Springfield Subway Car Mystery Solved

[stjr]

Ock, now you have me thinking I confused Cork n Cleaver with Victoria Station!  Well, we did have one or the other with rail cars  !

[MajorCordite]

Hi STJR.   You are correct.  You were thinking of Victoria Station.   Cork and Cleaver was on Atlantic Blvd and near the side entrance to Corporate Square, the office park built in the sand dunes. The restaurant was very similar to a Steak and Ale type place.   It was a popular spot for business lunches.  I ate their a lot from 1972 till the late 1970's. 

Quote: " Before the mall was doubled in size, there was a strip center on the property with a Colonial grocery store on one end..."   

My first job during high school was at this Colonial Store.  I worked there from 1969 to 1971.   It was on the west end of the mall across the parking lot from May Cohens.  Most of the guys who worked there went to Englewood High, and I went to Terry Parker.   I remember two brothers there who built muscle cars and later went on to NASCAR fame.  Like everything else in Jacksonville, the store was later torn down.  I think Jacksonville definitely holds the record for the most changes in a city. 

[LPBrennan]

I remember eating at Victoria Station on several occasions. The Gateway Model Railroad Club met there for our Christmas party at least once.
Another establishment featuring a railroad car was Pullman Pie down on Hendricks near Emerson. It had a larger than life fiberglass (?) conductor out front, with his arm up as if calling "All aboard!" An old steel coach served as the dining room, an attached building with kitchen and restrooms. This was early  1970s: The advent of Amtrak freed a lot of older passenger cars for such uses. The place closed, the car disappeared, and the conductor stood in front for a while longer, now just appearing to wave people in to the shop there. He's gone now.
Over by the stadium a number of old freight and passenger cars were set up as rental units for the Super Bowl. They're still there, but I don't know if they're in use at the present.

[stjr]

Hawkins Fruit Packing on Philips Highway between Emerson and University had an opened caboose car out front kids could play in for many years in at least the 1960's.

[schandle0213]

I used to go to Nichols Alley quite a bit in the 70"s. Nickle night was one of the highlights of my week. I had forgotten about the Subway car to get into the bar until I went to this site. Thanks for the memories...

[Timkin]

Real shame they did away with the Victoria Station Restaurant.  There was one also in Casselberry, if I am not mistaken.

One should be re-created... a great use for some of these old cars. 

Ock... I remember the little locomotive at NAS  as a kid...funny that it ended up in my home town

[Floridakrakker]

Nichols Alley was located in the K-Mart Shopping plaza on the corner of Beach and University.  I was about 18-20 when that placed opened.  Sheesh - great times in that place.  Came in second in one of the dance contests.

Does anyone remember the place called LUM's?  It was about a mile before Nichols Alley headed east towards the beach on the right - immediately after South Gate Plaza  It was was a train car as well and fashioned in  Victorian style  I remember every thing was red inside.  They specialized in hot dogs cooked in beer!

Sheesh - what a flashback - i think that was long before Nichols Alley.

[billy]

Remember the Bierstube?

[NWSJCNINI]

I do remember the Lums. There was one on Blanding Blvd but I do think it was around before Nichols Alley but I did drink a lot of nickel beer back then so I could be mistaken!!

[HisBuffPVB]

There was a  Lum's chain of hot dog restaurants , famed for steaming their hot dogs in beer.  There was one out this way on Atlantic Beach, in front of what is now The Fish Co  There was an Ollie's Trolley Chain, one of the buildings is left on 3rd st at Jax beach, now serves slurpy's or something. Stand and Snacks were here for many years. Milligan's hamburges sort of a home grown Krystal chain were around for a while. Patti's on beach blvd, was never a chain, but the pizza was so good. Lubi's is a good local chain, with great cherry limeades. but Uncle Joes on Atlantic and the Texas on San Marco Blv, are gone. And the Saki Shop, great bar on San Jose, history. The chef at the Palm out on Hecksher, Art, is now a Checkers on Old St. Augustine Road, great place to eat, and the city cannot seem to get its act together so the Palm can be reopened.

[deathstar]

I'm almost certain I've asked this before, somewhere on these forums. Where's this located at?

[DDC]

I'm almost certain I've asked this before, somewhere on these forums. Where's this located at?

If you mean the Subway Car, it was on Ionia Street between East 8th and 9th Street. I think it has been moved but I am not sure. I will ride around there this morning on my way out to work.

If you Google "8th street and ionia st 32206", and go into Google Street, then move down about middle of the block on the west side you can still see it behind a fence with a blue tarp.

[acme54321]

I don't know if it's been posted yet or not but this car is now in Asheville, NC on the Craggy Mountain Line in restoration.

http://craggymountainline.com/news/2013/car-no-983/

[fsujax]

very cool.

[Ocklawaha]

She's back on her feet (wheels), painted, and will be back in operation shortly. As we've preached ad infitm, these things are SIMPLE, nearly indestructible, and easy to maintain. Much simpler then any bus in JTA's stable.