Thompson Buffet Lounge Coaches Nos 1705/1706

[Brush53Falcon]

Quote from 65447 some time ago:-

In 1957 the Buffet Lounge (and Kitchen) cars were removed from the formation (to save weight and accelerate timings) and subsequently the Buffet Lounge cars were rebuilt to a more standard internal layout providing 24 seats and the fairings removed. These catering vehicles lasted in regular service until 1979 and as such became the last pre-Nationalisation design carriages in main line use.

However my question is how soon were 1705 & 1706 converted after being removed from the Flying Scotsman formation and in the interveing period was it still used in revenue earning service at all.
Thanks.

1705:
'Elizabethan' set 'A' 1953
‘Highwayman’ Newcastle - Finsbury Park cheap fare service 1971
Sc1705 2/1976
Cond 2/1979 but to Departmental stock?

1706:
‘Elizabethan’ set 'B' 1953
08.33 Cleethorpes - King’s Cross & return 4/59
Cambridge Buffet Express 1967
‘Highwayman’ Newcastle - Finsbury Park cheap fare service 1971
Sc1706 2/1976
Cond 4/1977 but to Departmental stock?

Unfortunately I do not have the actual dates of the internal reconfiguration.

Herewith a photo I took of E1706E at Stratford in September 1966.

[anthony789]

Where is the best place where I can see one of these buffet coaches in person? I have heard that there are some Cheap Las Vegas Restaurants that they made out of these old buffet coaches. Does anyone know what the restaurant is called? Thanks!

[Wavey]

1706 is at Llangollen.
See link on VCT site: http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org ... sp?Ref=949

[60044]

Where is the best place where I can see one of these buffet coaches in person? Thanks!

The only place you can see onbe is at Llangollen - there's only one left! Wavey, myself and one or two other LNERCA members were probably the last people to set foot in the scrapped example at York. By then it had been boarded up because of its asbestos content and its floor was treacherously rotten, We had to keep to the very edges of it for fear of falling through!