By Leigh Hornbeck | Albany Times Union | Dec. 12, 2007

Nearly seven months to the day after the Prospect Mountain Diner burned to the ground, a shiny new diner arrived to take its place.

"It's a much better experience seeing these trucks here instead of fire trucks," said Pat Humphrey, the diner's manager, who saw the old building destroyed by fire in the early morning hours of May 11. Investigators never found the cause of the fire, but speculated it was started by lightning.

Hundreds of photographs taken during the six decades the diner was open were lost along with an antique sled Humphrey's father used as a child and a 23-pound lobster that had been mounted on the wall.

"But no one was hurt," Humphrey said. "That would have been really hard to live with."

Humphrey and the diner's owner, Art Leonhard, traveled from Ohio to Rhode Island and Maine to look at new diners. They were hoping to buy a diner similar in vintage to the one destroyed by fire - it was shipped to Lake George in 1950 - but ultimately Leonhard bought a new diner from a company in Atlanta so they could be sure it would meet modern building code.

Leonhard escorted the diner, split in two 55,000-pound pieces on two trucks, along Route 9 from exit 21 of the Northway. When it is assembled it will be about 50 feet long and 15 feet wide.

Leonhard watched from the wheel of his truck as a work crew took off the wrapping and prepared a crane to move the diner onto the foundation. The restaurant site is on a hill along Route 9, about a quarter of a mile north of exit 21. It is framed by the Spare Time bowling alley in the foreground and a mountain ridge in the background.

"We're hoping to be open in about six weeks," he said.

The light fixtures are already hanging from the ceiling of the diner and the black and white tile is in place. Other furniture will be shipped separately from Atlanta. Humphrey saved four bar stools from the fire and hopes to find a home for them in the new place.

The diner's longtime cook will be back along with Jane Fuller from Warrensburg, a bartender.

Fuller watched the activity along with loyal customers Allison Drake and Harvey Dubb.

Drake, who used to hang out at the diner each year during the annual Elvis festival in Lake George, said she liked the turkey dinner on the menu.

Dubb was looking forward to a different kind of service.

"Crown Royal," Fuller said. "That's his drink."

Originally published online here: http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=646691&category=&BCCode=&newsdate=12/12/2007