Tavern Cars by TransportTreasuryPublishing

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ISBN 978-1-913251-66-6

Mr Bulleid’s Tavern Cars Robertson

More books have probably been written on the life and work of OVS Bulleid than likely any other CME from the steam age. His locomotives probably having received more than their fair share of criticism - and praise. Similarly it must not be forgotten that he also designed a considerable amount of passenger rolling stock the most controversial of which were the Tavern / Restaurant sets dating from 1949. Styled internally and to an extent externally in the form of ‘Ye Olde Inn’ and with the Restaurant cars having no windows to discourage diners from lingering after their meal, they courted controversy right from the first day they were presented to an unsuspecting public at Waterloo in May 1949. So were they really as bad as we have been led to believe? This is the first book devoted solely to just ‘eight pairs of carriages’ attempts to find out.

Mr Bulleid’s Tavern Cars

A Southern Times ‘Extra’ Compiled by Kevin Robertson

Mr Bulleid’s Tavern Cars A Southern Times ‘Extra’ 1 Compiled by Kevin Robertson

© Text Kevin Robertson. Images as credited. Design The Transport Treasury 2024. ISBN 978-1-913251-66-6 First published in 2024 by Transport Treasury Publishing Ltd. 16 Highworth Close, High Wycombe, HP13 7PJ Totem Publishing, an imprint of Transport Treasury Publishing. The copyright holders hereby give notice that all rights to this work are reserved. Aside from brief passages for the purpose of review, no part of this work may be reproduced, copied by electronic or other means, or otherwise stored in any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the Publisher. This includes the illustrations herein which shall remain the copyright of the copyright holder. www.ttpublishing.co.uk Printed in Taxien, Malta by Guttenberg Press Ltd.

Front cover - Tavern S7892 At the sign of The White Horse and its accompanying Restaurant, S7833, brand new at Eastleigh. Although undated this is likely to have been just prior to the official Waterloo inspection on 25 May 1949. It is a great pity that despite what some might say was the novelty factor of the vehicles, few official images appear to have survived and certainly none have been found of construction or later rebuilding. Frontispiece - Genuine 1950 colour. At the sign of The White Horse, recorded at Exeter Central on 7 March 1950. Mark Arscott collection. Rear cover - Colourised view of the interior of a Tavern (see also page 17). Whilst strict accuracy cannot be guaranteed, this modern rendition does give an impression at least of the ‘pub on wheels’ although the space available was in reality little more than the equivalent of a ‘snug’. Author / Publisher’s note: Every effort has been made to correctly annotate images used in this work although it must be acknowledged identical images have sometimes arrived from more than one source. If an error has occurred this is entirely unintentional and will be corrected in future editions if the author / publisher is advised.

Contents

1. Hors d’oeuvres

2. Entrée (or a very brief honeymoon)

3. A denigrated design 31 4. Eight pairs of Carriages

5. A climbdown - of sorts

6. Modernisation (or indigestion?)

Appendix A: Materials and equipment supplied by contractors

Appendix B: Official description of the cars

Appendix C: Tavern car names and signs

Appendix D: Chronology of dates

A contradiction in terms

Acknowledgements / Bibliography

100

A very brief Preface

t would be all too easy in this book to attempt to draw parallels with other work by Mr O V S Bulleid.

of the Southern and achieve a high-turnaround of diners. For the Tavern this was intended to be a tranquil oasis where drinks might be enjoyed. Contrary to some press and public opinion it was not intended to encourage excess alcohol consumption.

The author has singularly attempted not to do this although in the course of research it is clear that this has not always been the case in some other publications.

Sadly both were probably ahead of their time. ‘Themed’ restaurants and bars are now a staple feature of 21st century life.

Mr Bulleid, in his design of the Tavern and its associated Restaurant, was attempting to produce vehicles both fit for the purposes of the travelling public and the railway’s need. In the case of the Restaurant car it was a desire to accede to the wishes

As author I can only regret that whilst I lived through most of the era of the Taverns I failed to identify what they were if (and I probably did) and when I saw them; certainly in rebuilt form. 3

Tavern Car No S7899, ‘At the Sign of the George & Dragon’ which was attached to Restaurant (sometimes referred to as ‘Trailing Car’) No S7840 just visible on the extreme right. Dependent upon source, the vehicle numbers are also on occasions referred to as having the ‘S’ prefix either side of the running number. No 7899 is seen here at Clapham Junction as part of an empty stock working for the ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ on 30 July 1949; note the ‘Torrington’ destination board on coach S4371 to the left and the ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ roof boards made up of four separate boards. The pseudo brickwork shows up well but was not necessarily easy on the eye where the change to conventional crimson and cream occurred halfway along the coach. It was only the Tavern vehicles that were painted with the mock brickwork, the remainder of the train likely in standard green livery. Joe Kent / Bluebell Railway Archive

1. Hors d’oeuvres

here are few designers of railway locomotives and rolling stock who have courted so much controversy as Mr Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid. Few designers too whose output has resulted in so many words published in book and magazine form both in praise and damnation.

and buffet services had been provided up to then. Indeed contemporary rail catering had up to that time been based on one of four concepts. At the top there was Pullman with its ‘atseat’ service throughout the train and consequently no need for a passenger to move from his chair between the start and end of a journey.

Of his locomotive designs, Pacific, Q1, Leader and Diesel and Electric types enough has been said elsewhere - some it will be admitted by the present writer. Similarly his rolling stock types have received attention and where in the present work reference has been made to relevant previously published sources, this is mentioned in the acknowledgements and bibliography.

Next was the conventional restaurant car service, perhaps spread over several sittings but again with table service. Similar was the buffet service, the GWR for example offering a quick and less formal dining experience often with a bar facility included. Finally came the snack service; a waiter parading up and down the train to provide light refreshments to existing passengers - or the passenger might have brought their own food to be consumed at their seat.

In general terms Mr Bulleid’s rolling stock followed conventional design although that phrase is immediately qualified with a degree of caution. His locomotive hauled stock for the Bournemouth line for example was welcomed, modern, airy and matched to the profile of his new pacific steam designs. With electric multiple units operating the London suburban services there was, with one exception, less opportunity for radicalisation, the principal aim being to move as many as possible in as limited a space as possible - six-a-side compartment seating a necessary evil as anyone who has ever experienced it will testify.

The Tavern Car and associated semi-permanently coupled Restaurant Car combination continued to provide the service the majority of (non-Pullman) passengers had become used to - but it was how they did it that was so different. Dealing with the commonalities first, yes there was a bar at which drinks could be obtained and snacks enjoyed. Yes there was a kitchen as part of that car where meals might be prepared, and again yes, there was a restaurant where those meals might be consumed in the wonderfully British class terms of ‘First and Second Class diner’.

The exception to the rule were the pair of Double-Deck electric units, again intended with the best intentions but with practicalities not especially thought through as regards access and egress, ventilation, and additional dwell time at station stops. Even so the pair of these trains managed almost a quarter of a century of service. One design of carriage though would be the most controversial of them all, the Tavern Cars. A two coach combination of vehicles introduced in 1949 at a time when austerity still ruled and yet which brought with it a dramatic change to how railway carriage catering

Where the difference lay was the visual appearance of these facilities. For the bar and snack area the whole was designed as per an English Inn replete with oak beams and settles. In the Restaurant Car First Class passengers sat with their backs to the carriage sides enabling each to observe their neighbour opposite masticating. Indeed apart from one’s own food there was really little

else to look at within the Restaurant Car as the coach sides were devoid of conventional windows, having just small sliding vents along the top. The exterior thus presented a bland and certainly unique appearance for a passenger carrying vehicle. Coach expert Mike King deems it reminiscent of a school refectory hall, others were less kind with comparison with the sides of a convict vehicle.

Similarly the question raised is simple, was this Mr Bulleid at his quirky best, a moment of folly, or simply something which as CME at the time the order for new restaurant cars was authorised, just with his name at the top of the list of those responsible? Delving as far as it has been possible it is hard to place the blame - if blame is indeed justified - at the door of just one man. A design departing so much from the conventional could not have been kept secret with many involved.

If this were not bad enough we return now to the exterior side of the Tavern Car where the then corporate BR Crimson and Cream livery had been altered below the waist line to represent brickwork in keeping with the ‘Inn’ style interior. Again fake timber abounded. One could never say Mr Bulleid had not played his part in keeping with the then contemporary British Railways coaching stock colours but certainly not as intended.

Like some of his other designs, was Mr Bulleid even simply attempting to prove a point when it came to escaping from the straightjacket of tradition which as we know he so often did . The ‘We have done it this way for so long so let us try something different’ attitude.

As might be expected reaction was to say the least mixed. A few applauded but in the main the reaction was shock horror; questions raised in the Houses of Parliament and a considerable amount in the way of column inches printed in newspapers both national and provincial. Whether such venom was entirely justified is, 70+ years on, debatable.

History, and the reader, must be the arbitrator of those decisions of years ago and whilst I will personally admit I never saw one of the vehicle pairs in original condition I cannot have but a sneaking admiration for a man who was prepared to do something different. Kevin Robertson.

Berkshire 2024. Nos S7898 At the Sign of The Green Man and Restaurant No. 7839 again at Clapham Junction as empty stock for the ‘Atlantic Coast Express’, this time on 4 July 1949. When photographed both vehicles had been in service only a matter of a few weeks. It is important to note that the Restaurant was coupled to the kitchen end of the Tavern. Joe Kent / Bluebell Railway Archive

As a comparison with the view opposite, this is a pairing of Tavern and Restaurant cars after rebuilding, the most striking changes being the conventional windows and similarly standard Southern Region green livery. (The actual ‘Tavern’ is not identified.) Most of the changes to the vehicles were gradual, the most immediate being the substitution for conventional windows - and seating - in the Restaurant. These and other changes are discussed later in the text. The location is Exeter Central in 1963, No. 34078 222 Squadron possibly awaiting departure eastbound or having brought a portion of a through service bound for Waterloo into the platform with the Tavern / Restaurant portion soon to be attached by the station pilot. Keith Pirt / Booklaw Publications

Whilst weights differed between the Tavern and Restaurant vehicles, both were built to the same external dimensions, viz 64’ 6” x 9’ 0”. Courtesy Mark Arscott, ‘Markits’.

2. Entrée (or a very brief honeymoon)

ike or loath the products of O V S Bulleid, it cannot be denied his designs were both controversial and colourful. Controversial in so much as every single locomotive design he produced, had its critics and during Southern Railway days, colourful relative to his choice of livery - certainly a brighter and more vibrant green compared with the olive favoured by his predecessor Mr Maunsell.

the plan reveals that in First Class the seats and tables are not conventionally placed with the seats instead against the coach sides and tables facing the centre line of the coach. (The interior of the First class dining portion is illustrated on pages 10, 12 and 13.) So was this such a radical departure? Well yes, for the present writer has not been able to find any other example of a ‘pubic’ railway dining car laid out in this fashion (private saloons excepted). Advantages? Two that might be relevant; the first a more convenient means of access with a wider central gangway; and for the purpose of actually serving food the waiter did not have to lean across an already seated diner to reach the plate of his neighbour seated nearest the window. But wait a minute, did we just say ‘window’? We should really have said ‘the side of the coach’, for this ‘Combined First and Third Dining Saloon’ had no windows in the conventional form and instead was fitted with what were in effect slab sides having just a series of small sliding sections (We hesitate to use the term ‘Toplights’ for fear of confusion with GWR coaches of that type), and instead are best viewed and referred to in the accompanying images.

A vibrant green however was not what brought the Tavern Car design to notice, for as referred to in the Hors d’oeuvres it was both the physical design, exterior and interior, as well as the exterior livery that drew comment from both officialdom and public alike. At this point let us say here is not the only place to recount the history of these vehicles, that was done by the undoubted coach expert Mike King in his original work Southern Coaches, Oxford Publishing Company (Ian Allan), 2003, reprinted 2006. Instead what is presented in the present work is detail that has emerged on the workings of these unique vehicles as well as the comments and complaints from the public and elsewhere and the associated defensive response from British Railways at the time. So to start, we should first set the scene as to the reasons for the controversy. Not an easy thing to do in a few short sentences as it is necessary to describe so many aspects of the interior and exterior design and of course that decidedly unique exterior colour scheme.

Having now discussed First Class we move along the same vehicle to Third Class(see pages 14 and 15), the two sections separated by a pair of centrally placed doors which opened either way. In Third Class more passengers might be accommodated than in First, 40 against 24, this time in conventional seating ‘four to a table’ having loose chairs. As an aside, upholstery in Third Class was maroon with a leaf pattern motif.

The reader is thus referred to the plan opposite sourced from The Railway Gazette which shows the interior design of what was a semi-permanently coupled pair of vehicles consisting at first glance perhaps, a fairly conventional ‘Kitchen and Tavern’ car attached to an associated ‘Combined First and Third Dining Saloon’. It may be convenient to deal with the latter first for closer study of

Otherwise the interior was similar at both ends with call bells placed higher on the coach sides and ash trays for Third Class affixed to the sides. Both of these features may be observed in the 9

illustrations. (Ash trays are not obvious within First Class and in fact were built in to the table edges.)

unconventional approach comes from the words ‘Refectory Type Tables’ whilst it may be noted that staff serving diners would obtain trays of food from a serving hatch at the opposite end of the coach to the buffet area. Note too the letter ‘A’ on the drawing as to the orientation of the two cars when coupled; a ‘buck-eye’ connection provided between the vehicles with no buffers; as such they were a semi-permanent combination.

Whilst both the call bell and ash trays were no doubt welcome in Third, their respective positions were not ideal. A diner would have to stand to reach the call bell and similarly lean over his neighbour sat nearest the side to reach the ash tray. Again most noticable was the lack of conventional windows in Third Class, the same design applying here and with similar disadvantage. Although not seemingly mentioned anywhere in official papers, it appears the objective was to limit the amount of time a diner might wish to remain seated and in so doing allow for more passengers to partake of a meal. Folklore also has it that the seats may have been made deliberately less than comfortable and for the same purpose; exactly the same had applied in the ‘Devon Belle’ observation cars rebuilt from conventional Pullman vehicles in 1947. In the latter case passengers were welcomed but expected to depart after a limited time so to allow others to also enjoy the view. If there was a comparison then it was not only in the seating, in the new Restaurant Cars there was no view that might be enjoyed whilst seated, indeed Mike King ably describes it as ‘akin to a gloomy school-hall-dining-room’. (The present writer has the opinion it is perhaps more reminiscent of a prison cell having a window high off the floor – but he hastens to add without any personal experience of same.)

The use of the term ‘buffet area’ on the plan was also a misnomer for whilst passengers might indeed obtain light snacks, the decor within was unlike anything seen before within a railway coach, the new design instead intended to resemble a comfortable English Inn. If the foregoing were not enough, it was the exterior that was certainly the most controversial. Although originally ordered four years earlier in 1945, the year 1949 was no longer the time of the Southern Railway and standard British Railways crimson and cream was mostly the only choice on the menu. Crimson and cream is regarded by many as being a particularly smart livery but Bulleid modified this (and the term ‘impish’ would most certainly seem appropriate hereon) with (‘sham’1) pseudo brickwork / mortar on the exterior end of the ‘Kitchen - Tavern’ vehicle up to waist level and elsewhere painted vertical beams to imitate timber. It was still crimson and cream (plus black for the beams) but not exactly the standard crimson and cream expected. To complete the exterior embellishment a hand painted (name) sign reminiscent of an actual pub name was added to the side.

We move now to the ‘Kitchen and Tavern Car’. Again a glance at the plan reveals at first sight a conventional vehicle with a kitchen, buffet area, some seating - of necessity restricted by the space available, and also staff facilities. The only clue as to the

1.‘Sham’ was the none too kind word the Railway Observer used later in 1949 to describe the fake brickwork.

Interior of the First Class portion (pun deliberate) of the ‘Combined First and Third Dining Saloon’. The referred to seating with ‘backs against the wall’ is now apparent along with the position of the windows. Apart from when stood up and / or unless he were a regular traveller familiar with the sounds associated at varying points on the route, the diner would have absolutely no idea where he might have been on the journey. A fan was provided to effect some form of ventilation whilst a radical departure for the time was the sensible idea of glass luggage racks to remind passengers who might otherwise have been tempted to forget some of their luggage. Even so, a passenger would not normally be expected to spend more than the actual meal times in the vehicle before returning to their seat elsewhere in the train; so would they be inclined to bring all their luggage with them anyway? British Railways

This page and opposite - ‘Service with a smile’ in First Class. Note the ‘call bell’ on the coach side especially visible on the page opposite. All three views are almost certainly ‘posed’ using, as was the practice, railway office staff. These, and the later interior views of the portion of the Restaurant Car given over to Third Class as well as the ‘Kitchen and Tavern’ car interiors, were probably taken at Waterloo on 25 May 1949 when a pair of vehicles were inspected by senior railway staff. Buff-coloured laminated plastic was applied to the walls with the actual First Class seating in a figured brocade having a floral motif in old rose and turquoise. A touch of the modern was the diffused fluorescent lighting although this still did not compensate for the gloom within, devoid as it was from much natural light. This is noticeable particularly when comparing the view top right with that opposite; the latter at least having the benefit of some natural light. Facing seats might have made passage for diners and serving staff easier but it was not to everyone’s taste to observe their opposite number in this manner. Compared with latter day rail travel, the interior appears devoid of warning and instruction signs for passengers, there is also no obvious sign of the ‘Stop Train in case of Emergency’ chain. Finally, observe the timbering on the sides, part of the design and intended to replicate that of a comfortable and traditional hostelry. British Railways

Above and opposite: Third Class interior. Seating here was conventional ‘2+2’ with fixed tables and loose chairs. Mr Bulleid had not been able to resolve the issue of access to the ‘window’ seat and seating was very likely a ‘...once you are in, you stay there’. Five tables were provided on either side affording for a total seating capacity of 40 diners. Of note are the items referred to in the text and their respective positions, namely the ash trays and call bell. One might well ask one’s fellow diner to summon the attendant but leaning across to use the ash tray was not ideal. With most people considered smokers at the time the ‘fug’ that must have quickly occurred could only be dealt with by opening the windows aided by a solitary fan. Again illumination was by ceiling mounted fluorescent lighting and not, compared with First class, supplemented by wall lights. The two views were clearly taken on different occasions and / or at different locations as one has the additional benefit of natural light. With the table laid the bland and perhaps even utilitarian appearance is relieved slightly but note again an interior devoid of notices, emergency chain and any form of pastoral advertising scenes. British Railways

Regretfully very few original colour views showing the livery have survived – austerity, the availability and cost of colour film and as it transpired the short life of the vehicles in their original condition combine to make such photographs a rarity.

Opposite page - The literal ‘Tavern’ portion or more accurately perhaps, the bar area. From here drinks as well as snacks might be served, a second ‘pub sign’ also displayed; as seen partly at the top. Whilst obviously posed it is still interesting to contemplate exactly what expression the lady nearest the camera is attempting to portray. It is also just possible to make out the tiling on the floor.

Considering the original order for these vehicles had been placed back in 1945/6, Bulleid had plenty of time to consider fully his design. We might even ask the questions, in 1949 did he genuinely believe they would be accepted, what livery / design might have emerged had they appeared in independent SR days, or was it the ‘impish’ Bulleid having what was almost his last vestige of independence?

This page, top left - From slightly further back we see the wooden settles and ‘leader’ windows. Did the brain play tricks when one of the cars swayed over a junction or two meaning the ceiling lamps moved as well pseudo pub mimicking pseudo earthquake perhaps. It cannot be denied, the attention to detail in attempting to reproduce and so capture the essence of ‘Ye Olde Inn’ was considerable. (See also rear cover view.)

Seemingly without any pre-conceived idea of what they were to be exposed to, a ‘press’ day was arranged at Waterloo for 25 May 1949 where the hierarchy from Marylebone together with the aforementioned representatives from the press might attend. Exactly why a press day was considered necessary / appropriate is not totally clear. Was this in fact part of the new BR policy – to promote their latest innovations at every opportunity? Perhaps

This page, top right - Kitchen which was located along the same side but at the end of the bar serving area. The railway, not just the SR, had always been adept at squeezing the maximum equipment into the smallest space. Cooking was by means of gas, the tank for which, together with a cooler were placed below the underframe. Beyond the kitchen was the crew rest area.

Original tavern. Note on the side elevation a window is shown for the staff accommodation (train office.) Courtesy Mark Arscott, ‘Markits’.

the answer was indeed a simple ‘yes’, good publicity considered essential although possibly the Tavern Car episode would prove to be a salutary lesson to all concerned; to check the product first. (It might even be thought surprising that this lesson had not carried over from pre-nationalisation days. Was Marylebone Road really that naïve; had no one even bothered to scrutinise the plans and even ask questions, or was this even Missenden and / or others scoring ‘points’ – but if so against and for who / what benefit?) In the event it would prove to be a costly exercise both in terms of reputation and money.

at Waterloo and the timing between 11.00am and 1.00pm ‘…as may be convenient to the Minister of Transport, if the latter is to be invited.’ (We cannot be certain if the Minister did attend for the National Archives files refer to invitations being sent to 32 members of Parliament to view the cars at 11.00 am, at Marylebone on 1 June. It is not certain if this inspection actually did take place.) Publicity (and at that positive publicity) was clearly in the mind of the writer for under heading ‘4- Programme’ is written ‘In order to strengthen the news value, and as the Minister’s inspection (with Chairman B.T.C., R.E. and Hotels Executive) should not take long, it is recommended (if Minister is agreeable) that press should be invited to see him inspect the vehicles. After Minister leaves, Press will be taken for about an hour’s run in the cars, refreshments being provided appropriate to the time of day. If it is not desired, any inspection by Minister and Chairman B.T.C., should be before lunch and Press inspection should be held separately about 3.00pm with demonstration run as before.’

Before going on to describe the events of the day we might backtrack very slightly to 17 May 1949 on which date we have the first written evidence of any press inspection to take place. This takes the form of a two page memorandum from an unknown signatory to A J Pearson at Marylebone. (Mr Pearson was Chief Officer – Administration for the Railway Executive.) The signatory referred to having discussed the ‘launch’ of the Tavern cars with Mr Grassmann (Public Relations Officer at Waterloo). Various interesting points were made reference the vehicles and a launch, the latter to be ‘…..as soon as possible as the cars are being held out of traffic until the inspection takes place.’ Does this mean ‘one set’ or even more than one set was finished, the file is not clear on that point and nowhere do we have actual dates of when each pair was released from Eastleigh. What is mentioned is that there was much else going on around the same time, the Cambria cruise on 25 May and a Diesel run to Glasgow scheduled for 1 June (2). At that time the recommended dates were Monday / Tuesday 30 / 31 May, ‘…..otherwise will require postponement until after Whitsun’.

Subsequent paragraphs refer to the Press Invitation and Handouts, both of which were submitted in draft form. In addition there is mention of ‘One set of photographs which it is proposed to distribute to the Press is attached for approval’ – regrettably these were not present in the preserved file at the National Archives. Special mention is made that photographers were to be given facilities before the actual inspection ‘…..to ensure the subject is properly covered’. If this was actually the case on the day then we might realistically assume any number of images were taken by the various newspapers and press agencies but again despite extensive searching these have not been located. Instead what official railway views do exist are very often repeats seen elsewhere giving the conclusion they were syndicated out to whoever wanted them.

2 – Cambria was a passenger ferry built by Harland & Wolff and commenced service between Holyhead and Dún Laoghaire. On 1 June 1949 the LMS ‘twins’ Nos 10000/10001 successfully worked the 520 ton ‘Royal Scot’ express non-stop from Euston to Glasgow. The pair took up the same duty on a regular basis, working a round trip from London to Glasgow from 10 July 1949.

The location for the Tavern Car inspection was specified to be 19

Finally in this section are the words, ‘Consideration to be given to the provision of models for photographic purposes.’ So was a model(s) ever made?

Platform entry control would be under the care of Mr Grassmann’s staff who would also arrange a blanket ‘pass’ for the whole party. Without also any intended mockery, we might recall the antics of the characters involved in the wonderful BBC TV comedy ‘Yes Minister’ of later years, especially as the paperwork at this time referred to a (genuine) Mr Humphrey who held the role of Information Officer at the Ministry of Transport! A final word was that ‘Officers’ numbers should be kept to a minimum especially those going on the demonstration run and for the simple reason of allowing the maximum space for the Press. ‘The Hotels Executive and The Railway Executive. 222 Marylebone Road, LONDON. N.W.1. For Press Information. 25 May 1949. ‘There is a Tavern on the Train. Novel Combined Restaurant-Buffet Cars for British Railways. Opposite - Another posed view, this time of a chef busily engaged - the ranges were gas fired. These backed on to the wall of the ‘office’ (staff quarters) and were consequently responsible for the heat in this compartment. To the left is the serving hatch which opened on to the side corridor - also used by passengers. The kitchen capacity was such that 350400 meals might be served before restocking was required. Left - The staff view of the bar area with its barrel of beer visible - we are not told what draught was involved but for the time it was likely bitter beer. Other bottles occupy the lower shelf and as such were on display to customers from the public side. Glasses are at head height, the design allowing for maximum utilisation of space - although as will be read not appreciated by all. Both British Railways

Eastern Region

‘By co-operation between the Railway Executive and the Hotels Executive, eight novel ‘Tavern Cars’ combining the most modern features of a Restaurant Car with kitchen and Pantry, plus a tavern car on the style of an Old English tavern, are being introduced this summer on express services on the Eastern and Southern regions of British Railways.

‘The Master Cutler’ 7.40.a.m. Sheffield – Marylebone 6.15.p.m. Marylebone – Sheffield (The ‘Dolphin’ pairing commenced duty on the above on 20 June, at the same time as the ‘Bull’ began on ‘The White Rose’.)

‘Prior to going into service, the first of these vehicles (all of which are being built at the Eastleigh Works of the Southern Region to the design of Mr O V Bulleid (1), Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Region) was inspected at Waterloo Station today, Wednesday 25 May.

‘The White Rose’ 9.15.a.m. King’s Cross – Leeds 5.15.p.m. Leeds – King’s Cross

1. As was customary, Bulleid as ‘head of the tree’ was credited with the design but much work would have been undertaken by Lionel Lynes in his role as Technical Assistant to the CME with responsibility for carriages and wagons.

‘The Norfolkman’ 10. 0.a.m. Liverpool Street – Cromer 4. 0.p.m. Cromer – Liverpool Street

‘Each refreshment unit comprises a set of two vehicles, one being a normal Restaurant Car with accommodation for both first and third class (but with a novel style of table arrangement and interior design), seating, in all 64 passengers, and the other Tavern Car (with unique buffet arrangements) which contains kitchen and pantry for the service of both cars.‘The cars are being put into service as soon as possible on the following trains –

‘Cross Country Boat Train’ (2 trains) 1.20.p.m. Liverpool (Central) – Harwich 8. 0.a.m. Harwich – Liverpool Central Eastern and London Midland regions ‘The South Yorkshireman’ 10.0.a.m. Bradford – Marylebone 4. 50.p.m. Marylebone – Bradford

Southern Region ‘The Atlantic Coast Express’ 10.35.a.m. Waterloo – Exeter (Central) 12.50.p.m. Exeter (Central) – Waterloo

‘Description of the Tavern car ‘Externally the two vehicles are of striking appearance, with leaded light windows set high in cream panelling.

(So far as the SR was concerned, the first public working was on 28 May when one set worked down on the 10.20am Waterloo to Exeter. This was probably to ‘place’ the vehicles ready for commencement of service on the ‘ACE’ two days later which required one set working in each direction.) 22

‘The lower half of the Tavern car is painted in the new Crimson lake livery of British Railways, lined out to represent brickwork, with a door through which the bar is supplied. The cream panelling is broken by vertical black panels imitating the outward appearance of an old half-timbered Inn. Set in the middle of one of the cream

Original restaurant. Courtesy Mark Arscott, ‘Markits’.

panels of the Tavern Car is the ‘Inn’ sign, each coach having a different name.

there is an ice-cream conserver, a refrigerator and provision for the service of draught beer-lager and cold minerals.

‘Inside, one steps straight into an Old World Inn, with its roughsurfaced, white-washed walls and ceiling between dark oak beams, with dark oak settles and tables placed against the walls. The windows are set high in the walls and are of the old-fashioned type, with small leaded panes, while from the ceiling beams and the sides of the saloon hang old-type square metal lanterns. The floor covering imitates the old black and red tiling of the Country Inn.

‘Both Kitchen and Pantry are finished in cream and chromium plate, with a special non-slip cream tiled floor and cream plastic walls. Ventilation is a special feature. ‘Much thought has been given to the design of these Kitchen and Pantries and although space is necessarily limited it has been possible to install complete equipment of modern design and easy clean finish, to provide hot meals for 350-400 persons in relays. Drain plugs are installed for hosing down when necessary.

‘It is only at the far end of the ‘Tavern’ that the modern note is struck by a Cocktail Bar and Snack Counter, fitted with the modern efficiency of gleaming stainless steel and plastic.

‘Tucked away at the end of the kitchen is another innovation, the private room for the kitchen staff with their own table, chairs and washing accommodation, etc.

‘Suspended from one of the roof beams in the ‘Tavern’ is a small replica of the ‘Inn’ sign which also appears on the outside of the coach. The signs have been specially painted for these coaches by Joan Main and David Cobb R.C.I. (Mr and Mrs David Cobb), who have specialised in the revival of this branch of art. The eight signs chosen are –

Restaurant Car ‘Across the gangway is the Restaurant Car with seats for 24 First Class and 40 Third Class passengers. Here is something new in Railway Restaurant Cars. ‘Although the half-timbered effect used so strikingly in the Tavern has been carried through into this car, the roof and sides being almost identical in construction, the use of polished light-figured oak for the timbers and wall frame, combined with buff plastic wall panels, gives an intensely modern effect. The old metal lamps of the Tavern are here replaced by concealed fluorescent lighting set in the ceilings.

White Horse Jolly Tar Dolphin Three Plovers The Bull The Salutation The Green Man The Crown (The last named was the original proposed name but it was changed to George & Dragon before the vehicle entered service.) ‘Leaded swing doors lead to the kitchen and pantry where efficiently-spaced racks allow for the storage of ample cutlery and other table requisites; in addition to the usual cooking equipment

‘It is the First Class portion of the Restaurant Car that there is a radical departure from normal British Restaurant Car practice. Very comfortable (?) seats, facing inwards, extend the whole length of each side of the coach with separate tables for each pair of seats. The gangway passes up the centre of the coach and the edges of the table are guarded from other passengers or staff by a small rail,

in which is also set the ash tray for the table.

Group Papers, etc. – Kemsley, Northcliffe, Provincial, Westminster.

‘Below the tables are rubber-covered foot-rests, and the compartment is carpeted throughout.

London Evenings – ‘Evening News’, ‘Evening Standard’, ‘Star’. Trade Union papers – ‘Railway Review’, ‘Locomotive Journal’, ‘Railway Service Journal’.

‘All fittings in both First and Third class sections of the Restaurant Car are silver oxidised.

Principal Provincial Mornings (London Offices) – ‘Birmingham Post’, ‘Leeds Yorkshire Post’, ‘Liverpool Post’, ‘Manchester Guardian’ (The ‘Manchester Guardian’ was renamed ‘The Guardian’ in 1959 – Ed.), ‘Manchester Daily Dispatch’, ‘Norwich Eastern Daily Times’, ‘Plymouth Western Morning News’, ‘Sheffield Telegraph’.

‘The seating in the Third Class portion is of the normal type, but each diner has an individual moveable chair. ‘Another feature of the Restaurant Car is the glass racks above the seats for light articles. These are of toughened glass and have the great advantage that a passenger can quickly see from below whether he or she has left anything on the rack.’

Trade and Technical – ‘Railway Gazette’, ‘Modern Transport’, ‘Locomotive Carriage & Wagon Review’, ‘Engineer’, ‘Engineering’.

At least one other Press Release was prepared along very similar lines and with only minor changes to the wording. Regretfully neither are dated. In addition a list of contractors / suppliers whose equipment featured in the sets was produced, this is shown at Appendix A, although it is not known if this formed part of the Press Pack.

Catering papers – ‘Caterer and Hotel Keeper’.

There followed a list of Press to be invited to Waterloo, originally stated at 38 entries although three additional, but unfortunately illegible pencil entries were added after the original typed list had been prepared.

Introduction of ‘Tavern Cars’ on British Railways

Those on the list were then sent an official invitation, a draft copy surviving in the files at the National Archives thus: ‘Dear Sir,

By co-operation between the Railway Executive and the Hotels Executive, eight novel ‘Tavern Cars’ combining the most modern features of both restaurant car and buffet car with the traditional style of an Old English Tavern, are being introduced this summer on express services of the Eastern and Southern regions of British Railways.

Agencies – P.A., Ex.Tel. BBC London Mornings – ‘Daily Express’, ‘Daily Graphic’, ‘Daily Herald’, ‘Daily Mail’, ‘Daily Mirror’, ‘Daily Telegraph’, ‘Daily Worker’, ‘Financial Times’, ‘Morning Advertiser’, ‘News Chronicle’, ‘Times’. (Strange bedfellows having the Daily Worker and the Financial Times as consecutive entries in the list! - Ed.)

‘Prior to going into service, the first of these Tavern cars will be inspected at Waterloo Station S.E.1. (Platform…..) on (date)…… at (time) by – ................ 25

‘On behalf of the Railway Executive and the Hotels Executive, I

have very much pleasure in inviting you to be present or to be represented on this occasion.

The note continued, ‘I have not yet seen any diagram of the Southern stock. I was told at our meeting that there were 24 First and 40 Second class dining seats in one vehicle, whilst in the Kitchen vehicle there are 12 bar seats in the Tavern. From this it would appear the stock will be suitable to cater for the normal business expected on the Eastern Region trains, but it has to be borne in mind that before the sets are put into circuit, the staff who will have to work them should be given some prior instruction before they are included in the regular trains.’

‘It will be very much appreciated if you can kindly indicate whether you will be able to be represented, by telephone call on …..(number). ‘Yours faithfully’. No signatory name was appended but this would invariably have been the head of Public Affairs at the Railway Executive.

‘Another point that should be looked into is the question of equipment, as I understand from Mr Rowe that the shelves and cupboards have been specially designed to take Southern Region equipment, e.g. glasses, crockery, etc. and we should be satisfied that they will be capable of carrying the standard articles in use on the Eastern Region.

Interestingly, immediately prior to the final paragraph some additional words had been struck out; ‘You are also cordially invited to take part in a demonstration run (duration about one hour), leaving Waterloo at ….(time)’. The following day a further memorandum circulated between Pearson at the Executive, two other Executive members, Messrs Barrie and Lock, and also Mr W P Keith (Restaurant Car Superintendent of the RE) and Johnson of the Hotels Executive. There were a few salient points, principally that the timing for the event on 25 May was now set for 11.00am and that Sir Eustace Missenden would be attending.

‘Without a plan of the Car it is impossible to say whether there will be sufficient accommodation for cellar stocks, kitchen stocks, etc., but I have no doubt this is a point which will have been covered by the designers of the vehicles.’ It is interesting to note that there had been a previous agreement between the Railway Executive and the Hotels Executive appertaining to standardisation. This included a clause whereby the HE were to be consulted on internal design and fittings of new restaurant cars, ironically this clause was struck out before the agreement was signed.

The Hotels Executive were based at Paddington although they naturally had a representative at the Railway Executive at Marylebone; this individual being Mr W H Johnson. Indeed it had only been on 18 May that Mr Keith had picked up the intended use and in correspondence to Johnson wrote, ‘With reference to your memorandum of 17 May, which reached me yesterday morning…..this was the first intimation that I had regarding these new Southern Region Restaurant Cars and the proposal to marshal six sets in specified services of the Eastern Region.’ 26

The letter was responded to by V Barrington-Ward (3) at the Executive who states the first two cars would be used on the ‘ACE’ but which The Hotels Executive did not then currently staff. The remaining six sets would be changed over as delivery was effected. Barrington-Ward also attempted to pour some oil on to troubled water (not table-cloths!), for he adds the comment that some of Johnson’s senior dining car officials might take the opportunity of being present at Waterloo on 25 May. (Surviving documentation

suggests two inspections actually took place - or at least were scheduled for 25 May. The Press at 11.00am and the Railways and Hotels Executive at 3.00pm.)

and third class restaurant car, the other divided into a kitchen and pantry section, and a buffet section designed to represent an oldstyle inn. The first of the sets, all of which are furnished in the new crimson lake and cream livery, is expected to be placed in service on the ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ as from 30 May. The design is by Mr O V Bulleid, Chief Mechanical Engineer, Southern Region, and the sets are being built at Eastleigh works.’

3 – Victor (later Sir Michael) Barrington-Ward was in charge of Railway Operating at the Executive.

The point about staff familiarity was evidently considered sufficiently important for a further note commenting that a set - the official paperwork refers to ‘a car’ being sent to Marylebone and where ‘… staff who will work the cars may receive some instruction in regard to them’. No indication is given as to who might have been ‘trainers’ or indeed if this move actually did take place rather than perhaps the more usual ‘learning on the job’. If this did take place we do not know which vehicle(s) were involved.

Keeping with the same weekly periodical, the RG gave further details a week later but by which time the critics had already announced themselves - this aspect will of course be covered later. Under the heading ‘Travelling Taverns’ is announced, ‘A new ‘amenity’ for travellers to Exeter by the ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ consists of two-car restaurant-buffet car sets, the first two of which went into service last Monday and which are described and illustrated elsewhere in this issue. The buffet section, styled the ‘Tavern Car’, has been designed with an interior resembling that of an old-fashioned inn with oak beams and settles and roughsurfaced walls, contrasting with a modern cocktail bar and snack counter. The sets are painted in the new carmine and cream livery and the ‘Tavern car’ is lined out in imitation brickwork and bears a panel representing an inn sign, such as the ‘Jolly Tar’ or ‘The Crown’. They are being built at Eastleigh to the design of Mr O V Bulleid, Chief Mechanical Engineer, Southern Region, and the remaining six sets of a total batch of eight are to work on the Eastern Region. One half of the ‘Tavern car’ contains the kitchen and pantry for supplying both the buffet and the restaurant car. In the first class section of the restaurant car the tables are ranged along the length of the coach so that diners face each other across the gangway. The third class has the usual cross tables, but with individual moveable chairs. The windows are set too high for seated passengers to look out of, with the double object of discouraging window-gazing diners and of speeding the service, and of obviating glare on a hot day. The new sets have been the subject of adverse comment in the daily press... .’

The remaining few days prior to the 25 May seemingly passed quietly. The day itself proceeding as planned, but without any actual journey taking place. Instead we might turn our attention and thoughts to those of the railway hierarchy from 222 Marylebone Road who ventured across to Waterloo that morning, some of whom might well have been left somewhat speechless although diplomacy ensured and there were no known outbursts. We do not know if Mr Bulleid was present. What we do know is that both the railway official photographer and the press were present, the vehicles later available for inspection by the general public. Whilst some photographs were clearly posed, folklore has it the press were seemingly more interested in recording some incredulous expressions of the public although regretfully it has not been possible to trace any such views. The Railway Gazette reported the facts without comment in a short piece entitled, ‘Tavern Cars for British Railways’. Underneath was stated ‘At Waterloo station, on May 25, British Railways and Hotels Executive Officers and members of the press inspected the first of eight new ‘Tavern cars’ sets which are going into service on the Southern and Eastern regions. They are two-car sets, one a first 27

Elsewhere the new vehicles had certainly made the news with both national and provincial coverage. Much was similar coverage, foreshortened where necessary and so no doubt syndicated to the provinces. Indeed it was some 470+ miles away in Dundee that the first mention of the new vehicles appears, this in the pages of the Dundee Evening Telegraph and with a simple sentence, ‘A ‘Tavern Car’ with a bar, one of eight being built for British Railways, will be on show in London next week.’ Perhaps it was a quiet news day north of the border! The story was picked up by several of the late editions on the 25 May and again syndicated outside London. The national daily’s made mention the following day, most being accurate with their description although the Daily Mirror had got their facts slightly wrong as they stated the vehicles would run Waterloo - Exeter, Marylebone - Sheffield, King’s Cross - Leeds, Liverpool - Cromer, Liverpool - Harwich, and Marylebone - Bradford. They also stated they would operate next to an ordinary restaurant car - really! (Perhaps the representative from said paper had enjoyed just a little too much British Railways hospitality!) The Daily Mirror was also one of the very few to include illustrations and then identical to the ones accompanying this article, likewise within the Illustrated London News for 4 June. (There was even an image in the Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette.) The pub on wheels theme was how the Leicester Evening Mail themed their report using the words ‘Travelling Taverns for Rail Expresses’. Others too followed suit, perhaps the best from the Aberdeen Press and

Journal with ‘100 miles to the pint or 50 miles to the gin and it’. At this point the reporter seemed to have not really understood the idea of the Tavern Car - or perhaps taken it a bit too literally, for he adds, ‘There is room for improvement, there being no footrail at the bar, no sawdust on the floor and no dartboard. ’The Manchester Evening News called them ‘A local on the Express’, whilst the Bristol Evening Post referred to the ‘Latest novel feature by British Railways’, a sentence which could be read either way. More facts came from the erstwhile Daily Mail where readers learnt of the floor covering inside the tavern being red and black and also that the dining tables were glass covered. Soon after and in the same paper, ‘Casandra’ was a bit more scathing, referring to railway workshops in general terms and then to the workshop responsible for the Tavern cars as employing ‘steel thatch’ and ‘qualified cobweb layers’. The bar theme seems to have been the point picked up by several, this from an Editorial within the Halifax Evening Courier, ‘It was rather intriguing to read in one account that small leaded light windows have been used to prevent drinking passengers being seen by people on platforms.’ The sale of alcohol in what was a new open fashion did not seem to bother the newspaper Ireland’s Saturday Night who commented, ‘...a fully stocked bar had been in use on the non-stop express between Belfast and Dublin since the service was inaugurated. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.’ (It is probably too early to draw any connection between Mr Bulleid’s later departure from the Southern to Ireland.)

An escape from austerity, or a pointless exercise in excentricity? That was the question back in 1949 and it might still be asked almost 75 years later without a conclusion being reached. Mr Bulleid’s attempt at producing a modern (sic) and attractive on board catering experience was not to everyone’s taste (no pun intended) but who could blame him for trying? After all is it not through experimentation and innovation that progress is made? In the case of the Tavern Cars railway catering would be destined to take a different 28 direction in the future.

Waterloo, 25 May 1949. Two pairs were present, ‘White Horse’ and ‘Jolly Tar’. The introduction of the new vehicles had been intended to coincide with the new Summer timetable in force from 23 May but this entry into service was postponed pending the Waterloo inspection. The roofboards are probably for the West of England service, possibly ‘The Atlantic Coast Express’ - which title was always split over two boards. This is the ‘Jolly Tar’ combination, comprising vehicles 7893 nearest the camera and 7834 as the accompanying dining vehicle. It could not be argued the colours were not the standard specified for main line coaching stock, just that they had been applied slightly 29 differently! British Railways

Restaurant S7840 pairing with S7899 ‘At the sign of the George & Dragon’ seen at Clapham Junction. It is interesting to note that following the initial deluge of complaints, British Railways commenced an immediate investigation with all their workshops to ensure no other rolling stock ‘surprises’ were in the offing - none were. The ‘C’ board at cantrail level on the adjacent vehicle indicated the portions of the train and would be useful to both passengers and shunters alike. Roger Merry Price

3. A denigrated design

e do not have an exact date for when the White Horse was put into service on the ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ but it would be reasonable to conclude this was very shortly afterwards; possibly with a second set brought into the rota so that both Up and Down services could be similarly worked. (1)

(1) Full details will be given in Appendix D – see page 96 – but for the present we might mention that according to Hugh Longworth three pairs were completed in April 1949 and four more pairs in May 1949. (2) According to the website ‘1949 in the United Kingdom’ (Wikipedia), the period 11 May to 7 June 1949 had little of note to report. The earliest date mentioned seeing Christopher Fry’s verse drama ‘The Lady’s Not for Burning’ premièred in London, and on the second date the start of a strike by dockers which forced the government to use troops to unload goods. The next day, 8 June, would see the publication of George Orwell’s dystopian novel ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’.

Readers will note the sub-title of the previous chapter had included the words ‘...brief honeymoon’ although perhaps now we should be rather more exact and instead say a ‘non-existent’, for just over one week after the Waterloo press inspection, the Yorkshire Post and Intelligencer of 3 June 1949 was stating, ‘Critics have denounced the (vehicles) as a sad example of the mania for fake antiques.’ So, ask the obvious, how did a newspaper 200 or so miles from the Tavern cars then area of operation come to include such comment and at the time, what relevance was it to them?

So perhaps it was not quite the lack of a major news story that coerced the various presses to report an issue before it even started, the Tavern cars themselves being the headline news and for all the wrong reasons. The Yorkshire Post and Intelligencer clearly had the proverbial bit between their teeth for they continued, ‘Now the Executive‘s Public Relations Office hastens to assure us that the cars are purely experimental to see if the public like them’ and which seems to be a definite case of back-peddling by the Railway Executive, certainly this is the first time anything like the word ‘experimental’ has been used and it does not appear in the draft press release of a few days earlier.

It seems hard to believe that in the space of just eight days the reporter had the opportunity to travel with one of the sets and comment accordingly. Or might he have done just that? Considering that the cars would soon be seen in Yorkshire, was this a reporter who did venture south (on expenses no doubt) to avail himself of what would soon be on offer to his kinsmen, or was it instead an example of a ‘slow news day’ and the potential to create sensationalism where none in fact existed? (2)

At the same time we now hear from the media in the South West for the first time. The Western Gazette talking of complaints from temperance organisations. (No reference was ever made to the vehicles being intended for the Western Region services although they did of course reach the West Country courtesy of the ‘ACE’.)

The alternative is that said individual was amongst the first to witness first-hand what should have been a triumph for BR. Instead what we do know is that it was some point in June/July 1949 that the Taverns were introduced on the ‘Master Cutler’, for whilst official dates may be lacking we are instead able to work back from a brief comment in the Railway Gazette of 6 January 1950 which referred to a paragraph of 16 December 1949 commenting upon their removal ‘after five months hard fight by passengers with the Railway Executive’ .

Perhaps the most serious criticism appeared in a letter to The Times on 3 June. (The actual edition of The Times does not appear on the website of ‘The British Newspaper Archive’ but it is almost certainly a copy of an identical line of correspondence that appeared concurrently in the Railway Gazette). 31

Under the heading ‘Taverns of Wheels’ came, ‘The appearance of tavern cars dressed up to look like old English inns with painted brickwork and false beams is the ‘reductio ad absurdum’ (Ed: the Latin was included in the original text; the translation fairly obvious but accurately as ‘reduction to absurdity’) of the mania for the fake antique. These cars are ridiculous, even by the silliest roadhouse standards. It is deplorable that a public authority should set such an example.’ In just over 50 words this was a serious condemnation, the piece signed by a number of contemporary establishment figures with the respective names and positions held given as: Leigh Ashton (Director, Victoria and Albert Museum); Robin Darwin (Principal, Royal College of Art); R S Edwards (Chairman, Council of Industrial Design); Robert Endhoven (President, Architectural Association); H S GoodhartRendel (President, Design and Industries Association); R Furneaux Jordan (Principal, Architectural Association School of Architecture); H A F Lindsey (Chairman of Council, Royal Society of Arts): Peter Ray (Hon. Secretary, Society of Industrial Artists); Herbert Read (Chairman, Institute of Contemporary Arts); Gordon Russell (Master, Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry); Charles Tennyson (Late Chairman, Industrial Art Committee, Federation of Industries). The above might almost be said to read like as a ‘who’s - who’ of contemporary architects and designers. Even so Tavern (not identified), just creeping into view at Doncaster in June 1949. More easily identified is Gresley vestibule No E1821. Far fewer protest letters appeared to have been received re the use of the Taverns on other routes; just one for example on the Harwich - Liverpool working. What is known instead is that passengers voted with their feet and an average of 40 passenger meals were lost on this service. Peter Fidczuk

such criticism cannot be left to read exactly as it stands for we have to ask , just how did such individuals get to hear of the new sets and equally how did they all manage to get together and scribe in such a short space of time?

pleasure of looking out at the scenery? I have eaten and enjoyed many meals in railway dining cars well cooked and nicely served. But if these monstrosities are what we are to have as dining cars in the future, then I would prefer to eat my dinner of jam sandwiches from a paper bag in a third class compartment, where I could see out of the windows, rather than have a first-class meal in what is little better than a travelling cellar.’ (No name was appended although an address in Canterbury was given.)

It seems totally implausible to suggest any of these worthies would have been invited to the press display a week earlier and so it is very likely reasonable to assume that their criticism was based solely upon the contemporary press reports. Credence for this coming via the general rather than specific criticism raised in their brief discourse.

Also writing in the same periodical was Arthur G Wells, ‘....Incidentally, (and referring to the illustrations of the vehicles that had appeared in the ‘RG’) surely the descriptions of the two restaurants have been reversed? That in the lower illustration, described as ‘third-class’, does at least look comfortable, whereas to my mind, the upper one looks more like an air-raid shelter than anything else I can think of. Or is the first-class accommodation deliberately made less comfortable, as part of the ‘Down-withthe-Upper-Classes’ movement? As regards the Tavern the lack of windows is justified. People who prefer to spend their journey time in a bar drinking cocktails neither need or deserve windows. Painting the outside to resemble brickwork is ridiculous, and a sheer waste of time and paint. Next thing, I suppose, will be that one of the cars will actually be built of bricks. After all the LNER did build brake vans of concrete, and thus would only be an extension of that principal.’

If it had been known this would also be just the start of what was to follow. Some organisations and individuals were rather more objective in their comments whilst others it seemed were using the Tavern cars as a convenient excuse to knock the Railway Executive where perhaps an unrelated complaint had possibly not been dealt with to their complete satisfaction. Accordingly we have (in date order): 3 June 1949: to the editor of the Railway Gazette. ‘I am appalled at the interior appearance of the new restaurant cars now being built for British Railways... . From the photographs their style is reminiscent not so much of a tavern as a Nissan hut 193945 style, ‘troops for the accommodation of’. The rib’s sticking out between the seats give the impression that the interior decoration had not been completed when the seating was installed. And what has happened to the windows? Surely one of the delights of a meal in the dining car is to watch the passing scene as one eats. What can be nicer than to enjoy tea and hot toast whilst travelling in a comfortable, warm dining car through a wintry landscape? What a feeling of superiority one experiences on passing a wayside station and seeing lesser mortals waiting on the cold platform, envying us (or so one imagines!). By what queer reasoning does the Railway executive decide that those who want to eat must be denied the

Not surprisingly the ‘RG’ itself also entered into the debate although with a slightly less brusque approach in its Editorial.

‘The controversy that has been aroused by the introduction of the tavern cars on British Railways shows no sign of diminishing. Among our Letters to the Editor this week are several dealing with the subject, and reference in the daily press are still being published. These tavern cars, which form part of new restaurantbuffet sets, were described and illustrated in our 3 June issue. The time at which these vehicles were introduced could have

This page and opposite - In 1938 Bulleid was responsible for the interior design of 12 buffet cars included in the formation of what were in effect 4Cor sets intended for the mid-Sussex route from Bognor to Victoria. These were classified as 4Buf units. The style was very original with contemporary art-Deco styling which was both brash yet contemporary. They consisted of a service compartment at one end after which came a bar area having 10 revolving stools and a saloon section. This saloon could seat 16 at 4 per table, the tables themselves having concave corners to maximise space. Strengthening (vertical) side ribs were added to the coach side and similarly scalloped to match the design of the tables and the bar top. The ribs proved a useful adjunct to those drinkers who needed a bit of support as well! Window space was kept to a minimum whilst in many respects the design mirrored what would follow with the Tavern cars a decade later. These buffet cars were in many respects the victim of their own success and it was not unknown for some selfish individuals to be seated at a table throughout the length of the journey consuming perhaps a single cut of coffee and so depriving others of enjoying the same facilities. Complaints were made to the General Manager by both those unable to enjoy the facilities themselves and also from the refreshment department who saw their takings fall. As HAV states, ‘The latter (Bulleid) did not admit any error, but took very good note for the future.’ As CME, and in 1938 newly in post on the Southern, as such he was the overseer having set out to his design staff the criteria he wished to see adopted. According to Sean Day-Lewis, Mrs Bulleid may also have had some input into the design. HAV Bulleid takes matters one stage further by commenting that the scalloped edges of the tables had something to do with a story told to the young Bulleid many years before of a somewhat portly man who had to eat at such a table as it was the only way he might reach his food.

been better chosen. The frequent recent references to shortage of passenger rolling stock may occasion surprise that men and materials were available for work of this kind. One of the least pleasing features of the design is the placing of the windows. These are so high that travellers seated inside the coaches cannot see the countryside through which they are passing. The reason given for this is to preserve the pseudo-antique interior appearance, and to avoid distracting passengers so that they dally over their meals or refreshments. The effect from outside is in striking contrast to the warm cheerfulness of an illuminated dining car, particularly at night. Many will have pleasing recollections of the attractive effect, especially on a winter evening, of a dining car or Pullman train, with its shaded table-lamps throwing their light on napery, cutlery, and glass to give a heartening picture of well-being’.

Next came Mr Eric Dyckoff from Cheshire. ‘The new ‘Tavern cars’ have windows set high, specially, apparently to prevent seated passengers from looking out! Is it really beyond comprehension how, after years of increasing the window spaces to enable passengers to admire our lovely countryside and to get as much sun as possible, that such carriages can be built and 24 of them!’ (Mr Dyckoff was slightly wrong on the count - ED.) ‘Is this ‘Functionalism’ run riot and a foretaste of standardised nationalised rolling stock? ‘See Britain first - but not by Tavern Car!’ What will visitors to this country, and everyone else, think, after studying their ‘Through the Window’, to find that they can see nothing unless they eat their meals standing? In any event what was wrong with the Midland and later LMSR system of serving meals which saved considerable rolling stock space?’

If the intention of the RG’s editorial had been to acknowledge disquiet amongst its readers and so subdue further comment, such desire failed as the following week more comment had appeared which the journal no doubt felt compelled to include.

Then it was Mr E Tustin of Leicester. ‘May I add my voice to the growing chorus of disapproval concerning these new vehicles. I dislike both the inside and the outside finishes, but, whereas I can easily avoid being offended by the phoney pseudo-Tudor internal fittings by keeping out of the cars, I cannot help seeing the absurd decorations which have been applied to their exteriors as I travel on the railway. I thought that the former LNER was carrying a colour too far when its steel-panelled vehicles were grained and varnished, the imitation brickwork and half-timbering of the so-called ‘Tavern cars’ brings the external decoration of railway rolling stock down to the very lowest level. Even in Victorian times, when it was the fashion to produce imitation Gothic buildings, the British railway companies of the day did not produce Gothic passenger coaches. Admittedly, some of the interiors were rather over-decorated, but a railway coach always looked like a railway coach and was never masqueraded as anything else. Its design progressed, and of recent years writers on architecture, when deploring the tendency to build ‘period’ houses, have invariably held up railway rolling stock as a shining example of good functional design. The appearance of the ‘tavern

There were three letters and as was customary both the names and addresses were included. Reference the latter it is interesting to note that only one was penned from an area through which the tavern cars might run; indeed there remains a distinct lack of complaint from individuals in towns and cities where the vehicles might actually operate through. We start with text from Mr Christopher Langston of Wolverhampton. ‘In addition to the spirited remarks, with which I wholeheartedly agree, made by the eleven prominent gentlemen about ‘tavern cars’ in your issue of 3 June, I deplore the wholly false impression of a ‘Old English country pub’ which Mr Bulleid has succeeded in conveying to all and sundry. The absence of essential features like beer engines, or casks on racks behind the bar, is alarmingly conspicuous, while a scattering of sawdust would not be so out of place as a plastic-topped bar and an enamelled inn sign!’ 36

cars’ has shattered that impression. Great pains were taken in 1948 to impress the British taxpayers with the fact the railways now belong to them. May I, therefore, as part owner, request that our ‘Tavern cars’ pay an immediate visit to our paint shops and have the offending ‘brickwork’, half-timbering, and signs removed, and so cease to be quite so unsightly to the eyes of the travelling public.’

60 mph. Why does the railway administration not make use of such excellent progressive bodies as the Council of Industrial Design before ‘experimenting’ with the traveller’s well-being?’ Now from a correspondent to the RG who simply signs himself ‘FARO’.

Then from J S Plaut, who identifies himself as the Director, Boston Institute of Contemporary Art.

‘Sir, Since the appearance of the ‘Tavern Cars’, letters which have been published in the general press and your contemporary transport journals have made it quite clear that they are viewed with disfavour. By far the greatest part of the criticism has been levelled at the actual livery and interior furnishings of the Taverns. ‘Beachcomer’ (‘Beachcomer’ was the pseudonym used by J B Morton, an English humorist who had a regular column ‘By the Way’ in the Daily Express between 1924 and 1979) has suggested thatched roofs and no doubt Emmett will delight us with a cartoon in Punch, but surely there are more important considerations than dealing with aesthetics. We have been told repeatedly that shortage of labour and raw materials are handicapping the efforts of British Railways to provide a better train service. At a time when so much of the coaching stock is sorely in need of replacement, it seems to be the height of folly to embark on this experimentation in luxury. The pressing claims of railwaymen for pay increases, coupled with the continuing high capital and maintenance costs, preclude the possibility of any substantial reduction in fares. Every effort should be focused, on wooing back passengers by providing absolutely first-rate services, fast, clean, comfortable, and reliable without any fancy trimmings. I refer, of course, to local as well as long-distance services.’

‘As an American visiting England to study present tendencies in the union of art and industry, I have just come face to face with British Railways’ new tavern car. It is somewhat disquieting to imagine oneself propelled through your lovely countryside in a conveyance walled in by painted bricks and held up with half timbers. It seems to me altogether likely that visitors from abroad might be happier to get their first sight of Tudor architecture at rest in their natural setting than to see a reproduction of it whirling through Devon at

At this point we may well pick up some of ‘Faro’s’ comments. What he and others fail to mention, even if appreciated, were the difficulties British Railways were in at the time. In time of war it had been expected that the railway network would serve the nation as indeed it did, but the practical cost in reduction in maintenance and repair / renewal meant that with the return to peace a long term catch-up was needed; shortage of labour and materials was not just the only issue - shortage of patience by the travelling

A few more correspondents may be quoted, each adding their ire to a debate which seemed to show no sign of appeasement. The first comes from a letter penned by C G Dobbs that originally appeared in the Manchester Guardian but was subsequently reproduced in the RG although on an unknown date. The writer starts in a conciliatory fashion although sarcasm creeps in very quickly. ‘Since no one else seems to have a good word for the Tavern cars, I will leap to their defence. What could be more appropriate for the serving of State-controlled pseudo-beer in exchange for cupra nickel silver than a nationally produced imitation of a genuine inn? The whole thing has a grand consistency in keeping with the spirit of the time which cannot produce genuine beer, genuine silver, genuine oak beams, and is even reduced to claiming the ‘mile-aminute’ express as ‘modern’, as if railway travel had not been, on the whole, faster and more comfortable at the turn of the century.’

public was another. One other point to make is that several of the correspondents also took the opportunity to raise a pet gripe on another railway topic - taking a swipe at the railways was clearly already a fashion at that time and would continue to be so; witness also the cartoon opposite.

From William Stocks of Huddersfield. ‘We are bound to give the Railway Executive full marks for ingenuity with its Tavern cars but what a wasted opportunity to make a notable advance towards the needs of a holiday travelling public. Few specialist types of passenger coach are more urgently required than ‘Nursery coaches’ where travelling families may find entertainment for small children on long journeys without constant fear of fingers being trapped in doors and windows or doors opening whilst the train is travelling - to say little of the constant nerve strain of ensuring that small chocolate-stained fingers are kept away from well-dressed passengers. The very real nightmare that this kind of journey can be to the tired mother is one great reason why thousands of such travellers try buses and coaches on the road. They do at least offer a relief from the door worry, with greater certainty of a seat. The design of a ‘Nursery Coach’ and its provision in large numbers is a trump card in the railway pack which would establish it firmly in popular affection. Two or three years ago I submitted to the LMSR a general design for such a coach which was courteously acknowledged. I am convinced that the railway authorities would be well advised to plan specifically for family travel. They would be spared the expense of running very fast trains, for moderately fast trains are usually faster than motor coaches. Simplicity of arrangements, cleanliness, safety, and elbow room are advantages which will justify some higher charges. If the railways can create a legacy of memories of happy childhood journeys they need have little fear of future support.’

The penultimate letter at this time comes from Montague L Parkes of Plympton, Plymouth, who writes to the RG on 2 July 1949. ‘A few days ago I had to travel by a train with the new Tavern Cars attached. I have to say that no board of directors of the late companies would have sanctioned the construction of those cars. In the first class you just sit in a closed-in box, with no chance of seeing the scenery as you go whilst eating your meal. You feel boxed in, and feel there is no ventilation. At the same time you are looking across the way at someone you trust you will never see again, at others alongside you cheek-by-jowl. In the ordinary dining cars you could always put up a barrage by reading a newspaper, thereby avoiding conversation, but in these cars one would have to be cross-eyed to read a paper. As to the decoration of the imitation bricks outside, words fail me. The Executive apparently had to go to Germany to get the present colours of British Railways and would not accept the old GWR colours, which, I consider, were by far the best and at the same time the easiest to keep clean. They went and had a look at the old Mitropa colours and chose them, only made it crimson lake.’ At this stage we might ordinarily attempt to balance the argument but it has to be said there were very few letters taking the opposite perspective. Indeed one of the very few really veered off-topic somewhat but is reproduced regardless.

So much then for the public perception, likely far more also than has been reproduced here. Neither were British Railways ignorant of the anger, the whole generating much internal correspondence

Opposite - Entitled ‘Expecting your husband, Mrs. Pepper?’. This appeared in Trains Illustrated magazine No 14 and was credited to Arthur Baldwin, art editor of ‘TI’. The caption stated, ‘We asked our art editor, Arthur Baldwin, to cover the ‘tavern cars; for TI but we regret the atmosphere (or the hospitality)must have been too strong for him for this is all he could produce’... . . Baldwin, however, is now well enough to beg to differ from the artistic critics who condemn anything that is pseudo-old and also those more reasoned critics who feel that there are more important improvements necessary on British Railways than fancy cocktail bars; he feels as many that it is a step in the right direction to introduce novelties to relieve the tedium of long-distance travel’. (The cartoon accompanied a single page article on the vehicle supported by the same two interior / exterior views that were commonplace. ‘TI’ being one of the few enthusiast magazines to report on the vehicles in article form. (The word ‘is’ was included in parenthesis in the original article with the accompanying comments likely from the pen of Ian Allan.) It is possible other cartoons may have appeared in mainstream satirical magazines around the same time.

as well as questions in Parliament.

continuously knocked by waiters’ elbows. First class seating archaic and uncomfortable , the tables are too small and if the ventilators are open there is a devil of a draught down one side.... reminds one of London Transport.

Dealing with the internal BR debate first we move to an internal memoranda of, we think, July 1949 - the date if not totally distinct and which sets out in separate lettered headings two detailed studies under the heading ‘Tavern Cars - What is wrong with them’. The first, which unfortunately is not complete, deals with ‘The Passenger viewpoint’ and would have been compiled from correspondence received directly by BR. Despite its incompleteness, the following appear to have been the principal gripes. (Headings A - G are able only to be summarised):

F - The olde oak beams around the cars are unwary, knocking ankles, elbows, etc. G - Atrocious riding, they rattle and bang in true Southern Railway style....how one longs for the safe and comfortable riding qualities of the GWR Dean bogie, Robinson’s GCR type and Nigel Gresley’s Doncaster standard LNER. On some cars, if one stands in the Tavern and looks towards the coach ahead this latter vehicle appears crooked, but it happens it is the Tavern that is lopsided.

A - The lack of windows. One critic comparing the design with what might have been expected 100 years before. B - Poor ventilation. The sliding vents only let in smuts and draughts. No fans - this was of course incorrect. Other complaints were similarly incorrect or even irreverent. The lights have to be kept on which makes for added heat. One tube has been broken in one car for four weeks and no attempt has been made to fix it. The gas cooking arrangements are considered old-fashioned with the heat from them most uncomfortable, cooking smells waft around the cars, the whole compared most unfavourably with the up to date electric LNER cooking arrangements.

Following on was ‘The Staff Viewpoint’ which is complete and so may be reported on in greater detail; we might perhaps preface this with the words, ‘speak your mind why don’t you’! A - ‘Sliding door handle to train office. Agree with remarks made by passengers.’ (If is not completely clear what is meant by the term the ‘Train Office’ see note below.) Note - At this point the reader is also referred back to the plans on pages 9 and 18. Note especially how a sliding door afforded access to the staff compartment and staff lavatory.

C - The lack of refrigeration makes dairy products turn sour. (This was reported to have occurred on the Up ‘Master Cutler’ on three separate occasions, 29 June, 12 July, and 26 July.) D - Complaints about the handles on the sliding door to the train office...(?) which can catch on pockets, arms, bags, etc.....already caused damage. ‘...It should never have been used but is typical of the lack of brains shown by the designer....’ Mention made of the superiority of the GWR sliding door design.

B - ‘The lettering of the staff lavatory door with the word lavatory is stupid, in as much as the sliding door referred to in ‘A’ has to be kept open.’ (Why...?) ‘The lavatory door can thus be seen by passengers, who promptly attempt to use same. The train office has been used as a waiting room for passengers desirous to use this lavatory. The door should have had ‘Private’ on same, which has now been done on the ‘Dolphin’ car by the staff.’

E - Insufficient room for four persons to sit at the dining tables in third class. If seated in the outer seats one gets one’s ear

C - ‘Owing to ‘A’ above door handle, this means that all the drawers, cupboards in the train office have to be locked and unlocked every

time anything is required therefore, delaying meal service, wasting time, etc., owing to lack of thought on the designers’ part.’

proper positions, etc. If put in the bins provided the corks blow out. A considerable amount of wine has been lost already owing to this masterpiece of inefficiency in design.’

D - ‘The wine bins are in the pantry, why are they put near the roof, where they will get all the heat rising in the pantry and from the roof, sun, etc. Why were they placed near the urn, more heat, etc. Result, as far as ‘Dolphin’ is concerned, all wine is now kept in the train office under the seats, closed lockers, no air, not lying in their

E - ‘The ceiling in the pantry of ‘Dolphin’, cracked and came away within seven days of the first run. Not suitable for the heat therein.’ F - ‘Why put a draining board in metal just over the cutlery drawers?’

Restaurant No. S7840, paired with S7899 ‘At the sign of the George & Dragon’, photographed at Clapham Junction on 4 October 1949. BR’s own publicity had also referred to the two vehicles being; ‘of striking design’ although privately some were less kind referring to a ‘...plastic olde world pub and the interior of a mobile Nissan hut’ - the latter a recollection of the Nissan huts of WW2. The brick chimney on the roofline was NOT part of the design! Lens of Sutton Association courtesy Peter Fidczuk

G - ‘The crockery racks are far too low over the sink and make for double work when lifting plates, etc. out of sink.’

served and the position is nothing short of intolerable. In fact as far as the ‘Cutler’ is concerned the tavern bar is closed now during the service of meals and passengers desiring only drinks are not allowed through the servery, etc.’

H - ‘The pantry is too small for other than light buffet trade. On the ‘Cutler’ there are sometimes six staff washing up, drying at one and the same time. It is impossible to get more than two persons in the pantry now provided at one and the same time and give them room to work.’

M - ‘It is not possible to segregate the classes now, in fact all attempt is now given up, passengers sit where they like. Most of them prefer the third class portion.’

I - ‘The refrigerator is far too small for other than the small amount of perishables that would be carried on the short runs of the Southern Railway, with a tea, morning coffee, buffet, etc. trade. This is aggravated by the sheer lunacy in taking about two-thirds of the existing place up with the larger barrel. It has been impossible to keep milk fresh overnight at Sheffield during the last six weeks or so.’

N - ‘Prior to the use of these tavern cars on the ‘Cutler’, 99 passengers could be fed at first dinner sittings, the new cars preclude us from using the blue saloon (?) at all for dinner and the dinner sitting is cut to 64. If we had as much dinner traffic now as we had when the orthodox cars were used it would be frankly impossible to feed them with the existing equipment. It is most disheartening, when one has spend years building up a good class of dinner traffic on the ‘Cutler’ to see this work chucked away owing to complete lack of knowledge by those who obviously can have little idea of the work required, accommodation needed and class of person travelling on the train.’

J - ‘The fact that the bar attendant cannot draw lager from the bar itself and has to walk into the pantry, around a dog leg to do this is again a piece of sheer lunacy in planning. This is also impossible if washing up is proceeding in the pantry. ‘ K - ‘The fitting of optics in the pantry is a waste. They are not used and they should be fitted where the buyer of spirits may see the amount he is purchasing. This is the whole object of the optic and the meaning of the word.’ L - ‘The placing of the first and third class dining portions both at the same end of the kitchen would never have been allowed or thought of by Doncaster, York, Cowlairs. It makes it impossible to serve meals quickly, as both classes are being fed in the same direction at one and the same time in the one direction from the servery. The corridor used is too narrow. It seems to have been completely lost sight of by the Eastleigh planners that at the same time as meals were being served, passengers not requiring meals would be requiring liquid refreshment. Such latter traffic is passing backwards and forwards the whole time that meals are being

O - ‘The return to gas cooking is a retrograde step. We of the LNER are used to electric and prefer same. The heat of the gas is far too much in these small cars, it makes it uncomfortable to sit in the train office with one’s back to the kitchen and at times it is impossible to do so. The ventilation in the kitchen is very poor. The heat is ghastly, in fact on 12 June last at 18.10hrs it was 123 degrees in the kitchen as we stood in Marylebone. Underclothing required changing twice daily.’ P - ’The loose tables, etc. in the tavern portion are a nuisance as passengers will pull them about and in some cases have blocked the exits.’

Q - ‘It is understood that the PPS to the Minister of Transport has praised the accommodation for the staff on these cars in the House. It is further understood that a passenger of ours has invited this

official to visit the ‘Cutler’ and see for himself the accommodation provided for the staff. This official has refused.* It can be said with truth and sincerity that all staff loathe these tavern cars, the accommodation is very poor by LNER standards. 45 years ago the GNR, NER, NBR, GNSR, GER, GCR, GSWR plus the GNR and NCC of Northern Ireland all provided train offices on their cars and every one of these vehicles had windows in these offices that could be let down, clear glass therein, most of them had table reading lamps ash trays, etc., and the cupboard accommodation, wardrobes, etc., were far and away ahead of those provided on these tavern cars, where the staff are not allowed a view of the countryside, have no table lamps and the windows will not open.’

an ‘LNER is best’ attitude. Perhaps British Railways should even have considered interchange trials with restaurant cars as well as locomotives! In one area though there does appear to be reason to complain, and that is in relation to the stock that may be held for the length of the journey. The longest Southern Region journey using the Taverns was Waterloo to Exeter, 158 miles, on the Eastern Region, Marylebone to Sheffield by rail was only slightly further at 164 miles although to be taken into account is that Tavern car use on the Southern was on the ‘ACE’, an 11.00am departure so meaning the meal served would be lunch. The down ‘Master Cutler’ however was an evening train with perhaps a greater requirement for dinner service. In addition whilst the staff refer to the number of meals served per journey we do not have comparable figures for the SR.

* The PPS to the Minister of Transport between 1947 and 1950 was Mr James Callaghan - in later years the UK Prime Minister.

Such was the disquiet over the vehicles that on 27 June 1949, and remember that was one month and two days after their first appearance at Waterloo that the subject was raised in Parliament, Mr T Driberg (Labour - Maldon) raised the question of the design of railway buffet cars, and criticised the new ‘tavern cars’ which he described as ‘embellished and adorned in mock Tudor style.’ He said he had written to Lord Inman, Chairman of the Hotels Executive, who in the course of his reply, had said, ‘I think I should make it clear that any criticism or any praise cannot be directed to this Executive as these particular cars were designed and initiated before we were consulted’, and had added, ‘I do feel, however, that you are unduly severe in your criticism. We are constantly being asked for new and progressive ideas, and these cars are clearly in the nature of an experiment. It may be that in the light of experience alterations will have to be made.’

R - ‘If as we pray, the orthodox cars are returned to us, it will be impossible for the traffic lost to be recaptured for a very long time, as it is known that many are travelling by the 6.40pm LMS ex-St Pancras and up by the same route on the 7.15 am ex-Sheffield. The few Rugby diners that we had have all gone by the LNW from Euston and the Retford, Worksop, Tickhill, Bawdry and district passengers are using the Pullman from King’s Cross at 5.30pm.’ S - ‘It is most tiring day after day having to explain to passengers that the staff are not responsible for the infliction of these vehicles on the public.’ We should perhaps comment that whilst some of these grievances may well have been valid, others appear to have been a distrust of the new and a simple dislike of change. In terms of a general defence the Tavern cars had been built and expected to operate on the Southern Region (question - were restaurant facilities / expectations of both staff and passengers so different north of the Thames?) - whilst some, we will not at all pretend to say all the complaints, could be put down to both staff and passengers comfortable in their familiar surroundings and not wanting change; 43

The above appeared as a report in the ‘RG’ on 8 July 1949, the same piece continuing; ‘Mr Driberg felt bound to say there were at least two things about the experiment to praise. The first was the general layout and idea of the cars. He was not surprised to hear they had been popular but he thought they would have been equally so, for what they were, whatever the style of decoration.

S7897 ‘At the sign of the Three Plovers’ photographed at Exeter Central. The pseudo brickwork might have been more appealing had it continued the length of the coach and without the interruption by the part height service door. Note that as per the drawing on page 18, the staff accommodation (train office) does have an exterior window thereby deflecting the criticism of this aspect by staff working the Master Cutler. Roger Merry Price

The second was they were not ‘tied’ cars. They could get a variety of drinks on them, including even draught beer. Incidentally the arrangement behind the bar was excellent; there was no trace of Tudor whimsy there, and all was purely functional.

‘Mr Driberg,continuing, said the public ownership offered the greatest opportunity since the days of aristocratic patronage for inspiring a real renaissance of the public taste. We had talented industrial designers; yet he thought it was fair to say that the idea of industrial design was still more acceptable to industry in the United States than here. What was needed were a consistent design policy for the nationalised industries ** and that design research should be upgraded to the level of technical and marketing research. Apart from this momentary aberration, transport had led the way in this country in modern design. They could be proud of what had been

‘ Although the windows, absurdly enough had to be lattice windows, he did not see why they had to be so high that one could not see the scenery at all. That was also characteristic of the newest style of dining car. 44

done by London Transport over many years, especially in contrast with transport in Paris or New York. He concluded with quotations from a book by Mr Christian Barman, now Publicity Officer for the British Transport Commission, as follows, ‘Nowhere have these opportunities been more clearly apprehended and more skilfully utilised than in the transport undertakings in the London region that in the interval between the two wars came under the inspired management of the late Frank Pick. It has been truly said that only two other men, Sir Christopher Wren and John Nash, have made a contribution to the physical aspect of London comparable to that which we owe to those undertakings. Through their buildings, rolling stock and equipment generally as well as through their posters and many other forms of publicity, they have made an impact which is not only physical but something having the quality of a moral force.

before the present step had been taken. It was left to Mr Callaghan in his role as PPS to respond on behalf of the Government and in so doing defend the railway. ‘The deluge of adverse opinion had, in fact, been very good for business. The use to which the cars had been put had exceeded the wildest expectations for revenue of the Railway Executive. *** The fact is that nobody liked the Tavern cars except the public, which had found them well laid out inside, with many conveniences for the smaller kinds of meals. Another credible feature was the excellent accommodation for staff. *** We have no figures to support the popularity suggested by Mr Callaghan and which would seem to be totally at odds with the comments of the staff.

** This would come later with the establishment of the BR Design Panel.

‘The Minister was not responsible for the design or types of carriages. He was, however, interested in such bodies as the Council for Industrial Design and the Royal Fine Art Commission having the opportunity of making their views known to the British Transport Commission. They had not been consulted about these particular cars. He would not be expected to give an assurance that they should have the last word on matters of design so far as the railways were concerned; indeed, he thought they would find that the Transport Commission would be able to give lessons to many bodies in the field of railway design, and that its staff, designers and machinery were such as would enable it to take up the challenge of Mr Driberg. Here was an opportunity for a nationalised industry to lead in public taste, and he would say, on behalf of the Commission, that he was certain it would want to take up that challenge.

‘There is no reason why the part played by public transport in our visual education should be confined to London. A large part of our transport equipment is either worn out or obsolete, and much of it must of necessity be renewed as soon as labour and materials can be spared for the purpose. Our new stations, and other buildings, our new roadside transport furniture, our new locomotives and vehicles will be the best in the world if we set about this business properly. They will be the best, not because it is our wish that other nations should admire us and envy us, but because we know that a first class environment makes the kind of people we intend to be. A shoddy Tudoresque monstrosity, said Mr Driberg, was not a first class environment’ We might perhaps sum up Mr Driberg’s views in four words, ‘Appeasement, followed by utopia.’ Others from the House of Commons were perhaps more succinct. Mr T C Skeffington-Lodge (Bedford - Labour) trusted that the design would be scrapped and that they could have in its place something genuinely appealing. The House had not been told whether the Council for Industrial Design had been consulted

‘There had been a lot of exaggerated language about the cars used by people who had not been within half-a-mile of them. He did not think there was anything exceptionally bad or good about them; they were nondescript. If they had been tenth-rate coaches in chromium and glass they would probably have passed and nothing would have been heard about them.’ 45

Mr Callaghan wanted to say publicly what had been said privately to the Railway Executive by the Minister, that it should not be deterred by the tremendous volume of criticism from going ahead with experiments in design. The designer of the new double-deck coach, which was to appear in south-east London in the autumn, had imagination and enterprise, and had done good service, and they would not like to think that what had happened in this case would make the Railway Executive timid again..

expects nonsense like these cars) and as you are losing dinner and breakfast meal trade to the tune of 33.3% as compared with the proper dining car days, I suggest that you try for once to please your passengers, who pay very heavily for the purpose of travelling on the railways and for eating the minute amount of food served on trains now, and remove these prisons on wheels and restore, as far as the Cutler is concerned, the old dining cars.’

So what to make of the above? Attempting to put aside the cynicism of politicians that comes with age, I think we might say Mr Callaghan was simply serving as the mouthpiece for the Government and British Railways. His was also a difficult path to traverse. The nationalised railway had come into being under Labour in 1948. Approval for the Tavern cars - or at least the construction of new restaurant cars had been given in prenationalisation days in 1946 and yet their appearance was not until 1949. Consequently whatever attempt might have been made to ‘pass the buck’ backwards would have promptly resulted in the obvious question, ‘Does the Railway Executive not know what is going on in its workshops?’ Hence the response relative to design ‘experiment’ was probably the safest option.

It may also be noted that whilst there was a clear deluge of criticism of the cars working on the ‘Master Cutler’, this same criticism does not appear on file relative to their workings elsewhere. Up to this point no one seems to have asked the obvious question about their origins, hence before proceeding further with the contemporary correspondence here might be an appropriate place to include this. The ‘Tavern Cars’ had their roots back in 1946 with the approval of a build for new restaurant / buffet / buttery cars for the Southern Railway. At that time it cannot be certain what, if any specifics were decided upon but some design work was almost certainly carried out even if shortage of men and materials precluded any actual progress being made.

At least too there had been an acknowledgement of the criticism received but if this was intended to deflect opinion it singularly failed to achieve its objective as witness the following extract from the BR files. The letter came from none other than the firm of Edward Exley ‘Fine Limit Engineers, Railroad Equipment in 4mm and 7mm scales’. Dated 16 July 1949 it was addressed to The Lord Inman at the Hotels Executive. ‘May I enquire how much longer, I, amongst many others, including the staff working same, are to be forced to travel in the above sanguinary abortions on the Master Cutler? ‘They have been in far too long now, they should never have been put on this train anyway (they should never have been built, but of course with civil servants fooling around with the railways one

It appears physical work may have started on what would turn out to be the nine pairs of vehicles sometime in 1948, underframes likely made at Lancing before being moved to Eastleigh for fitting out. Of course in 1946 and indeed all the way through until the cars actually appeared, it was intended they would work on Southern Railway/Region routes and which immediately begs another question - where would nine additional restaurant car combinations have been employed? Steam hauled main line trains were then limited to the boat train services on the Eastern section and similarly on the Bournemouth and West of England lines. In all such cases the Maunsell vehicles were providing good service and so this additional resource is strange to say the least.

Leaving that aside, we should recount Mr Bulleid was still firmly in charge even after 1 January 1948. ‘Robin’ Riddles may have been the overall head of Mechanical Engineering at Marylebone but the new organisation would take some time to find its feet and was for the present seemingly occupied with new locomotive and carriage design rather than concern over what the former private companies might still have on their own order books.

although interestingly most of this ire appears to have been generated by travellers on the ‘Master Cutler’ and so we should at least acknowledge that some may have come about with approval, nay even encouragement, from what we know were an already disillusioned on-board staff. The following was a copy of an undated letter addressed to the Chairman of the Railway Executive around this time.

With knowledge then of how Mr Bulleid worked, simply put that nothing was sacrosanct, I think it would be fair to say he simply allowed his imagination free reign and in so doing taking his workforce with him. Credence to this theory comes from HAV Bulleid in his published autobiography of his father where he stated on page 99,’...the only strings attached to the project by Marylebone were to stick to the standards being agreed upon and to paint the outside in the new-red-and-cream main-line livery’.

‘Sir, The undersigned, being regular 1st class travellers on the ‘Master Cutler / South Yorkshireman’, request urgently the removal of these tavern cars and restoration of the less formal type of dining car as used (as far as the Cutler is concerned) up to May 1949 be put in hand without delay. ‘None of us will take further meals until other accommodation is provided, for the following reasons:

In so far as the detail of the interior and the exterior ‘brickwork’ was concerned, here folklore has become embroiled with fact. Suffice to say staff from Eastleigh works were invited to visit various country hostelries for ‘research’ but when Bulleid first saw their results he suggested they have perhaps taken their task a little too seriously.

1 There are no accessible windows 2 The cars are uncomfortable 3 The ventilation is not good

Whatever, excluding detail, Bulleid had the aim in the new cars of encouraging a rapid turn over of diners; he had learnt his lesson with the pre-war Mid-Sussex design buffet car by making them too comfortable so diners lingered. Perhaps a compromise would have been better. Both of Bulleid’s biographers, Sean Day-Lewis and HAV Bulleid, comment that takings in the Tavern sections increased and these portions gave the impression of being light and airy. Eustace Missenden, formerly the General Manager of the Southern Railway and now newly installed as chairman of the Railway Executive, appears to have given approval although it must be said he and Bulleid appear to have maintained a good working relationship. Meanwhile the passenger furore displayed no signs of abating,

4 No fans are installed and the heat from the cooking ranges adds to the discomfort. ‘We are of the opinion that the riding of the vehicles is not so good as hitherto and are convinced that this type of car is not suitable for the class of traffic using the Cutler and Yorkshireman. ‘It is realised that you transport us from place to place and do not provide the view, but with the picturesque route of these trains, one would have thought that the additional enjoyment of free scenery would not have been ignored.’ 47

The letter was signed by 27 individuals.

Part of one final letter of complaint may be quoted. Its origins are not reported but the open hostility appears almost to be a summary of all that had gone before, as such it may have been part of a consolidated report circulated amongst the executive.

public money, time and materials should have been wasted on building these sanguinary abortions of the railway coach builders’ art. ‘It is a queer sight to see the wartime practice of passengers taking their meals with them again. Sandwiches, Thermos flasks, bottles of ale, etc. being consumed in the compartments of a train which is advertised to carry a dining car.

‘The bar must have been designed for midget passengers, the beam at the top thereof will strike your head or vice versa, it is not clever. I saw no less than 9 persons do this on 12 June between Leicester and Nottingham , losing most of their drinks to boot in the process. The draught from the forward coach into the tavern part (trailing vehicle) is nice in the hot weather that we have been having this summer, but in winter it will not be appreciated.

‘A few unsolicited testimonials from passengers might not go amiss here. ‘The chairmen of three well known public companies, on being shown the cars on the Cutler at Marylebone on 12 July by the head steward thereof, “I have thought it, now I am convinced that the Railway Executive are just plain bloody crazy”.

‘The vehicles were designed by Bulleid & Co. at Eastleigh for the Southern Railway, which is a passenger line with very short runs and these cars might have been suitable for Tattenham Corner Race Specials, hop-pickers, 5/- returns booze cruises, Victoria to Brighton, etc, but they are most certainly not suitable for any other traffic, or in replacement for the orthodox dining car. They are not popular on the LSWR section of the S.Rly, to Exeter , where they have replaced the proper dining car, on train at any rate.

‘Chief Chemist to well known smelting company, “I thought that the National Coal Board were crackers, but it seems the Railway Executive beat them hollow”. ‘A ticket collector, travelling, “I have seen some damn silly things in my time, sir, but I never seen aught like these cars. I hope that old Sir Sam (Fay) don’t come up to Marylebone and see ‘em, he’ll die of apoplexy”.

‘It is known that many letters have been written to the Railway Executive from passengers complaining about these cars. ‘The press that they have received would make any other concern hang their head in shame.

Such a diatribe of criticism against a nationalised industry was possibly unique for the time, the official response now being that the cars were ‘experimental’.

‘With the alleged shortage of passenger cars, as one is ever being reminded by the Railway Executive, it seems extraordinary that

Opposite - Images of the cars in colour are sadly conspicuous by their absence. In one of the few located depicting an original Tavern Car in its as built guise, we see S7892 ‘At the Sign of the White Horse’ minus its accompanying restaurant. Mark Arscott collection

4. Eight pairs of Carriages

s a nation, indeed as a race we are often loath to accept change and in consequence the appearance of eight pairs of Tavern / Restaurant cars clearly startled both the establishment and by that we include the railway management - as well as certain members of the travelling public.

criticisms could well be reflective of some, it cannot be said that all held similar views, others who both approved of or disapproved of the design seemingly absent in the correspondence files. Accordingly, here might be the appropriate juncture to illustrate as many of the individual cars as possible.

Even so it must be borne in mind that whilst the reproduced

The full list of vehicles is as follows:

The accompanying restaurant cars were numbered S7833 to S7840, the lowest number attached to No. S7892 and so on. The restaurant cars were not named and similarly did not repeat the name of the attached tavern. Whilst the tavern and restaurant were semi-permanently coupled as a pair, we have no information if these pairings were permanent or might have changed due to defects or whilst in works.

S7892 At the sign of the WHITE HORSE S7893 At the sign of the JOLLY TAR S7894 At the sign of the DOLPHIN S7895 At the sign of the BULL S7896 At the sign of the SALUTATION S7897 At the sign of the THREE PLOVERS S7898 At the sign of the GREEN MAN S7899 At the sign of the GEORGE & DRAGON

S7892 ‘At the sign of the White Horse’ photographed in June 1950. The Lens of Sutton Association / K G Carr 2847N Mike King has explained why initially the vehicles had just an ‘S’ prefix and later this letter appeared at either end of the number. ‘The S prefix was applied almost as soon as BR was formed in early 1948 but the suffix was only needed when BR Mk 1 coaches began to appear in 1951 when it was realised that numbers might be duplicated. The change from left-hand end numbers (without suffix) began in about 2/51, but took a long time to implement and it was possible to see coaches with LH numerals and the suffix (if a coach was merely revarnished) while RH numbered coaches without a suffix were unusual.’

S7893 ‘At the sign of the ‘Jolly Tar’ photographed in October 1951 still with ‘brickwork’ in place but with windows now provided in the accompanying Restaurant - see page 71 - and note too No S7833 would normally be attached to the ‘White Horse’ . Note the catering staff riding ‘pass’ in the empty stock and the lack of side buffers between the vehicles. In 1935 11 restaurant and four buffet cars had been authorised with eight more restaurant cars authorised in 1945. This latter order was on the basis of renewals. Derek Winkworth has suggested that Missenden, aware as he was that these new vehicles were on order and due for delivery in 1949, saw this as ‘..an opportunity to breathe new life into other parts of British Railways’, which certainly implies that it was Missenden as Chairman of the RE that directed the new cars to work elsewhere than on the Southern. (Very slightly similar to the locomotive exchanges of the previous year and the temporary transfer of some Bulleid pacifics to the Great Eastern lines around this time.) He then contradicts himself slightly by commenting that the SR had expected the cars to work solely on its own routes – but which immediately begs the question on what trains would eight new locomotive hauled restaurant car sets likely51 have been used? The Lens of Sutton Association / K G Carr 4001N

Comparisons. Opposite - S7894 ‘At the sign of the Dolphin’ in original condition with pseudo brickwork. Restaurant S7835 is attached. Clearly a member of the restaurant car staff is leaning from the window; unfortunately we cannot determine his liking or otherwise of the vehicles but it is interesting to note that staff and passenger complaints seemed to emanate either solely or mostly from the ER. The Lens of Sutton Association / Denis Cullum collection This page - S7894 and which it will be noted had by now also received a second ‘S’ as a suffix. The vehicle was photographed c1950 with ‘brickwork’ painted out in favour of conventional red/crimson. Conventional buffers are fitted to the end of the Tavern. The Lens of Sutton Association

S7896 ‘At the sign of the Salutation’ passing through Clapham Junction on 2 July 1949. The vehicle to the left is almost certainly Restaurant S7837. Attached to the underframe are (left to right): gas tank, coolers and battery boxes. Missenden, as head of the RE, would of course been aware of the letters of complaint and associated press frenzy; he seems to have ignored all, such correspondence being passed immediately to the Hotels Executive who appeared unable or unwilling to respond. It was even reported that personal telegrams were sent to Missenden in an attempt to elucidate a response but still to no avail. The Lens of Sutton Association 61091

A good side view of ‘At the sign of the Green Man’, S7898 and its accompanying Restaurant, No S7839. The lack of conventional side-buffers between the two vehicles is apparent. Taken at Clapham. The Lens of Sutton Association S61093

Two views by the late Les Elsey. Top, we have S7899 ‘At the sign of the George & Dragon’ and bottom almost certainly its accompanying restaurant, No S7840. Both were taken as the train in which they were formed (not the ‘Royal Wessex’ as this was only introduced in 1951) was leaving Southampton Central westbound so indicating use other than on the ‘ACE’. Unfortunately they are undated. Note the passenger holding the baby almost sat on the droplight....and the Maunsell stock to either side.

S7897 ‘At the sign of the Three Plovers’ likely with a converted restaurant to the left and Maunsell stock on the right. According to the unpublished manuscript of the late John Click, the Tavern cars were. ‘.... out of character with the man himself (Bulleid), caused a great deal of controversy but their story is well known. Each was twinned with a dining-car of which an interior shot gets shown with bare tables. OVB had one set for luncheon, though it still looks rather like a present-day mayor’s banquet in a rate-capped local authority set, perforce, in a chicken coupe. As intended, turnover of diners was rapid, but none liked being unable to see out. They were altered, but as Sir John (Elliott) said, OVB took it in good part, noting simply that he had gone too far the other way when compared with his pre-war Bognor buffet cars – once installed in them nobody wanted to leave!’ (Refer back to illustrations on pages 10-16 and 34/35.) Click, it must be said, was a renowned supporter of Bulleid whatever he did. From the cruel enlargement of the ‘brickwork’ used, this can seen to be ‘English bond’ having alternate layers of headers and stretchers. Mike King

Opposite - Restaurant S7833 usually attached to Tavern ‘At the sign of the White Horse’. On this occasion a Bulleid coach is attached to the right. A point of note with the Tavern and Restaurant cars is that the coach bodies extended down to the bottom of the footsteps. Official records show that the situation on 30 December 1949 was that Taverns (and restaurants) were working the following services a 10.50am and 12.50pm Waterloo to Exeter Central; 4.30pm and 5.55 pm Exeter Central to Waterloo. Outside of the Southern Region they would appear on the 7.20am Leeds to King’s Cross and 3.50pm King’s Cross to Leeds, also on the 8.00am Parkeston Quay to Liverpool and 1.20pm Liverpool to Parkeston Quay. The ‘Master Cutler’ diagram having been wit hdrawn from circa 26 August - see Chapter 5, page 63. This meant that just four out of the eight sets were in use. K G Carr / Peter Fidczuk Above - the final vehicle of the eight, No S7899 ‘At the sign of the George & Dragon’ originally to have been ‘.... the Crown’. Why the name changed is not reported. During the course of research for this book, the writer was in correspondence with David Lawrence, the renowned authority on BR Design in the period from 1948 onwards. David quotes, ‘The styling of the cars is very much in vogue for the immediate post-war years when Britain searched for a national identity again, and took up both pre-war aesthetics (mock-Tudor, etc.) and an idealised, mythical nostalgia for old England. Bulleid seems to exemplify the confusion between modernity and tradition which characterised Britain up until at least the late 1950s.’ David then refers to the 1949 ‘Southern Region Magazine’ and an article about the introduction of the vehicles (again with the standard illustrations) and where in the text it mentions both ‘Old English’/‘Old World’ and ‘the modern note’. Mike King

S7837 Restaurant Composite normally attached to S7897 ‘At the sign of the Three Plovers’ - three ‘windows’ for First Class and four for Third Class. The roofboards are for the ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ and again the brick chimney outside old railway property is visible. Note that to the left the vehicles are attached to Maunsell and not Bulleid stock. The Lens of Sutton Association 61094 At this point it should be mentioned there has arisen some confusion with the naming of Nos S7896 and S7897. S7897 was meant to be ‘The Salutation’ yet it ran for a time with the name ‘The Three Plovers’. The plot thickens in 1958 when the photographer Ted West noted No S7896 at Exeter Central running as ‘The Three Plovers’; the only conclusion being that at some point the identities must have been swapped. If this were done officially then the interior sign would also have had to be changed. A drawing of the bird ‘plover’ also featured on the Bulleid family crest whilst folklore has it the name ‘Three Plovers’ was a sop to Bullied as it replicated the name of a pub near to his Sussex home. At what stage the decision was made to include pub signs / names is not clear although again rumour has it the signs were sketched out, or at least instructions relating to them were produced by Bulleid on ‘the back of a fag packet’.

The final two restaurant vehicles we shall illustrate in original form are (top) S7839 (attached to S7892 ‘At the sign of the White Horse’, and (bottom) S7840 attached to ‘At the sign of the George & Dragon’. Both are captured at Clapham Junction and where re-stocking and victualling would also take place; on the Southern Region the vehicles were intended to carry sufficient for a round-trip to and from Waterloo although limited re-stocking was available at Exeter Central and presumably also at Bournemouth. No names were bestowed on the Restaurant cars either externally or within and as such they were not a ‘named’ pair. At some point during their two-tone livery life the Bulleid mid-mounted brake cylinder on the coaches was superseded by the standard BR brake arrangement with ‘V’ shaped brake hangers. At several points in this narrative derogatory mention has been made of the riding quality of the Tavern/Restaurant sets particularly whilst in the ‘Master Cutler’ formation. Few if any similar issues appear to have been raised whilst working on SR lines. Likely the ER complaints were more out of malice than based on genuine issues for the standard SR bogie under Bulleid stock does not appear to have been the subject of complaint on ‘home turf’. True, individual vehicles could display specific qualities but these complaints do not appear to have been repeated once the sets returned to the Southern. That said, there were always going to be particular areas where ride quality could be an issue, notably Worting Junction, going through Farnborough and at Hampton Court Junction, at which places the knowledgeable diner / drinker might hold his glass off the table to avoid spilling the contents. Mike King

The ‘Master Cutler’ at speed near Northolt and in charge of B1 No 61153. The view was taken at 11.47am on 16 January 1950. By this time the Tavern and associated Restaurant cars had been removed from this service and traditional (LNER?) stock returned. What is not known is if the ‘Tavern’s, etc.’ were similarly removed from other Eastern Region services and if so when. Transport Treasury / JCF

5. A climbdown - of sorts

e commence this chapter in similar vein to where we left off on page 46 with a continuation of a report on the disdain held by passengers and staff on the ‘Master Cutler’ especially.

the illness of the writer, the proper 1st class Dining car with Kitchen and similar 3rd class car without Kitchen were replaced in the Cutler so at long last, after nearly six months we are back before Sir ‘Useless’ Missenden and his Crazy gang at the Great Central Hotel in London brought into being their “ greatly accelerated and better summer services” and inflicted upon the passengers and staff of this train those ridiculous, useless and uncomfortable tavern cars. The train is now made up exactly as the LNER used to have it, as the passengers desire and it is hoped the Railway Executive will now let well alone. If they feel they need to do something about ‘The Master Cutler’ let them expand their energies in seeing that it runs to time and it is kept clean and that the food is worth eating.

It might then be expected that the official file on the Tavern Cars was bulging at the seams but in fact that is not the case and apart from the raft of letters already quoted one final official file of the time must have been a blessed relief for passengers on ‘The Master Cutler’ at least. As to whether the cars continued on their other ‘off region’ (off the Southern Region that is) duties is not known. Dated 24 November 1949, it might first appear to have been simply another internal Eastern Region document but it quickly becomes apparent this is in fact an unusual record of a passenger association, ‘The Master Cutler Regular Passengers’ Association’, Such groups and organisations became perhaps better known in later years; several are known of from the Southern Region in the 1960s (unrelated to the Tavern cars) and no doubt there were others elsewhere, perhaps the most common being those formed when attempting to prevent closure of a branch line. Indeed still today there are ‘Friends of.....’. associations set up to promote particular lines or to maintain certain features at wayside stations.

2 Anent the above, Mr A Ward of Worksop made a claim for a refund as he was forced to eat his meal in a 3rd class diner on 30 August last as no 1st class vehicle was provided. He had now received 4s 10d. 3 It may interest folk to know that the passengers on ‘The Master Cutler’ are not the only ones to complain of the class and quality of the coaches supplied to work various trains. A family living at Sevenoaks, having business in Brighton weekly and using the Southern Railway, are removing to the latter town to live rather than travel in a non-corridor, non-lavatory motor train which despite repeated requests for better coaches the Southern Railway will insist on using for certain trains between these two towns. The journey time is about 70-90 minutes. The accommodation is far from sufficient for those who use the train daily and 1st class passengers have their compartments invaded by crowds of workmen in filthy overalls.

Unfortunately this is the only document found referring to The Master Cutler Regular Passengers’ Association and who were clearly not afraid to adopt the Yorkshire adage of ‘calling a spade a spade’. ‘Since the last circular hereon, dated 25 October last ( - this referred to paperwork that has not been located), the following notes are worthy of attention.

4 A good many people have been waiting for “Punch” to say something about Missenden’s awful Tavern cars and at least they have been rewarded. In the 1950 Almanac is an excellent article entitled “Dining Car”and therein one may read the following (1) ,

1 Towards the end of October, the exact date is unknown owing to 63

“There are certain eccentricities. Tavern cars which tend to be Inglenooked and Olde Englysshe, have had a poor Press, but then their design and adornment are not for the Hotel Executive and in any case, in this article we are concerned with the dining, not tippling. There is nothing Olde Englysshe, heaven knows about the ordinary dining car or its fare, unless it be the dauntless optimism of the diners.”

strength and assistance and all passengers are most grateful to them and their good Mr Hahn. 10 ‘Those passengers who have also assisted financially towards the fight are also gratefully thanked, and here it is fitting to mention Mr S L Drummond Jackson, who apart from his several contributions has been untiring in his efforts to bring some kind of order out of the mess the Railway Executive managed to get ‘The Master Cutler’ into.

5 ‘Mr and Mrs A Cartledge of Worksop travelled to London some time ago, but although they required breakfast and later coffee, etc. they refused to sit or eat in the Tavern car provided on the 8.44am Retford to King’s Cross.

11 ‘Should occasion necessitate in the future the organisation of ‘The Master Cutler Regular Passengers’ Association’ will be there to deal with the Railway Executive as may be necessary but it is hoped that this body will be content in the future to let certain matters well alone, and do the work for which they are paid.’

6 ‘Re the notes on the filthy condition of the car A5 (?) given last month and the troubles of the Tudor family of Sheffield, it is pleasing to note that Mr Tudor has now received a refund of 2/- from the Railway executive as he was unable, owing to the aforementioned foul and dirty condition of car A5 to use the seats he had booked and paid for.

1 - It is a matter of regret that it has not been possible to locate a copy of the 1950 Punch Almanac.

7 ‘It is impossible to estimate what the loss to the Railway Executive has been during the time these crack brained Tavern cars were in this train, but as far as can be ascertained it runs into four figures, taking fares, meals, drinks, reserved seats and excess luggage charges together. It is to be hoped that the Railway Executive will have installed over their boardroom table at the Great Central Hotel that old truism “He who pays the piper calls the tune” and let them recall upon each other each and every occasion that they are the piper. 8 ‘As this will be, pro-tem, the final article hereon, once again the Press are thanked by all passengers on ‘The Master Cutler’ for their magnificent assistance at all times and especially should ‘The Sheffield Star’, ‘The Worksop Guardian’, ‘The Yorkshire Post’, ‘The Retford Times’, and ‘Railways’ be mentioned. 9 ‘The Sheffield Chamber of Commerce has also been a tower of

Within the official records there is no formal information to confirm the date referred to by the Association but similarly no reason to doubt the alteration either.

circulars, telephone calls and telegrams, all of which called for the withdrawal of the tavern cars and for the return of the dining cars which they replaced.

From an article by the late D W Winkworth in ‘Backtrack’, we learn that the decision by the Railway Executive to accede to the demands of the protest group on ‘the Master Cutler’ had been decided upon as early as 15 August and was implemented on 26 August when the restaurant car from the ‘Dolphin’ set was replaced by an older, but conventional LNER vehicle. At the same time estimates were sought for the provision of conventional windows and similar conventional seating in the First Class portion.

‘The Sheffield Chamber of Commerce has, in its official capacity, strongly protested to the Railway Executive about the use of tavern cars on ‘The Master Cutler’. After many letters had been sent to the Railway Executive, Sir Cyril Hurcombe and Mr James Callaghan, MP, of the Ministry of Transport, from which no developments took place, the Manchester District Passenger Manager was, at the end of September, sent to Worksop to discuss this matter, with some of those concerned.

Meanwhile in the December issue of the magazine ‘Railways’ (1) one P M Hobley had well summarised the feelings of the travelling public in a single page article.

‘Now ever since the days when this line was operated by the GCR, there has been a notably high number of first-class passengers on this train. Thus the action which was taken, after a further month’s delay, is all the more astonishing. On 26 August, the dining car part of the ‘Dolphin’ tavern car set of ‘The Master Cutler’ was withdrawn and instead, one third-class saloon was run!

‘From time to time there have been comments in the national Press about the sensitive feelings of those in charge of our nationalised industries when criticised. This has even been commented upon overseas. It would seem, however, that the Railway Executive are made of sterner stuff, as, for the past five months they have been subjected to a continual stream of critical abuse in varied forms regarding ‘The Master Cutler’s’ tavern cars. This has come, not only from the passengers, but from the staff as well. The continued use of these cars has caused a considerable drop in the number of first-class passengers using ‘The Master Cutler’ and an even bigger drop in the number of those using the restaurant car facilities.

‘There were now no first-class restaurant car facilities and consequently passengers resorted to bringing their own food or using the third-class diner. They then claimed, and obtained, a rebate for that part of the journey during which they had to travel third-class! Is it surprising that first-class passengers have preferred to travel by other means? Yet this class of travel should show the greatest margin of profit. After repeated requests for firstclass dining accommodation, a first-class saloon was eventually brought into use.

‘A vigorous Press campaign, carried on mainly by the ‘Yorkshire Post’, ‘Sheffield Telegraph’, ‘Sheffield Star’, ‘Worksop Guardian’, and the ‘Ollerton Echo’, has been supported by letters and

‘As most readers will know, the tavern cars were originally designed for the Southern Railway for short distance runs. Earlier this year,

Opposite - Within the principal file on the Tavern Cars held at the National Archives (AN109/852) and covering the period 1949-1950, is this drinks Menu. Although not specially referenced as coming from the cars, its presence does imply it originates from the period. The green background is similarly indicative of the Southern Region but may of course have been standard.

however, they were put into service on certain Eastern Region routes in place of the familiar first- and third-class dining cars. This in itself resulted in a reduction in the seating capacity, but due to the fact that fewer people are travelling now, over-crowding has not been as bad as it would have been two years ago.

‘It seems a ridiculous anomaly that due to the Railway Executive’s action, the Pullman Company, who are still privately owned, should benefit from the former’s losses! ‘The Railway Executive might have been expected to show some consideration for their own staff, but there appears to be no attempt to cure their many complaints. When one considers the long hours worked at a time by ‘The Master Cutler’ staff, mainly walking and standing, it seems little less than inhumane to have them serve customers under such conditions.

‘Defects which were less obvious over a short distance immediately appeared. The pantry ceiling came away in the ‘Dolphin’ car after only seven days. It is still unrepaired. The passengers complain of, amongst other things, crowding and lack of windows. The principal staff complaints were crowded living and working quarters, badly placed equipment, difficult serving arrangements and the use of gas for cooking instead of electricity, as under LNER management.

‘It is becoming increasingly difficult to get people to travel if they do not have to do so, particularly to travel first-class. The Executive could at least encourage prospective travellers with the hope of a meal in comfort. Because the Executive might like to travel in tavern cars it does not mean that the public does - or will.

‘It has been a constant source of apprehension to those who travel on ‘The Master Cutler’ that the ‘Dolphin’ dining car may be brought back into service. At last, however, an assurance has been given by the Railway Executive, to the Secretary of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, that the dining car part will not be used on ‘The Master Cutler’ again. At the moment it is having windows installed. These would be a welcome innovation if it was not for the fact that the diners’ backs will face the view! In view of Sir Stafford Cripps’ announcement in the House of Commons that there is to be some reduction in the standard of maintenance of the railways, it is to be hoped that no further work will be done on ‘these vehicles’. . ‘The tavern cars themselves remain, but, as the Railway Executive have said, the use of these cars is purely experimental and as it is quite obvious that the experiment is a failure it should not be long before they are removed. All that has been achieved is a loss in direct revenue, an increase in costs, and, what is perhaps most important, unnecessary friction has been set up between British Railways and those members of the public concerned. As so many travellers now use the 5.30 pm Pullman from King’s Cross in order to avoid ‘The Master Cutler’, there is little necessity to book seats on the latter train, causing a further loss to British Railways.

‘The London Midland, Western, and Scottish regions cannot or will not have anything to do with these tavern cars and members of the Hotels Executive themselves are very much against them. Yet, at the time of writing, they are still running. If goodwill is to be re-established in this Region, if revenue and profits are to be considered, if British Railways is to serve its public, surely these tavern cars will be replaced.’ 1. ‘Railways’ was an independent publication founded by G H Lake in 1939. In 1940 it was taken over by J W Fowler and renamed ‘Railway World’. The year 1949 was marked as being ‘Volume X’. The magazine was published by ‘Railway World Ltd’ in 1949 noted as edited by R J Raymond. It was subsequently bought by Ian Allan Publishing in 1959 and was then published by them under the ‘Railway World’ brand until February 2003.

Moving on we come to what are the last of the complaints and press reports. ‘Taverns on rails may be scrapped’ comes from the Manchester Evening News of 8 September 1949, who reported, ‘British Railways may discontinue ‘Ye Olde English’ taverns on wheels. Demand has proved only ‘fair’ and they may go the way 66

In the same September 1949 issue of ‘Railways’ was a single page piece on the Tavern Cars with the usual ‘publicity’ type interior image. It was accompanied by a brief text referring to their introduction and commenting some travellers were ‘...intrigued by such a radical departure from the orthodox...’. In addition was the above, the penultimate of the four cartoons in this book, (also reproduced in the magazine far larger than the interior photograph of the tavern) and credited to John Ahern, see - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_H._Ahern . The caption read, ‘Yes, we claim that old Deep Snoring & Dozing Junction is definitely one up on British Railways this time’. Surely the initials ‘S&D’ within the fictitious name were more than a coincidence...? (There is no record of Taverns ever working on the S&D even in their rebuilt state.)

No S7894 ‘At the sign of the Dolphin’ in the formation of the Up ‘Master Cutler’ at Chorleywood on 23 July 1949. Notwithstanding Bulleid’s origins on the LNER, his Southern built carriage stock bore little similarity to the LNER design vehicle behind. H C Casserley / Mike King

of cinema shows, which were introduced to relieve boredom on long-distance journeys. Plans to use the taverns on the NorthWest route have been scrapped. They were introduced only on the Eastern and Southern regions….. .’

1 - Suggestion has also been made that the same railroad may in fact have introduced their own ‘tavern’ cars ten years earlier.

BR were evidently invited to comment for underneath the letter was a light-hearted response; ‘British Railways says that restaurant cars of this type - without the barmaid - were put into service in 1949. Known as ‘Tavern cars’, they were much criticised on artistic grounds. With modifications to make the outside look more like a railway coach, and less like a country inn, some are still in service.’

Slightly out of sequence it may be appropriate to mention that in 1954 a brief news item appeared in an unknown British newspaper under the heading ‘Pub on Wheels’. The text editorial read, ‘For me the highlight of a recent trip to the USA was a visit to the new lounge car which the Chicago and North Western Railway are putting into service on their ‘City of Denver’ express train.(1) ‘Named ‘The Pub’, this carriage is patterned on a traditional British country tavern, with oak panelled walls, beamed ceiling, leaded glass windows and solid oak furniture.

(Several of the newspaper quotes from this period were obtained for British Railways via Durrant’s Press Cuttings.) Mr R D Butterell writing about various topics in Architect & Building News on 13 October 1950 comments ‘…I abhor the Tavern cars as much as anyone else….’. continuing thereafter along the similar theme as others. The final letter in this section comes from another Durrant’s extract and first appeared in the ‘Architect & Building News dated 19 September 1950; the writer, John McCann, was perhaps slightly behind the times for he wrote, ‘Sir - it is now many months since British Railways bowed to the storm of criticism levelled at the Tavern Cars and humbly agreed to withdraw them. But has any attempt been made to fulfil this concession to public opinion? Tavern cars are still in daily use in several express trains running from Waterloo and possibly others also, complete with their sham brickwork, painted half-timbering and other vulgarities’.

‘ A barmaid, dressed in a rather glamorous version of ‘Nell Gwynn’ costume, completed this American tribute to the charm of our public houses.’ The letter was credited to J Watt, Carnoustie, in Angus.

In the latter respect Mr McCann was correct so far as withdrawal had indeed taken place on all services other than those from Waterloo. The restaurant cars were also being converted to more conventional vehicles, but the story of the Tavern combinations was still far from over as we will see in the next chapter.

Accompanying the letter from Mr Watt was this cartoon which included the perception of Nell Gwynn.

Above - S7893 ‘At the sign of the Jolly Tar’ again at Clapham. To the right the accompanying restaurant has now been modified with conventional windows in keeping with the style of other Bulleid stock. Mike Morant collection Left - Rebuilt restaurant No S7839 on an inter-regional working at Leamington Spa. Originally coupled to S7898 ‘At the sign of the Green Man’, it is seen here with S7895 ‘At the sign of the Bull’. The lack of conventional buffers is again apparent. (See page 78.) Stephenson Locomotive Society

6. Modernisation (or indigestion?)

s has been reported, the restaurant portions of the Tavern car sets were withdrawn from the ‘Master Cutler’ and then the remaining Eastern Region workings in the latter part of 1949. Although not mentioned in official paperwork it may well have been that conventional buffing gear was added to the kitchen end of the vehicles to allow for coupling to a non-buckeye fitted coach.

obtuse in his delaying tactics with Lord Inman at the HE, Missenden seemingly not willing to admit a failing; which does at last imply the use of the vehicles elsewhere than on the Southern had indeed been his idea all along. Overall, Missenden as Chairman of the RE was not as successful as he might have hoped in ‘charming’ the LNER / LMS / GWR to adopt the type of progressive policy he had encouraged on the SR, especially as some aspects of regional control were already being removed and placed under separate autonomous control at Marylebone. Restaurant cars was one, vested in the Hotel Executive from 1 July 1948 – locomotive policy was another, the latter leading to some limited permission for necessary additional engines to existing designs but at the same time the various drawing offices were tasked towards what would become the Standard steam designs from 1951 onwards.

The restaurant vehicles themselves were returned to the Southern Region and steps put in hand for the provision of conventional windows. This was undertaken at Eastleigh with the vehicles dealt with as under: 7836 June 7837 July 7838 September 7833 October 7840 November 7834 December 7839 February 7835 April

1950 1950 1950 1950 1950 1950 1951 1951

As will have been seen from the image opposite, it does not appear the restaurant vehicles necessarily returned to be attached to their original Tavern. The subject of the cars was still creating much debate between the Railway Executive and the Hotels Executive in particular reference the Taverns continued use on the Eastern Region. Initially it was considered that the Taverns would remain but the eventual outcome was that all vehicles would return to the Southern. For the RE it appears it was Missenden who was making the suggestions / decisions, perhaps even being deliberately

Eastleigh Carriage Works 26 August 1950, and signs of the conversions. These sides would therefore be from either S7836 or S7837. Dennis Callandar

Rebuilt restaurant. Courtesy Mark Arscott, ‘Markits’.

With all the vehicles now back on the Southern Region it is almost certain several were temporarily placed into store with the intention on the Eastern Region at least of making a fresh start ready for the implementation of the Summer timetable.

If Mr Bulleid had intended his design to discourage malingering it certainly worked but perhaps better than intended. Example, on the SR there were two meal sittings on the ACE, the first between Waterloo and Salisbury and the second from Salisbury to Exeter. The issue now was that seats were vacated quicker as passengers moved back into the train immediately after their meal so as be once again able to enjoy the view; takings in after-meal drinks reduced considerably.

Eastleigh took in one just Restaurant at a time, the conversions reducing the seating capacity from 24 first and 40 third to 18 first and 36 third. Other than the provision of full windows, little if any changes – excluding livery – took place to the Restaurant cars during their working lives.

The next event was a cosmetic change so far as the Tavern cars

S7834, rebuilt in the form seen in December 1950, photographed at Clapham Junction carriage sheds on 31 July 1956. The original design was to Diagram 2664, the rebuilt vehicles now coming under Diagram 2665. J H Aston / Bluebell Railway Museum

were concerned and was the painting out of the pseudo brickwork so that the vehicles appeared in the then standard ‘crimson and cream’ (‘rhubarb and custard’ if you prefer). There is no record of dates of when the first and last vehicles may have been treated nor when all eight had been dealt with. Instead what we know is that for a time at least this resulted in some unusual pairings, as shown here with No S7894 ‘At the sign of The Dolphin’ with its external

brick and woodwork painted over and temporarily attached to a Maunsell vehicle. At that time its associated restaurant, S7835, was being modified in works which therefore dates the view as being sometime around April 1951. (As will have been seen from the list on page 71, S7835 was also the final restaurant to be converted. On the basis Eastleigh were only dealing with one at a time it would seem the work was taking just over four weeks on

S7894 in the usual Clapham position as detailed above. A point to note is that side buffers have not been fixed to the Tavern during its pairing with the Maunsell vehicle. Roger Merry Price

Rebuilt Restaurant cars: right No S7833 and bottom, S7837. Both were recorded at Clapham in July 1951 and had been modified the previous year. Also for the present just the single word ‘Restaurant’ appears, ‘Car’ was added later but removed again with repaints that took place in the mid-1960s. Both Peter Fidczuk (CJ B1661 and B1453)

The first rebuilt Restaurant, No S7836, alongside the carriage sheds at Clapham on 13 June 1950 and fresh from modifications at Eastleigh. This car would normally be attached to No S7895 ‘At the sign of The Bull’. It would seem likely the respective taverns were attached to other restaurant cars during the time their usual accompanying coach was away. Seen is the end of the coach away from the tavern and as such conventional buffing gear was always fitted. The Lens of Sutton Association (Denis Cullum 0686)

average although it should be stated the dates shown on page 71 are the official dates and may in fact refer to the month when the vehicle was returned to traffic rather than entered works.) With eight pairs of vehicles now available to the Southern Region, we must now turn our attention to the duties they were working.

Information for workings in 1951 is limited, but that for the Winter timetable commencing 15 September 1952 may be given. This shows that seven of the eight pairings were in use on weekdays but only four on a Sunday.

Car Nos.

Duty: Weekdays

Duty: Sunday

7896+7835 ‘At the sign of the Salutation’

9.00am Waterloo - Exeter Central 2.30pm Exeter Central - Waterloo

9.32am or 10.12am Waterloo - Bournemouth Central 6.10pm or 8.04pm Bournemouth Central - Waterloo

7895+7839 ‘At the sign of the Bull’

11.00am Waterloo - Exeter Central 4.30pm Exeter Central - Waterloo

11.00am Waterloo - Exeter Central 4.50pm Exeter Central - Waterloo

7894+7833 ‘At the sign of the Dolphin’

1.00pm Waterloo - Exeter Central 5.55pm Exeter Central - Waterloo

Spare As from 29 March 1953 9.35am Waterloo - Bournemouth Central 7.48pm Bournemouth Central - Waterloo

7892+7838 ‘At the sign of the White Horse’

Spare

7893+7836 ‘At the sign of the Jolly Tar’

7.30am Exeter Central - Waterloo 3.00pm Waterloo - Exeter Central

Spare

7899+7837 ‘At the sign of the George & Dragon’

5.00pm Waterloo - Yeovil Junction 4.00pm Waterloo - Exeter Central alternating with alternating with 12.31pm Exeter Central - Waterloo 12.02pm Exeter Central - Waterloo (The other alternative was not a Tavern car set)

7897+7834 ‘At the sign of the Three Plovers’

10.30am Exeter Central - Waterloo 6.00pm Waterloo - Exeter Central

Spare

7898+7840 ‘At the sign of the Green Man’

8.20am Bournemouth West - Waterloo 4.35pm Waterloo - Bournemouth West

Spare

Note in the above list the pairing of Tavern with Restaurant is not now as per the originals. 77

An interesting variation occurred during the early 1950s for the summer period when a Tavern set might appear at either Padstow or Ilfracombe on Friday afternoon/evening and returning on Saturday. Messing/billetting arrangements for the restaurant car staff are not known. (An image of a Tavern in green at Padstow is shown on Flickr but it not been possible to secure a copy.) The

other variation was in 1954/55 when Set 7895+7839 was used on the through Bournemouth West - Birkenhead train; out on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, returning south Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - see illustration on page 70. Otherwise similar use on the West of England and Bournemouth line services continued for many years.

Taverns in service. Left - No prizes for guessing the location - Exmouth Junction of course. A down service including No S7898 ‘At the sign of the Green Man’ and its originally allocated Restaurant S7839 - the latter yet to have full length windows fitted - ‘sometime’ between (build) May 1949 and (restaurant rebuilt) February 1951. Mike King Above - In service at Axminster on 24 September 1956, this time with a rebuilt restaurant and no brickwork. S7894 ‘At the sign of the Dolphin’, the Restaurant car is not identified. The lack of roofboards may indicate this is the 5.55pm, Exeter Central to Waterloo (see page 76). Peter Fidczuk B10694

There would be two more changes visible to the vehicles during their lifespan.

did little for the overall appearance, made slightly strange perhaps as the names remained in place.

The first commenced in 1956 and was completed in 1957 when both the Taverns and Restaurant vehicles were repainted in standard Southern Region loco hauled stock green.

Meanwhile behind the scenes a far more radical change was being planned which was for the conversion of the Taverns into something resembling more of a conventional buffet.

Whilst livery preferences are indeed subjective, in the opinion of the writer having the same colour overall

This had first been discussed at some point in 1955 with a then estimated cost of £2,238 per vehicle.

Left - S7893 ‘At the sign of the Three Plovers’ photographed at Exeter Central, 15 August 1957. Note the footboards on the leading bogie to allow staff access from ground level. J Robertson / Colour Rail 103742 Above - S7895 ‘At the sign of the Bull’. All the Tavern and Restaurant vehicles were fitted with Pullman style gangways. Mike King

(In the following year this had reduced by £2.) The proposed changes included the fitting of standard windows, better seating, an improved pantry and changes to lighting and decoration.

The scheme has the support of the General Manager, Southern Region.’

As before, there is only a limited amount of official documentation available with one note from 1956 and a second from 1959.

For whatever reason, these design revisions took three years, perhaps indicating the vehicles were not considered that much of a priority.

The 3 August 1956 note came from F G Hole at what was then the British Transport Hotels and Catering Services, St Pancras Chambers, and was sent to the Commission.

Then on 19 February 1959 we have a note from the SR Chief Mechanical & Electrical Engineer’s department at Eastleigh to Hotel’s Services with a copy to the GM at Waterloo.

After briefly describing the origins of the Taverns and the recent changes to the restaurant vehicles, Mr Hole reported;

On behalf of Mr W J E Sykes at Eastleigh it gave details of a revised estimate per vehicle which was now £2,870. We learn the increase in costs was in fact due to requested changes as under:

‘The ‘Tavern’ sections still have dark oak beams, dark settles and tables placed against the walls. The windows are of the oldfashioned type with small panes set high in the walls. It is proposed to improve these vehicles as follows:

Original - Plastic roof with polished panelling - replaced by - Plastic finishing throughout. Original - Dining chairs manufactured at Lancing - replaced by dining chairs manufactured by contractors.

a - The buffet counter to be slightly lengthened and opened out to overcome the present cramped and restricted conditions.

Original - Swing doors to be refaced only - replaced by - centre doors to be replaced by Peter’s balanced doors.

b - Provision of standard windows. (Existing windows are at eye level and admit of only restricted views and light.)

Original - Floor to be covered with linoleum - replaced by - Floor to be covered with ‘Accotites’.

c - Provision of improved and more comfortable seating accommodation. (The present wooden settles are uncomfortable, dull and cold.)

Original - Standard lighting to remain - replaced by - Lighting now to be similar to Hastings Diesel-Electric buffet car necessitating complete re-wiring of certain new items of equipment.’

d - Provision of improved storage and service facilities in the pantry, also the addition of a bottle cooling unit.

From the above it is interesting to note that even in the 1956 note nothing had been done up to that time to obviate the issues raised back in 1949 concerning the storage of bottles then subjected to heat.

e - Alterations to the lighting. ‘The proposals are estimated to cost £2,236 per vehicle and authority is requested for the total expenditure of £17,888. 82

Approval was finally given on 13 May 1959 at the revised cost

Rebuilt tavern. (Refer also to last paragraph of text on page 84.) Courtesy Mark 83Arscott, ‘Markits’.

Sketch dated 5-9-58 giving an indication of the proposed changes intended to replace the settles.

stated. It took a year to deal with all eight vehicles.

At some point, possibly during the 1959/60 rebuilding, the large single gas cylinder attached to the underframe was replaced by three boxes holding separate LPG bottles.

This was now the time that the final vestige of the taverns was lost with the individual names being removed. The various internal alterations also meant some minor changes were made to the roof fittings. Rebuilding included the provision of an emergency door where the external Inn sign had been placed but without external handles. Additional windows of the Bulleid design type were fitted in the sides although the existing windows were not replaced.

For reasons that are not understood there were variations amongst the rebuilds. Nos 7892, 7895 and 7896 had 11 seats and a theoretical 53 standing, the others 12 seats. No 7892 also had special fittings (?). 84

S7892 seemingly freshly rebuilt, depicted at Clapham Junction in standard green livery. The position of the former Inn sign (this had been ‘At the sign of the White Horse’) is now an emergency exit door (without windows) between the two pairs of windows at the right hand end. There was a similar emergency / egress point on the opposite side. Mike King

S7892 again but now seen from the opposite side. The doors centre were for loading stores and according to the side led either directly into or opposite the pantry. Mike King

As a comparison, this is the opposite side but of vehicle S7898. The change in the weight of the rebuilds is not given. Visually they now fitted in with the remaining loco-hauled Bulleid steam stock although the extension of the sides below the footboards could give a ‘heavy’ appearance when marshalled in a train of coaches without such sides. Mike King

Duty wise the former Tavern and Restaurant vehicles were, with one exception, now assimilated into the general pool of buffet / restaurant vehicles. The exception was Nos 7898/7840 which in the Carriage Working Notice of 2 November 1959 were retained for the ‘Royal Wessex’.

Weekdays four vehicles were ‘spare’, 7892 and 7893 along with restaurants 7836 and 7838. In addition 7894/7833, 7895/7839, 7896/7835, and 7898/7840 were all spare on Sundays. The days of a tavern and restaurant combination working to Padstow and /or Ilfracombe were long gone.

Further pairings followed from 12 September 1960, Nos 7899/7834 were on the down ‘ACE’ and 4.30pm (4.56pm on Sundays) return from Exeter. Nos 7894/7833 were used on the 6.30pm Exeter Central - Waterloo and 1.00pm return the next day. Nos 7897/7837 on the 10.08am (Sunday 10.56am) Bournemouth West - Waterloo with a 6.30pm (6.20pm Sunday) return. Nos 7896/7835 provided facilities on the Up ‘ACE’ and 7.00pm return. Nos 7898/7840 continued to be allocated to the ‘Royal Wessex’.

With the transfer of the lines west of Wilton from the Southern Region to the Western Region together with ample stock of newer Mk1 catering vehicles so the former Tavern and Restaurant vehicles found less and less work and withdrawals commenced, these are detailed in Appendix D. None were saved from the scrap merchants.

Attaching a tavern (Buffet) and restaurant at Exeter Central to Up trains. The views opposite illustrate the procedure for attaching the catering vehicles to up trains at Exeter - the latter arriving in two parts. Although the images show the rebuilt tavern/restaurant combination, the method would have been identical in earlier years. 1 - The catering vehicles are positioned on the centre road ahead of the scissors crossover with a shunting / pilot engine attached at the west end of the pair. (In this case a ‘Z’ No 30956.) 2 - The London train arrives and draws forward on the Up platform with sufficient room behind the rearmost vehicle to allow the attachment to take place. 3 - Using the scissors crossover, the ‘Z’ then reverses into the Up platform; the points are then changed and the engine pushes the two catering vehicles on to the rear of the standing train. These are coupled - the ‘Z’ uncoupled which then reverses back and, again using the scissors crossover, runs forward on to the centre road. Dependent upon requirements at the time, the ‘Z’ may remain on this road or move clear. 4 - The second portion of the London train arrives in the Up platform and stops clear of the scissors crossover. The train engine is uncoupled and again using the scissors it too runs on to the centre road. 5 - The engine at the east end of the train now reverses its partial train on to the set of coaches standing, the train is coupled together and departs when ready. Images Transport Treasury / Terry Gough TG 391 1/2.

Appendix A Materials and Equipment supplied by Contractors. Outside steel panels Messrs Fisher & Ludlow Ltd. Doors Messrs Fisher & Ludlow Ltd. Glass Messrs Pilkington Bros. Holoplast for Lavatory Messrs W A Bennell. Insulation board for backing Formica panels Messrs W A Bennell. Ventilators Messrs Hope Bros. Ventilators Messrs Hallam, Sleight & Cheston. Ventilators Messrs Gibbons Ltd. Formica for interior panels Messrs De La Rue Ltd. Kitchen equipment Messrs. Crittalls Ltd. Refrigerators Messrs Prestcold Ltd. Lighting equipment and dynamo Messrs Stones Ltd. Pressure ventilation Messrs Stones Ltd. Fans Messrs Stones Ltd. Tapestry for upholstery Messrs T F Firth & Sons. Carpets Messrs T F Firth & Sons. Linoleum Messrs J Williamson & Sons. Light fittings for Buttery car Messrs F H Pride. Swing Doors Messrs Metropolitan Plywood Co. Draught screens Messrs Metropolitan Plywood Co. Holoplast for Kitchen Messrs Metropolitan Plywood Co. Oak veneered aluminium panels Messrs Aeronautical & Plywood Co. Fluorescent light fittings British Thomson Houston & Metropolitan-Vickers. Dynamo for Fluorescent lighting British Thomson Houston & Metropolitan-Vickers. Oak veneered ply for interior panels Messrs Howard Bros. Glazing rubber Messrs Spencer Moulton. Lavatory flushing gear Messrs A G Wild Ltd. Lavatory pedestal and basin Messrs Doulton. Sliding door runners Messrs Laycock & Watkinson. Bottle racks Messrs Baddesley Ennels Ltd. Electrical fittings (various) Messrs British Electrical and Manfg. Co. Water heaters Messrs Stills Ltd. 90

Brake cylinders Messrs Westinghouse Brake & Signal Co. Coffee machine & hot water supply fittings Messrs J M Still. Tiled flooring in kitchen and pantry Messrs Carter. Steel roller shutters Messrs Haskins.

‘Simplified Tavern’ (without exterior brickwork and beams) No S7896 ‘At the sign of the Salutation’. Mike King

Appendix B Official description of the cars Tavern Car

floor of the Tavern and Kitchen car is a black and red tiled floor covering conforming to the ‘Old World’ style of the Tavern.

The ‘Old World’ half-timbered roof effect has been given to the Tavern by the use of dark oak roof beams set into a white ceiling, on which the old whitewashed effect has been obtained by the use of Cor-tex rough white paint. This half timbered ceiling effect continues down the wall as far as the backs of the dark oak settles. The Bar itself is in striking contrast to the Tavern and is faced with polished light oak, the counter and the panelling behind being covered with Formica plastic panelling: of buff colour, broken by light oak framing.

The Tavern car is maintained at an equitable temperature by means of a modern thermostatically controlled system of pressure ventilation. Filtered air, warmed in winter and cooled in summer, is forced under pressure through air ducts into the car at floor level. The incoming air forces out the used air through air ducts in the ceiling timbers. A constant supply of clean air at a comfortable temperature is thus ensured and the main requirement of heating and ventilation met.

Restaurant Car. The whole of the interior panelling both in the first and third class sections of the Car is covered with Formica plastic panelling of buff colour broken by light figured-oak framing. The buff plastic is also used on the table tops edged with aluminium, with plastic inserts.

The Restaurant car is steam heated, local adjustments being under the control of the individual passenger by means of switches set in the side of the carriage behind the seats. Extractor fans set in the roof of the restaurant car, together with air agitator fans, ensure adequate ventilation. In addition there are deep sling window ventilators.

The roof of the Restaurant Car continues the half-timbered effect used in the Tavern Car, except that the modern effect is obtained by the use of figured oak instead of the dark oak of the Tavern Car. The oak used in the beams in both Cars has been seasoned in the Works at Eastleigh for twelve years.

The lighting of the ‘period’ lanterns in the Tavern car, also of the modern fluorescent concealed roof-lights in the Restaurant car and in the kitchen and bar, is by current supplied from the axle-driven dynamo which can either supply current direct or through storage batteries. The current supply is at 24 volts.

The third class movable seats in the Restaurant Car are covered with a figured maroon moquette, while the seats in the first class section of the car are covered with a figured brocade, with an old rose and dull turquoise motif.

The Tavern, although primarily designed as a stand-up bar, has accommodation for 12 people on the old-fashioned oak settles set against the sides of the coach. The Restaurant Car, which is of the composite diner type, will seat 25 first and 40 third class passengers at a time.

The carpets on the floors of both the first and third class sections are of a design in keeping with the upholstery of the seats. On the 92

Kitchen and Pantry

In order to give the maximum possible room to passengers and staff, as much apparatus as possible is carried in the underframe of the coach below floor level. This includes the water tanks, oil gas cylinders and electrical units for lighting, ventilation and refrigeration.

This is on the most up to date lines, embodying every possible contrivance to combine cleanliness with economy in space. In addition to the usual cooking apparatus, it also embodies an electric refrigerator and an ice-cream conserver, and provision for the service of draught beer, lager and minerals. The whole of the cooking is done by oil gas.

The water is raised to kitchen sink level by air pressure. The bodies of both the Tavern car and Restaurant Car Coaches are of timber with steel panels.

The counters in the serving hatches and other tables within the kitchen are of stainless steel, and the walls of cream Holoplast plastic panels.

The exterior contour with its curved sides conforms closely to the British Railways standard profile for new stock.

A special feature which has been built in with the kitchen is a small compartment set aside for the Restaurant Car staff with their own tables, seats, wardrobes and lavatory.

The design of the underframes and bogies conforms to Southern Region practice.

Apart from the service hatch opening on to the corridor there is also direct access from the kitchen to the service side of the bar counter in the Tavern.

In accordance with the new British Railways standard, these cars are equipped with Pullman type vestibule with automatic buck-eye couplings.

Roller shutters at the main service hatch ensure that when necessary the kitchen is completly cut off from view of passengers.

(The official description concluded with general comments on the Inn signs and which are referred to in more detail on the next page.)

Appendix C Tavern Car names and signs

he subject of the Inn signs, the choice of names and their origins has created much debate amongst enthusiasts, researchers and writers.

A variation thereon has already been reported earlier in this work whereby men were sent out from Eastleigh into the local countryside to collect and suggest names and possibly even interior fittings.

The present writer has not been able to ascertain with anything like 100% ‘certainly’ the rational behind the names and in consequence it is perhaps only fair that all known opinions be reported upon. Should any reader be able to offer additional information we will gladly report on this in a future edition of ‘Southern Times’.

1 . See Michael Welch, Southern Coaches in Colour, Noodle Books 2010.

INN SIGNS Even the subject of the Inn signs themselves is the subject of debate.

For the present let it be noted that the folklore has it the idea for a Tavern with accompanying name came at one of the regular lunchtime meetings of senior works staff held at the Botleigh Grange Hotel near Eastleigh.(1)

Official sources at the time of the introduction of the cars have it that the design of the signs was produced by an outside professional source. ‘Every Tavern Car will have its individual ‘Inn’ sign on a vitreous enamel plate about 2 ft. 7 ins. x 3 ft. 4 ins. set on the outside of the ‘Tavern’ car. The sign is repeated on a smaller scale inside the coach over the entrance doors to the Tavern and again within the Tavern itself on one of the roof beams. These signs have been specially painted for these coaches by Joan Main and David Cobb, (Mr. and Mrs. David Cobb) who have specialised in the revival of this branch of Art.’ This is then confirmed in the Southern Region Magazine for July 1949. Note the correct name should have been Jean and not Joan Cobb. However, the image left does not appear to be that of David Cobb. According to the late Les Elsey the signs were produced by an electrician from the carriage works who also happened to be a skilled artist / signwriter. A number of possibilities thus present themselves; one being that the original designs were produced by David and Jean Cobb and then applied by the railwayman seen, or that this image (undated) may be the touching up of a plate after damage was noted. 94

Example vehicle names. Top left - S7892 Top right - S7896 Bottom - S7897 - and which was similar to the Bulleid family coat of arms. All the signs were removed, presumably at Eastleigh, when the vehicles were modified (rebuilt is perhaps too strong a term) in 1959/60. It is not known if any, either from the outside or within, survived.

Appendix D Chronology of dates Full windows added Withdrawn 7892

At the sign of the White Horse

January 1968

7893

At the sign of the Jolly Tar

January 1967

7894

At the sign of the Dolphin

March 1967

7895

At the sign of the Bull

January 1967

7896

At the sign of the Salutation

September 1967

7897

At the sign of the Three Plovers

December 1966

7898

At the sign of the Green Man

January 1968

7899

At the sign of the George & Dragon (Crown)

January 1968

Notes

Reinstated, condemned again July 1967, reinstated, finally condemned January 1968

Stored for previous two months at Clapham Junction

7833

October 1950

February 1965

Sold to Messrs Birds, Bynea April 1966

7834

December 1950

February 1965

Sold to Messrs Birds, Bynea April 1966

7835

April 1951

August 1967

7836

June 1950

September 1967

7837

July 1950

July 1965

7838

September 1950

September 1967

7839

February 1951

September 1967

7840

November 1950

February 1965

Sold to Messrs Birds, Bynea April 1966

7. A contradiction in terms

t must be said the jury is still out on both the concept and the design of the Taverns and their associated Restaurants. Readers will no doubt have their own opinion and the intention of the present writer has certainly not been to attempt to persuade opinion one way or the other.

HAV Bulleid in his biography refers to the matter as a literal ‘... storm in a tea cup...’ realistically perhaps a little more than that. Day-Lewis comments that ‘...Bulleid still had two remarkable further tricks up his sleeve at the carriage works...’, of course was the Taverns, (the other the ‘Double-Deck’ design).Even allowing for a degree of bias from both writers, realistically neither were

Scanned from the Southern Region Magazine for July 1949 (pages 145/147) with apologies therefore for the quality. Left -Eastleigh officials outside the ‘Jolly Tar’ at Waterloo on 25 May 1949, (L-R): Sir Cyril Hurcombe (Chairman, British transport Commission), The Rt. Hon. Alfred Barnes (Minister of Transport), Sir Eustace Missenden (Chairman Railway Executive), Lord Rusholme (Member, BTC), Lord Inman (Chairman, Hotels and Catering Executive). Right - Eastleigh officials and staff responsible for the production trying out the First Class restaurant car. The design of the tables and set as in first class was reminiscent of what the young OVS Bulleid had experienced in rail travel in New Zealand.

that far from the truth. Bulleid probably providing exactly what the railway wanted, refreshment facilities that were certainly attractive compared with ‘austerity rules’ but perhaps too much of a shock to the public. It is here also where the reader must form his own opinion.

with the arrangements which have been in force on our trains for a great many years. As Mr Hole explained, the very few special coaches, about which you complain, are really very little different from the buffet cars which serve snacks and light refreshments. The position regarding them will be reviewed as soon as new rolling stock is available and in the light of experience gained by working them.’

On the basis then that some reaction to the vehicles may have been overstated, let us now include two final letters received by BR over the taverns.

It almost seems as if the railway, British Transport Commission, Railway Executive, and the Hotels Executive were being forced to stage a form of rear-guard action. Note that Missenden appears to stay well out of it, although it would be very interesting to have had access to some of the private conversations that went on at senior level. It should be mentioned that Missenden retired in 1951, although when he had taken the chairmanship of the RE in 1948 he had intimated this would only be for a limited period. One of the difficulties he faced being that as the former GM of the smallest of the ‘Big Four’ he had difficulty in persuading the regions to conform to RE policy.

The first is a reply to a Mrs E Webb of Hookerly Lane, Whaley Bridge and is written by an un-named official on 29 July 1949. It states, ‘Dear Madam, In Lord Inman’s absence on holiday I am venturing to reply to your letter of 27 July which will, of course, be placed before him on his return. ‘The particular cars to which you call attention were designed before this Executive assumed responsibility and I think I should add they number only eight out of many hundreds of dining vehicles in service on our trains. Our personal feeling is that the title ‘Old English tavern’ is unfortunate as their real purpose is not substantially different from the buffet cars where snacks and light refreshments may be obtained. Let me assure you that the intention of this Executive is not to encourage the drinking habit, but as a public service we have to recognise that passengers on our trains expect that reasonable refreshments will be available.’

According to various quotes from previous chapters, the takings in the Tavern/Restaurant carts were adversely affected in consequence of their design. Indeed, this certainly does appear to have been the case with the ‘Master Cutler’ although elsewhere it was almost as if the novelty factor had the converse effect. The difficulty with railway catering generally was that one, or in this case two, vehicles had to be set aside for refreshments/ meals and as such it was dead-weight that was being hauled together with the associated build, running, maintenance, depreciation, staff and other costs that had to be factored in when charges were set for the food and drink consumed. Recall in Parliament the official response was that receipts had exceeded expectations and whilst no actual figures have been found, the balance of probability is that the vehicles were profitable.

This was followed by a similar response, this time to the Rev. Stanley A Marsh, of the Manse in Quinton, Birmingham. It is dated 30 January 1950 and this time was signed by Lord Inman, ‘Dear Mr Marsh, Thank you for your letter of 27 January. I felt that your earlier letter did not call for any further comment from me (the earlier correspondence is not on file-Ed), as Mr Hole had replied to it in his letter to you on 29 July. In that letter he made it quite clear that this Executive has no intention of encouraging the drinking habit but that we provide reasonable refreshments in accordance

G Freeman Allen in his book ‘The Southern since 1948’ takes a page of text to describe the vehicles, starting off in sympathetic vein,

‘Evidently he (Bulleid) still winced at the scars left by complaints both from SR operators and the Pullman Company which staffed the cars, that he had made his pre-war Mid-Sussex EMU bars too comfortable, with the consequence that customers once ensconced were difficult to budge. This time, he determined, his buffets would be as spartan as a public bar - and near windowless, too, to discourage loitering over drinks still more. From that proposition the fancies of Bulleid and his draughtsman took off in wild flight..... .

rather depends on one’s viewpoint, either as a passenger or as a catering manager.’ Perhaps we might include ‘railway manager’ to the last sentence. Where the present writer would agree with Mr King completely is where he refers to the lack of control exercised over Bulleid during the design stage of the vehicles - one might realistically say over many of Mr Bulleid’s projects. On the LNER Gresley adopted firm control even over his senior staff like Bulleid, on the Southern there was no such hierarchical structure, and as Mr King again comments, Missenden was not akin to Sir Herbert Walker.

Freeman-Allen then goes on to describe the cars but again in the opinion of the present writer in not quite objective fashion and almost with a degree of bias against Bulleid.

So where does this leave us - well basically where we came in; describing the vehicles, their workings, their design, their use, their rebuilding and finally their working life. One could never say life was dull with Bulleid, and for that alone railway history is ever richer.

More objective is Mike King in ‘Southern Coaches’ whose assessment is both factual and sympathetic to all sides. He concludes with the words, ‘Whether Bulleid was seeking to be deliberately controversial or was simply doing his job as a designer S7894 ‘At the sign of The Dolphin’ - the first four words were surely superfluous - recorded at Clapham Junction c1950/1. Brickwork removed and minus its regular restaurant - perhaps the latter was away at Eastleigh for rebuilding. One question that has never been satisfactorily answered is what the SR needed eight new catering combinations for; were these to have been replacements for earlier catering stock or had they perhaps been planned to provide facilities on new or existing services? The Lens of Sutton Association 61090

Acknowledgements and Bibliography

hile I will admit not a little amount of naivety, I was under the impression that research into the Tavern Cars would be simple and straightforward. In reality it has been anything but with innumerable blind alleys together with no doubt well-intended suggestions made for promised material, most of which has been kindly passed on.

several of whom volunteered to (or had already) undertaken much of the donkey work on behalf of the present writer and therefore saved him considerable effort. I am also only too conscious that we are talking of history 70+ years ago and as such memories fade or become confused, similarly material and resources that might once have been accessible are now seemingly lost.

What precedes this page is written with a degree of trepidation. I hope my efforts will be of interest, the simple aim being to attempt to collate as much as possible of the available information on the Tavern Car story.

However before becoming too depressive let me start by thanking the following individuals in strict alphabetical order: Mark Arscott, Peter Fidczuk, Tony Hillman, Mike King, David Lawrence, Hugh Longworth, Gerry Nichols, Roger Merry-Price, Andrew Royle and Ian Shawyer.

Even so none of what I have produced would ever have been possible without the valued assistance of friends and contacts,

At the National Archives; Files AN109/832, AN109/993 and AN109/852 The following published works have also been consulted: An Illustrated History of Southern Coaches. Mike King. Oxford Publishing Co. 2008. The Southern since 1948. Geoffrey Freeman-Allen. Ian Allan 1987. Portrait of the Atlantic Coast Express. Stephen Austin. Ian Allan 1997. Bulleid of the Southern. H A V Bulleid. Ian Allan 1979. Don’t Knock the Southern. George Behrend. Midland Publishing 1992. Bulleid Last Giant of Steam. Sean Day Lewis. George Allen & Unwin 1968. Bulleid’s SR Steam Stock. David Gould Oakwood Press 1980. British Railways Pre-Nationalisation Coaching Stock Volume 2 LMS & SR. OPC 2019. Railways Vol X.1949. The Railway Observer – various issues. The Railway Magazine – various issues. Backtrack various issues. British Railways Southern Region Magazine 1949. Southern Region Carriage Working Notices. 100

£18.95

ISBN 978-1-913251-66-6

Mr Bulleid’s Tavern Cars Robertson

Mr Bulleid’s Tavern Cars

A Southern Times ‘Extra’ Compiled by Kevin Robertson