Some feel that a “true diner” is a prefabricated structure built at a plant with the intended purpose of serving food. Many think that a diner is a “diner” because of the style of food that is provided.

The cultural phenomenon that has evolved into the modern diner has its roots in the Northeast. A gentleman named Walter Scott started a part time business out of home selling prepared lunches to supplement his income at a local newspaper in Providence, RI. In 1872 he quit his pressman’s job and started selling full time out of an enclosed wagon. From this humble beginning the diner evolved. When the nation became electrified many horse drawn trolley cars were converted to use as a dining establishment because of their abundance and low cost. The next change came during the great depression when former rail cars became available for purchase at reasonable prices. The term, “diner” comes from “dining car”. The companies making the structures had begun modeling them after the elegant rail cars of the period. Additionally low cost rail cars that had seen actual use on railroad lines throughout the country took on a new life as an eatery.

One such car was Northern Pacific Railroad’s #1787.

Built by the Barney-​Smith Company the 1787 was built as an “observation car” in 1906. Barney-​Smith was the primary competitor for the more well-​known Pullman Company’s elegant railcar business. The car sat unsold for five years when North Pacific Railroad (NP) bought it and had it remodeled into a private presidential railcar. The North Pacific used NP 1787 from 1909 until a replacement was purchased after two decades. The 1787 served the NP faithfully providing a luxurious home away from home for three of the North Pacific’s presidents, Howard Elliott, (1903 – 1913), Jule Murat Hannaford, (1913 – 1920), and Charles Donnelly, (1920 – 1939).

NP #1787, the elegant presidential car sporting Tiffany Glass in the clerestory windows, and elaborate light fixtures throughout, eventually became a victim of the great depression. Sitting idle in Seattle it was purchased by the Knight brothers, Frank and Jack. It was then converted The Knight’s diner on 4^th Ave South in Seattle where it remained in business and in the Knight family for the next 60 years. The loss of a lease brought another loss to Seattle, The Knight’s Diner. Shortly after it was closed in 1991 NP #1787 was moved across the State of Washington to Downtown Spokane where it was restored once again and its long tradition of great breakfasts was continued. Since Spokane already had a Knight’s diner Frank’s came into existance.

The diner is topped with a nice neon reminder that Frank’s has been at it since 1931 as a diner. A reader board type sign featuring a clock and witty sayings to entice visitors sits near the corner of the parking area. The best slogan on the day I visited was, “Gravy is My Favorite Food Group”. Yes, indeed. Frank’s has another location in North Spokane in a 1913 Pullman sleeper “Laketon”, lettered as GN #670 But the downtown location at 1516 W. 2^nd Ave is my pick.

Routinely voted as Spokane’s “Best Breakfast”, Frank’s Diner boasts that it serves:

“15 thousand eggs and

2 ½ tons of hashbrowns Per month

One breakfast at a time
PRICELESS”

In an era where people are forgetting that “real diners” are not found in strip malls, and here in a region where a “real diner” is a rare find, Frank’s truly is the “Real Deal”. If you make a trip to Spokane be sure to include a stop at Frank’s. Breakfast is served.…All Day.

Source: Frank’s Diner, Barney & Smith Company

I have always loved the sound of a train’s horn and my favourite has long been the howl of Amtrak as it pulls into or out of town in the mornings and evenings. I always check my watch when I hear the sound to see if they are running on time or running late. Amtrak Cascades pulls out of Eugene promptly at 9:00 AM and is supposed to return home at 9:00 PM at night. “The Cascades is running late” is a common comment on any given evening. Then there is the Coast Starlight that is supposed to go through about noon and 5:00 PM each day.

Turns out I am not the only one who loves that Amtrak “whistle”. Fred W. Frailey in a Trains Magazine online article entitled “Blues in the night: The whistle to end all whistles” recounts his love for the “beauty of an Amtrak whistle”. More accuratly today the “whistle” is an air horn but the train whistle designation remains from the days of steam railroading. From coast to coast there are those sharing their love of the horn on YouTube.

In Florida there is “Great Horn Salutes By Amtrak” and from California there is “Why Do We Love Amtrak w/​Awesome K5LA Horn Action”.

Dee Brown’s epic history of the building of the transcontinental railroad, “Hear That Lonesome Whistle Blow (1977)” reminds us of a long American love affair with train whistles. Hank Williams sang about the lure of the whistle in his song “I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow”. Johnny Cash liked it enough to do a cover of the song in 1957. Bobby Darin performed a great version of it in 1973 and more recently Beck has covered the song as well. (Lyrics)Back to Amtrak’s horn. Over the course of the last year Amtrak’s 40^th Anniversary Exhibit Train has been crossing the continent. Part of the exhibit displays the different horns used by Amtrak over the past four decades. It seemed to be the kids favorites portion of the exhibit, pushing the button to hear the different horn sounds again and again. The current horn, as noted above, is the AirChime K5LA. There appears to be a basis for liking the sound of this horn. The “whistle” is an actual musical cord: D# (sharp), F#, G#, B, and D#, a B Major 6^th. When I learned this I couldn’t wait to have the wife pick it out on her piano just to hear how it sounds.

Highway 99, was the main north – south highway of “The West” until 1964. Beginning in Calexico, California at the Baja California, Mexico and U.S. southern border, it ran north to Blaine Washington at the U.S. border with Canada. Route 99 evolved from a system of Indian and Pioneer trails of a by-​gone era. Commissioned in 1926 the highway rambles from community to community as it makes its way from border to border. The highway almost meandered connecting communities and main streets on its long journey across the three Pacific Coast states. Highway 99, also known as The Pacific Highway in many places, took time to visit the Capitols of each state that it travels through . In some places 99 was unconventional and split into east and west segments for countless miles just to connect more towns and people. The route was a wonderful combination of rural and urban. Today the route is nearly a memory in some places but in many locales it remains as the main street of the city or town that it passes through. If Route 66 is the “Mother Road”, Highway 99 must almost certainly be a well-​liked aunt or favorite cousin. The highway is spotted with grand vistas and roadside attractions as numerous as the polka dots on Auntie’s favorite yellow dress, its communities are as welcoming as time spent with family on a warm summer’s day at the lake.

Today much of 99 is bypassed by its upstart and in a hurry younger brother, Interstate 5. I-​5 is all business. “Let’s get there and get there now”, is its motto and where 99 connected, I-​5 bypasses. The interstate doesn’t have time for corner diners, vintage neon or historic structures much less the mass of humanity that relies on it for transportation. The Interstate moves commodities and people as fast as possible and where Highway 99 made a point of including as many Western main streets along its length as possible, I-​5 skirts them, leaving once thriving communities and businesses to languish. In some cases those bypassed and stranded have died out altogether.

Jill Livingston did her part to preserve the memory of the route with a wonderfully fun and well written series that retraced the length of the route in her books titled, That Ribbon of Highway I, II, & III.

Jill chronicled locations such as the beautiful and abandoned Harlan D. Miller Memorial Bridge, a beautiful arch structure near Vollmers California, roughly midway between Dunsmuir and Redding in Northern California. She detailed the former highway’s alignment and chronicled many locations that are no longer in use. For the armchair highway historian it is a great read that reaps much from the Works Progress Administration’s, Federal Writer’s Project commissioned books titled, California A Guide to the Golden State (1939), Oregon: End of the Trail (1940), and Washington: A Guide to the Evergreen State (1941). These works were part of the American Guide Series and are essentially the first guidebooks issued for the United States and contained in-​depth histories of each state with descriptions of every city and town along the way with mile by mile automobile tours detailing the regions history and attractions. While exploring Highway 99 I have used these guides to reveal nuances that have been forgotten or passed by.

When traveling Old 99 here in the West, or in any other part of the country for that matter, the American Guide Series can give you a wonderful 80 year old window into our countries depression era heart and soul.

Lord, I was born a ramblin’ man

Trying to make a living and doing the best I can — Allman Brothers Band — 1974

Roads and Rambles will be an account of things I find of interest in the world of words, events and locations. Part roadside photo journal, historical reminiscence, vintage curiosities, and neon documentary. Roads and Rambles invites you to come along on a ramble taken just off the beaten path. A trip taken entirely for the pleasure of the road and the journeys associated with it.