It’s the little café that could.

If the pots of growing greenery, upcycled timber communal table and hanging copper-tinged pendant lights don’t give it away, the strands of fettucine drying in the window alongside a big bunch of bay leaves certainly do. Lot 3 is not your usual commuter coffee cart catering to the harried waiting for the 7.59 to Flinders St.

But when you have the smarts of Attica alumni behind this repurposing of the historic station masters cottage at Ripponlea, it makes for a magic railroad indeed (and not a Fat Controller in sight). Ex-assistant manager Michael Bascetta (who’s also a partner in Fitzroy’s new favourite somm hot spot, Bar Liberty) is backed by David and Helen Maccora here, who sold their chunk of Attica around the corner last year, making Ben Shewry complete master of his domain.

And while that’s some serious pedigree, this is no high-concept reimaging of a café; rather it’s a simple celebration of coffee – from Proud Mary in Collingwood, still arguably the finest locally roasted beans in town – with Sicilian-influenced fare staving off mid-morning pangs with crostoli, and feeding the lunchtime beast with that fettucine in daily-changing ways.

That could be spicy sausage and roasted tomatoes today; chilli, fennel and lemon tomorrow. Satisfyingly supple, the pasta makes for a simple lunch, done well.

Sandwiches are equally clever: thick slices of mortadella, pan-fried crisp and served with a squirt of house hot sauce and orange American cheese is “baloney” done brilliant, but it could equally be eggplant parmigiana or roasted tomatoes with house made ricotta found between the slices of buttery toasted ciabatta.

Washed down with soda, also house made – the sweet-heat of the pineapple and ginger particularly good – or filtered/sparkling water on tap, and you have more than just a prime pitstop for a commuters but a destination of its own.

Lot 3 might be the saviour of suffering Sandy line suits, but there’s enough good things to fire engines from further afar. Make tracks.