The Swindon-built 6 car dmus [later class 124], introduced between Hull -Leeds City - Huddersfield- Manchester Exchange & Liverpool Lime St in 1961 originally conveyed a small buffet car or "griddle" as it was known in its contemporary publicity. This served only a limited range of tea, coffee, etc, but centred on the famous steak in a bread roll - an early form of hamburger, which was becoming popular at about that time. Its mouth-watering publicity, [an "Aberdeen Angus steak with melting butter in a freshly-baked roll"] meant you suddenly wanted one,[at least I did] whether you were hungry or not! All for a bargain of 1s.6d. Remember, this was in the day when eating on the train was regarded as the prerogative of the richer upper-class, so quite a novelty!
The buffet cars were withdrawn after a short time, though, leaving the sets as 5-car units, with no catering provision.
IIRC the LHCS hauled by a Class 40 or 46 on the Newcastle-Liverpool services also included a miniature buffet car, but again, the menu was limited.
On the ex L&Y route, Leeds Central-Bradford Exchange- Manchester Victoria and Liverpool Exchange services, the "Calder Valley" 3-car units [later class 110] introduced in 1962, had no buffet provision. You took a flask and sandwiches.
well, I'm not sure we can be certain who was 100% correct on that! After all no menu card and price list is on that site!!Thank you for the above reference, and I stand corrected that the price of the beefburger was 1s.9d, and not the 1s.6d I quoted from memory!
However, I am reassured to learn my memory is only 3d out in 58 years!!
I don't think we could ever afford the fried egg too, though.
Thank you for the above reference, and I stand corrected that the price of the beefburger was 1s.9d, and not the 1s.6d I quoted from memory!
However, I am reassured to learn my memory is only 3d out in 58 years!!
I don't think we could ever afford the fried egg too, though.
I have the AM9 Griddle cars in fond memory as well! After graduation my first job was in Chelmsford and occasionally I went up to London to see some college chums, stayed overnight and took a morning train from Liverpool Street. One of the pleasures was eating a minute steak accompanied by a cup of tea on the train for breakfast and then walking to work!Splendid - old BR did try out some "novel" catering ideas , there is a generation of people who fondly recall the similar "griddle car" steak sandwiches on the Clacton / Walton - Liverpool Street class 309's
BR even joined the hamburger trend later on with the "Casey Jones" concept.
As I recall it, the Trans-Pennine units had their Griddle cars well into the 1970s, lasted about 15 years, while the Liverpool-Newcastle hauled service which they interleaved with had full restaurant cars.
The griddle was an advance on the Miniature Buffet; both had propane-gas powered equipment, but the MB only powered a water boiler, which apart from the beverages could be used to do poached eggs, if the steward had time. The griddle was a large heated by gas from underneath flat plate for doing the steaks, fried eggs, bacon, etc, generally all at once, and I think sometimes all together were offered as an overall meal. The downside for the accounts department was the Griddle required a second steward, as you couldn't attend to that plus serve everything else at the counter and handle cash single-handed.
I wonder how toast was done, when only a low voltage DC electric supply was available.
There were thoughts of running something like a Class 124 over the L&Y route (and from Liverpool and Manchester to Birmingham) at one point, though they came to nothing.On the ex L&Y route, Leeds Central-Bradford Exchange- Manchester Victoria and Liverpool Exchange services, the "Calder Valley" 3-car units [later class 110] introduced in 1962, had no buffet provision. You took a flask and sandwiches.
Presumably a propane toaster existed, or else a rather alarming design of electric toaster that could operate at low voltage by using an alarmingly high current.I wonder how toast was done, when only a low voltage DC electric supply was available.
Was adding buffet cars to the L&Y route through Halifax not what the batch of freestanding Met-Cam buffet cars, not part of any unit order but loose vehicles, were about?There were thoughts of running something like a Class 124 over the L&Y route (and from Liverpool and Manchester to Birmingham) at one point, though they came to nothing.
Thank you for the above reference, and I stand corrected that the price of the beefburger was 1s.9d, and not the 1s.6d I quoted from memory!
However, I am reassured to learn my memory is only 3d out in 58 years!!
I don't think we could ever afford the fried egg too, though.