In 1971 my client for the Church House took me to Atlanta to see a new restaurant called "Victoria Station". It was just the second location for the new company, that would eventually cover the country. He had no restaurant experience but he wanted to give it a try.
            His first choice was in Lauderdale by the Sea, a small crowded beach community. That failed because the town had an ordinance preventing prefabricated structures, and considered a box car to be one. Then the bright idea surfaced…….why not on RR tracks at a major street crossing. A suitable site was available.
            Our version of the train theme was probably more difficult, but much more interesting and unique. We found a source for the multiple freight cars and caboose required and some tracks to set them on. Then did a heavy timber roof floating over the whole thing, supported on outboard poles, and raised a center section of roof four feet higher over the bar/lounge area.
            The box cars became the dining rooms. The inside dimension was just right for two rows of tables, mostly booths. The space between the cars was waiter stations. The caboose was a more intimate part of the lounge. Dining tables all had RR lanterns hanging from a trellis above and enlargements of old RR theme B&W photos were abundant. RR antiques were also readily found.
            Years later, the Victoria Station franchise, in need of a Ft. Lauderdale location were forced to buy The Train Station. The two regional managers, here to lead the transition, later became partners in Raffle's.