Mr Bulleid’s Tavern Cars, a new book

The latest book from The Transport Treasury is a Southern Times ‘Extra’ compiled from friend Kevin Robertson is ‘Mr Bulleid’s Tavern Cars’.

Eight pairs of Tavern Cars were built at Eastleigh between April and June 1949. They took the form of a Diagram 2663 kitchen/buffet car paired with a Diagram 2664 composite diner. They followed the form Bulleid introduced on the ‘Bognor’ buffets with windowless dining cars aiming to improve customer turnover with along with the theme of a tudor beamed pub tavern. Externally they were introduced in BR Crimson Lake and Cream with famously the ‘bar end’ including mock english bond brickwork motor laines over the Crimson Lake.

They initially saw service both on and off the Southern Region including the Atlantic Coast Express, Master Cutler, White Rose, Norfolkman and South Yorkshireman.

Due to customer complaints, especially the patrons of the ‘Master Cutler’ all had returned to the SR by October 1949. The Diagram 2664 Composite dining cars were then rebuilt from June 1950 to Diagram 2665, they remained paired with the Diagram 2663 Kitchen and Buttery cars until the later were also rebuilt from June 1959 into more orthodox Kitchen/Buffet cars that became Diagram 2668.

They remained in service until withdrawal between 1965 and 1968, with four of sets lasting until just a months before the total demise of Bulleid loco hauled stock on the Southern Region.

This 100 page landscape book by Kevin Robertson looks at the Tavern Cars in detail, with a mix of colour,  black and white images and drawings, looks to answer the question, in Kevin’s usual thought provoking style if they were Bulleid at his quirky best or a moment of, or possibly misguided, folly.
The book covers the initial design, construction, operation, initial reactions, their rebuilding and pub naming.

For anyone with an interest in the history of these eight sets or wanting to model them this book, ‘Mr Bulleid’s Tavern Cars’ RRP £18.95, is a must read and a highly recommendation addition to anyone’s reference library.