It's history harkens back to the 1872 when a man by the name of Walter Scott sold food out of a horse-pulled wagon to employees of the Providence Journal, in Providence, Rhode Island.

It was the first diner with walk-up service, as it had windows on each side of the wagon.

Soon after in 1887 commercial production "lunch wagons" began in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Thomas Buckley started to sell what he calls "White House Cafe" wagons.

Charles Palmer received the first patent (1893) for the diner, which he billed as a "Night-Lunch Wagon." He built his "fancy night cafes" and "night lunch wagons" in the Worcester area until 1901.

Later companies sprang forth producing pre-made restaurants based on the streamlined dining cars seen on the railways.

Manufacturers such as the Bixler Manufacturing Company, DeRaffele Manufacturing Co. Inc, Fodero Dining Car Company, Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company, Kullman Dining Car Company, Mountain View Diners Company, Silk City Diners, Tierney Dining Cars, Worcester Lunch Car Company and the Sterling Streamliner diners provided an inexpensive and quick way to get into the growing restaurant business. All that was needed was an empty lot to park the diner, preferably right across the street from a factory full of customers looking for a quick, inexpensive meal.

Fast food restaurants with their regional and national marketing so replaced the stand alone local diner in prominence on the eating out landscape. But luckily a small fraction of the original dining cars still remain on the scene, if you are willing to seek them out.

The Blue Moon Diner, originally the Miss Toy Town Diner, is an historic diner at 102 Main Street in Gardner, Massachusetts. Built in 1949, it is well-preserved example of a late-model barrel-roofed diner manufactured by the Worcester Lunch Car Company. It has been located at its present location since 1954. The diner was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003

I love classic American diners and the "breakfast all day (and often all night)" concept as I'm driving around New England taking photographs. What is not to love about these living, breathing time capsules of a simpler time where good food and bottomless cups of coffee are still served.

The 4 Aces Diner in Lebanon, NH - Built in the early ’50s, the building originally rested up the hill from its current location. Back then, it was a classic 1952 Worcester diner car (#837), with a “rail car” shape.The remainder of the building is a wooden outer shell built around it back in the ’80s, providing extra seating, storage, and office space for the management.