---
Goodell Dining Car 101
Towanda, PA
1905
Help save a diner, and enjoy a nostalgic read. "New York (upstate) in 1905" is now for sale by the author, Michael Engle. This book is a collection of newspaper clippings from 1905. Go to www.nydiners.com/1905.html for more information on the book, and how to order a copy for yourself.  Profits from this book go to the restoration of the diner, even with Gordon Tindall now owning the diner.
diner being loaded in Wellington, Ohio 2003

Thanks to Glenn Wells for allowing us to use the above photo. Please give him credit if you use this photo. -2006

Currently - Check out You Tube for some videos of the restoration process in Towanda, PA  May-June 2007

Background/Progress -

  About two years ago(2001), Daniel Zilka, director of the American Diner Museum sent me a picture from wellingtonohio.com that showed a 1920's wooden diner right next to a gasoline station.  In finding out that the diner still existed today, I went out to Wellington one winter weekend with two of my friends.  Upon seeing the diner, it looked nothing like it did in the picture on the outside, but the inside was just something to see.  The ceiling was all original, along with original stools.  I knew this was a special place.  Thusly, every time I was going through Ohio, I made it a point to stop.  In early 2003, two diner fanatics like myself let me know that the diner was in jeopardy of being razed, in favor of a strip mall.  I contacted the current leasee of the diner, Sandra Aden and found out it was true.  I let her know that if no one in town wanted the diner, I would love to be able to take it.  Unfortunately, no one in the village of Wellington was interested or had the resources to keep the dining car in town.  So, in October, plans were made to have the diner prepared for a move.
  On November 10th, The diner in Wellington, Ohio headed on a flatbed truck to Gilbertsville, NY.  It arrived the next day.  Volunteers from the American Diner Museum, including Daniel Zilka and Toni Deller sacrificed time and effort to help with taking off the "newer" exterior and detaching the dining car from the back building.  Without them, this would not have been possible.   
  This webpage will chronicle the developments in the restoration process of the diner.  Also, below, will be some of the history of the diner when it sat in Wellington, Ohio.

  February 2007 - The diner has been given to Gordon Tindall who has already restored one diner, ironically also built in 1927.   This will ensure the diner being restored.  The other diner is called the Red Rose Diner, which Gordon runs in Towanda, PA. Visit him!

May- June 2007 - Gordon has been tirelessly working on the diner.  He works on the diner after he closes up at noon on Saturday, usually all day Sunday and Monday evening after he closes up after lunch.  Gordon states that the little things, like progress, getting a new coffee grinder that will look perfect in the diner, keep him going.  He has really made great progress. Gordon has re-framed the entire back side of the diner. He has placed the bottom window sill on one end of the diner and put siding on parts of the back of the diner. As of July 1st, he was working on finishing up the other end of the diner, obviously making the two walls meet at the corner has been a tough and trying situation, but Gordon is meeting the challenge head on.

Preparation for Moving  ---  NYDiners.com


---> [Past] <---
Cecil's Trackside Diner
Wellington, Ohio  (1927-2003)


Winter 2001-2002.  Copyright Mike engle

Contents

General History

Manfacturer?

Pictures

Newspaper
Articles

Personal
Recollections

The Mystery
Dining Car


 

Address

105 Depot St.
Wellington, Oh

Phone

440-647-0334 

Purpose of page

This page was started in order to celebrate the history of a very old and worthy dining car (diner).  I, Michael Engle have assembled this page to help people realize the importance of this diner culturally and archetecturally.

How to Contribute

To contribute a personal memory or make any other comments about this page, please email:
speigletown #
hotmail.com
You can also send mail to me at:
182 Speigletown Rd
Troy, NY 12182
 

Links

NYDiners.com

Ohio Diners

Ohio Documentary of Diners


 






























 

 General History (Wellington) :  The dining car(diner) came to town around  the end of June in 1927.  It is unknown where it came from, but since the Wellington newspaper states that it received a fresh coat of paint just a month after arriving in town, we can assume it was a used dining car.   The first owner was Frank Andrews.  Sometime around late 1929 Mr. Andrews sold it to Van Barbor.  Mr Barbor ran the dining car for ????? years.  Carl Ensign later took over the diner and renamed it Carl's Diner.  Other names were Hazel's Diner and the Village Diner.  Today it is called Cecil's Trackside Diner.  The diner is owned by ??? and is leased out to Sandra Aden. 

Manufacturer : 

  If you check out this link - Diner Manufacturers in the Great Lakes Region - you will see a list of manufacturers.  Even though this diner came to town in June of 1927, evidence seems to support the dining car being a used diner.  Meaning it came from another location, to Wellington.  Thusly, its original age is in question.  One person has told me they remember heaing 1921.  With the all wood interior construction, I would say anywhere from 1924 to 1927 is a plausable answer.  Recently, though, we have come across information that affirms that the diner was built by the Goodell Dining Car company.  Which would place the date of the diner to, most likely, 1926-7.

Pictures :
Here are some pictures of the inside of the diner.  All are Winter 2001-2002.  Copyright Mike Engle.
 

Here are some pictures of how the diner used to look.  These were taken without permission.

above picture is copyright by the Wellington Library. Picture is from 1962


above picture was taken from www.wellingtonohio.net


above picture from Women's Society of Christian Service of Brighton, Ohio - Cookbook

Newspaper Articles :  all articles are from the Wellington Enterprise, which was a semi weekly newspaper during the time of these articles.

June 23, 1927  - TALK DINING CAR AT GAS STATION
  Word on the street is that a man who was until recently in business here plans to purchase and install one of the new fangled "dining cars" on the site of L.G. Bradstock's new West Main St. gas depot.  The town has never lacked for restaurants and a "dining car" would make seven eating houses.
  Lew Bradstock and Frank Andrews are mentioned as the proponents of the scheme.  Such dining cars, costing nearly $5,000 are popular in many cities.

July 7, 1927 - Advertisement

July 14, 1927 - Night Man at Diner - Perry Knapp is night man at the dining car which Frank Andrews operates. at the L.G. Bradstock filling station, West Main St.  Frank is the day time cook.

July 18, 1927 - The dining car looks nice since it was freshly painted, had flower boxes added as exterior improvements and gaily stripped awning hung.

July 28, 1927 - Perry Knapp resigns and goes back to market.  L.E. Predmore who works a night trick at a telegraph key, will cook from 12 midnight to 6am, adding new duties to his present one.

July 12, 1928 - Andrews buys back hotel, will continue to run dining car which he purchased after he sold hotel.

December 6, 1928 - W.F. Overturf has taken the place of Carl Ensign as night man at Andrews Dining Car.

April 14, 1930 - STICK-UP MEN GET $30 HERE - EMPTY REGISTER AT BARBOR DINING CAR; PAIR WORK IN SILENCE.
  A lot can be accomplished in silence, so Rolland Herrick, night waiter of the Barbor Dining Car(Van & Bessie Barbor) on West Main St can testify.  About 2:30 Thursday night, or rather Friday morning, two young fellows came into the car and ordered hamburg samwiches.  Several people were in the car when the individuals in question arrived, but the last one, substitute night watchman, Webb Beavor, had left when the felllows put in their order.
  Herrick put the sandwiches on the griddle to cook and turned around to serve water to the men to find one of them had him covered with a gun.  The other fellow went to the cash register and took out around $30.00 and went to the parked car in front of the diner, while his companion kept Herrick covered.  The men drove down Railroad St. and left Herrick bewildered.  Not a word had been exchanged in the "gun annd money pantomine."
  Herrick, son of Mr. and Mrs. Van Barbor, owners of the dining car, stated that the men were not hard looking characters - they were about twenty-five years of age and appeared to be ordinary young fellows.  Herrick said he would be able to recognize them if he saw them.  They were driving an old model Chevrolet roadster.
  About three O'clock Wednesday morning, two young fellows, answering the same description, held up a lunch room in Vermilion, O., practically the same way and it is thought that there might be some connection in the two robberies.

Personal Recollections : 
 [To add a personal recollection, email speigletown@hotmail.com]
 

The MYSTERY Dining Car :

March 11, 1929 - DINING CAR COMING FOR CAMP GROUNDS
  A modern dining car has been ordered and will be placed two and one half miles east of town on the lot of ex-Mayor Charles Ed Gott, where he owns and operates a filling station and camping grounds.
  The station is fast growing in popularity with tourists and the addition of the car will make the camp complete.  The car is expected this week.