Road Island Diner: Difference between revisions

After construction, it was displayed on exhibition at the [[1939 World's Fair]] in New York.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jennifer |last=Francis |title=Retro diner a big hit in Oakley |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_/ai_n27961451 |publisher=''[[Deseret News]] |date=July 29, 2008 |accessdate=2008-12-20}}</ref> After the Fair, It was sold to Al McDermott who had it towed it to [[Fall River, Massachusetts]] where it operated for 14 years. In 1953, it was sold to Greek immigrant Tommy Borodemos, who had it transported down the turnpike to [[Middletown, Rhode Island]], where it operated for 4 generations as Tommy's Deluxe Diner.<ref>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Salit |title=After 53 years here, diner heads to Utah |url=http://www.projo.com/news/content/EB_MIDDDINER10_07-10-07_356AL3S.34c5ce6.html |publisher=''[[The Providence Journal]]'' |date=July 10, 2007 |accessdate=2008-12-20}}</ref> It closed its doors in May 2006 and was purchased in 2007 by Utah businessman, Keith Walker, who transported it to [[Oakley, Utah]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Mary |last=Brown Malouf |title=Neon in the mountains: Road Island Diner |url=http://www.saltlakemagazine.com/Salt-Lake-Magazine/October-2008/Neon-in-the-mountains-/ |publisher=''Salt Lake Magazine'' |date=October 2008 |accessdate=2008-12-20}}</ref> After a year of restoration, it was opened in July 2008. It is said to be the only pre-war, [[Art-deco]] streamline (constructed to mimic a rail dining car) diner west of the [[Mississippi River]].{{Fact|date=December 2008}}

Claimed to have been the "Cadillac" of diner companies because of its steel frame construction, The Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company of [[Elizabeth, New Jersey]] whose motto was "In our line, We lead the world" was said to have produced 2,000 diners from 1917 to 1941 with only four pre-war Art-Deco streamline style diners to still be in operation. The smaller 50' x 10' [[Mickey's Diner]] serial # 1067 in Saint Paul, Minnesota which is the first diner to be listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] , the 40' x 16' Collin's Diner serial # 1103 in North Canaan, Ct. and the 1938 Summit Diner in Summit, N.J. The Road Island Diner (O'Mahony Dining Car #1107) was added to the [[National Registry of Historic Places]] by the [[National Park Service]] on August 21st, 2009.