Completed in 1907 for the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, the Hoboken Terminal was extensively renovated for its centennial. Naturally, over more than 100 years of continuous use, the terminal has also been subject to all sorts of modifications. Today, for example, these "lunch room" doors are controlled by a keyless entry system and bear the legend "authorized personnel only."
The Hoboken Terminal has been home to many eateries over its long life, too. This was once an entrance to the Lackawanna Restaurant, which last served the public a half-century ago.
"Lunch room"
Inside the Hoboken Terminal
1 Hudson Pl., Hoboken, New Jersey
Bill Guimes, who wrote the RailFan material on Hoboken Terminal eateries linked to above, elucidates by email:
There were two sets of doors that correspond to the two signs. The doors under the Lunch Room [sign] led directly into the lunch room. Now then, as far back as I can remember, the late fifties, the former lunch room/restaurant was always the trainman/conductor's room. The doors under the Restaurant sign were there, but blocked by phone booths. There was a passageway behind the Restaurant sign that led to the restaurant.
Also, next to the phone booths there was a bank of small lockers that could be rented for a dime or quarter. On top of the lockers was a scratch built model of the Phoebe Snow. It was built by a member of the New York Society of Model Engineers. It was placed there when the NYSME lost its lease for their space on the upper ferry concourse.
When the restaurant/lunchroom were converted into the crew facilities, the bar was still open, but was closed sometime before 1970, AFAIK.
Posted by: Dave Cook | June 24, 2011 at 08:15 PM