Llangollen Railway

I believe so, but a number of railways manage to operate successfully without buffet cars.

Swanage even sold one because they saw having an extra TSO in the rake as more beneficial than a buffet car.

 

There’s Buffet cars and Trolley services on the SVR, and from memory no buffet cars on my last visit to the NYMR but there was a trolley service. That was about 5 years ago though.

 

It certainly seems unnecessary at the least. ‘A bid of between £30k and £35k has been received for the RMB by a third party who intends to move it away from Llangollen’ would have had the same effect.

 

The NYMR usually have an RMB in the rake, but it's unstaffed and used mainly for its storage cupboard.

 

Probably much better for sales to tempt people with snacks, by pushing a trolley up and down the train. Rather than them having to make the effort to go to the buffet car!

 

The one on the train when I lasted visited (summer '19) was staffed.

 

Why? In normal circumstances the bidders could all be in the same room.

 

This deal was arranged months ago. Certain management chose not to use it, so we decided to move it to somewhere more appropriate.
It is on a long term loan deal, our group retaining ownership.

Bob.

 

As is your prerogative, my question was merely for confirmation whether the Llangollen has or has not another buffet car to use.

 

That has always been the argument rom the NYMR over the years, and one person can operate the trolley service whereas it is customary to have two in a buffet car. That said the NYMR in recent years has acquired two more RMBs so that there will be one in each Mk 1 set so thinking must have changed.

If the LR buffet is only mainly used as a bar car for special events it's even more surprising that they seem desperate to hang on to it, when the brake end of a BSK or similar could have a much larger temporary bar installed.

 

On the SVR we have removed the trolleys. Not just because of not being able to run buffet services during Covid but also down to the damage the trolleys cause to the interiors.

If it is advertised properly by TTIs and on train literature then people will make the effort to wander down the train.

 

A persistent complaint from C&W is the impact damage from trollies to the seat frames and tables of their carefully restored coaches.

Patrick

P.S. @Southernman99 beat me to it by a nanosecond!

 

When we have unique coaches such as GNR 2701 which now has scratches down the length of the corridor, multiple repairs to end doors and door frames, compartment sliding handles bent or knocked off.

I prefer people stretch their legs to get to the buffet car.

 

The Ffestiniog introduced trolleys in the 1990s i think and had exactly the same problem and abandoned them.

I am assuming with covid there is not much desire to see passengers wandering down to the buffet car. A number of lines seem to be encouraging people to buy their food from the station cafe beforehand or service at your seat with prebooked catering

 

Indeed so. It also avoids the need to lug around heavy, maintenance hungry and frequently unattractive buffets. Will we be seeing the return of the tea basket?

 

They were, someone got in trouble for taking one in there some time ago according to my Dad.

 

Highlight of my trips to my Local ( KWVR) Used to be a cheaky pint from the Bar .... not alone in that.

 

And chamber pots?

On the Welsh Highland you can pre-book a hamper.

 

It is true that trolleys do a lot of damage (so do pushchairs/prams) but that can be alleviated with suitable padding on their corners. Where they are used they usually included a hot water container for beverages and I don't see that it would be feasible to do that with a basket service - I have a vision of the poor attendant with a large backpack full of near-boiling water strapped on! Clearly the commercial folk at the LR have different ideas but I would have thought that for the first phase of rebuilding their priority should be maximum seats at minimal cost.