“Tavern Cars” On English Railways Modelled On Inns

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 40, 19 September 1949, Page 5

“Tavern Cars” On English Railways Modelled On Inns

English railways seem to be developing a “new look” in regard to restaurant cars on the express trains but like the “New Look” in fashion it is really a very old one. There are to be eight of these cars. Known as “Tavern Cars” and the first of them has recently been inspected in London. They are to be styled on the old English inn with the outside of the cars painted to represent the brickwork and cream panelling of “the local” and a brightly coloured inn sign is set in the middle of the panels. Inside is the old-world inn, with a rough-surfaced, whitewashed walls and ceiling between dark oak beams, with dark oak settees and tables placed against the walls. The windows are leaded and from the ceiling hangs the old type square metal lanterns. The floor covering imitates the old black and red tiling of the country inn. To further help the illusion each of the tavern cars has its own name —they will be known as “White Horse”, 'The Jolly Tar”, “Dolphin”, “Three Ployers”, “The Bull”, “The Salutation”, “The Green Man”, and “The Crown”. Each refreshment unit comprises two vehicles, one a restaurant car with accommodation for 64 passengers and the other a tavern car which contains kitchen and pantries for the service of both cars. The first class restaurant car is arranged to look like a Soho cafe with small glass-covered tables facing each other whilst at the far end of the tavern is a modern cocktail bar and snack counter.