Last Chance For Buellton Diner

Yes, the time has finally come. The old Mullen's Dining Cars restaurant on the north end of the Buellton stretch of Highway 101 in California must go!

The diners main attraction, the two early 1900's Type-B Huntington Standards street cars, built by the St. Louis Car Co. for Henry Huntington's Los Angeles Railway, are now in need of a new home. The property on which the diner sits has been re-zoned and it can no longer stay there. Now, the only future left for the rail cars is the wrecking ball unless someone moves them to a new location before November, 2011. The diners' current owners, Anke-Ev and Frank Haas would love to see the beloved old local landmark be saved and given a new home and a new life.
Friends, this is not a drill and the clock is definitely ticking so, if you have the interest and the space for these enchanting and historical dining cars, or if you know someone who would, PLEASE email us immediately at info@oldstreetcardiner.com.

The back story

The diner was originally constructed using the two rail cars as bookend seating areas with a kitchen and lunch counter between them sometime in 1945-46 by Mr Ed Mullen, a former Southern Pacific railway steward with a few extra bucks, a location and a dream of going into business for himself. Operating with varying degrees of success, around 1949 the charming little landmark eventually fell victim to progress, which came in the form of the new multi lane "Highway 101" which subsequently rendered the old two lane Highway a mere side road. With the new highway, traffic had increased, as did the rate of speed thus, passing the little diner up became easier for motorists who were not afforded a proper exit in the first place and would often opt for the pea soup joint when they eventually did find one. By 1958, the diner closed its doors and never again opened for business. Since then, the diner has had a few different occupants (none of whom operated it as a diner), has provided the scenery for television commercials, professional photographic shoots and has been the subject of countless amateur photographers image of classic roadside Americana but sadly, the prettiest little jewel in Buellton would never relive its former glory.

For more information and history on the Diner, see this link:

http://www.oldgas.com/shoptalk/ubb/Forum4/HTML/001405.html

For more images, go to:

http://www.flickr.com and search: buellton diner