The Yankee Silversmith Inn opened in 1953, occupying a home built in 1862. Aside from being just a restaurant, it contained large banquet halls used for weddings and other events. The landmark coach car at the front of the restaurant (in which guests were able dine in) was brought over on August 26, 1970 and is a dining car which was originally built by the Bradley Car Co. of Worcester, MA in 1894. At the time, it provided service to passenegers in parts of PA and NJ by way of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad. (Though the coach car is red, it is depicted as green in this early 1970s postcard.)

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On June 17, 2007, an electrical fire in the attic tripped the sprinkler system which poured 25 gallons of water per minute into the attic, causing massive water damage too expensive to repair. In June 2008, a public auction was held to remove items from within the restaurant before it was to be razed shortly after, leaving the coach car standing alone (above).

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The Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum in Willimantic purchased the coach car late in 2008, becoming a permenant attraction at the museum.