Thompson Buffet cars 1705/6

[Ken.W]

As far as l recall in the late BR period, vacuum fitted stock was 90mph.

 

Not sure about Commonwealth bogied stock, but they'd have been running air braked (or in vacuum sets of mixed bogie type) by time l was dealing with them

[rodent279]

1 hour ago, Ken.W said:

As far as l recall in the late BR period, vacuum fitted stock was 90mph.

 

Not sure about Commonwealth bogied stock, but they'd have been running air braked (or in vacuum sets of mixed bogie type) by time l was dealing with them

The Northampton Cobblers, loco hauled commuter trains that ran from Euston to Northampton Mo-Fri, were all vb mk1's. With an AC electric at the sharp end, 9 or 11 cars and a mixture of Commonwealth & B4 bogies flying along at 100mph, the experience was unforgettable!

[russ p]

2 hours ago, Ken.W said:

As far as l recall in the late BR period, vacuum fitted stock was 90mph.

 

Not sure about Commonwealth bogied stock, but they'd have been running air braked (or in vacuum sets of mixed bogie type) by time l was dealing with them

 

I may be wrong but I have a feeling mk1 stock permitted to run at 100mph is marked up on ends

Commonwealth and B4/5 are 100mph and B1 is 90mph regardless of brake type

 

I think suburban stock was 75mph

[keefer]

SC1706 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

[russ p]

I wish Bachmann would do a thompson buffet I'm sure would be popular especially in blue and grey 

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, russ p said:

I wish Bachmann would do a thompson buffet I'm sure would be popular especially in blue and grey 

People complained bitterly about the price of the Gresley buffets and they were a few years ago now.  If a Thompson were to be released tomorrow expect a list price not far shy of £100 I'm afraid although discounts would be available.  

[russ p]

13 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

People complained bitterly about the price of the Gresley buffets and they were a few years ago now.  If a Thompson were to be released tomorrow expect a list price not far shy of £100 I'm afraid although discounts would be available.  

 

I thought the Gresley blue and grey ones were similar price to the maroon ones.

Would be nice to have a thompson buffet to the Bachmann range as not many Eastern catering vehicles of any description 

[Ken.W]

I think the problem that Thompson buffet cars RTR would have is rather limited appeal as there was only the two of them built.

Built specially as Buffet Lounge cars, they spent their time up to 1957 solely as part of the Flying Scotsman / Elizabethan sets.

They were then rebuilt as conventional buffet cars, substantially altering interior layout, external windows of the kitchen side, and solebar skirting removed, so quite a difference in appearance between their two guises to cater for.

 

Perhaps more useful would be a Thompson Restaurant First, but again still only around a dozen built, and these could run with either an  open third diner, or a pantry third.

 

Thompson catering vehicles were seemingly somewhat rare

 

[Gwiwer]

10 hours ago, russ p said:

I thought the Gresley blue and grey ones were similar price to the maroon ones.

Listed at £49.95 when new compared with bog-standard seated coaches at around half that or less.  If we look at where the price of a Standard Open has gone in those few years then I stand by my guesstimate of around £100 for a Thompson buffet.  

[russ p]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

Listed at £49.95 when new compared with bog-standard seated coaches at around half that or less.  If we look at where the price of a Standard Open has gone in those few years then I stand by my guesstimate of around £100 for a Thompson buffet.  

 

I remember buying mine at barrow Hill and was about 30 quid.  Remember though it's not actually a truly accurate model . If a 100% accurate thompson one was released it would probably sell much better 

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

The problem with the hobby generally is that it is lococentric, usually one off prototypes sell well, but rolling stock to pull behind them is the poor relation, and with only 2 coaches to go at maybe a niche too far, although a limited run release, well specced, at somewhere around the £150 mark might be a goer?

 

Mike.

[russ p]

4 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

The problem with the hobby generally is that it is lococentric, usually one off prototypes sell well, but rolling stock to pull behind them is the poor relation, and with only 2 coaches to go at maybe a niche too far, although a limited run release, well specced, at somewhere around the £150 mark might be a goer?

 

Mike.

 

Wasn't there quite a few of these coaches originally? 

[Enterprisingwestern]

17 hours ago, Ken.W said:

I think the problem that Thompson buffet cars RTR would have is rather limited appeal as there was only the two of them built.

Built specially as Buffet Lounge cars, they spent their time up to 1957 solely as part of the Flying Scotsman / Elizabethan sets.

They were then rebuilt as conventional buffet cars, substantially altering interior layout, external windows of the kitchen side, and solebar skirting removed, so quite a difference in appearance between their two guises to cater for.

 

Perhaps more useful would be a Thompson Restaurant First, but again still only around a dozen built, and these could run with either an  open third diner, or a pantry third.

 

Thompson catering vehicles were seemingly somewhat rare

 

 

48 minutes ago, russ p said:

 

Wasn't there quite a few of these coaches originally? 

 

I refer you to my learned friend!

 

Mike.

[Ken.W]

10 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

 

I refer you to my learned friend!

 

Mike.

 

☺️

And l respectfully refer to here;

 

 

There were no Thompson buffet cars built for general service.

 

One  thing to bear in mind with LNER stock is that the prestige trains were provided with sets of specially built stock to higher standards than that for general service, the Flying Scotsman sets in particular.

 

The two Thompson Buffet Lounge cars , 1705/6, were built specifically for the 1947 Flying Scotsman sets and were similar to such Gresley vehicles for the 1938 Flying Scotsman sets.

As built as Buffet Lounge cars, this refers to the seating area, which was separated from 'through traffic' by having a side corridor.

[Keith Turbutt]

I would recommend the 1953 BT film 'Elizabethan Express' for anyone wishing to see the original interior of the buffet lounge. The film can be found on YouTube.

Edited December 6, 2023 by Keith Turbutt