Armoured Restaurant Car

[Dave]

Last weekend when I was searching through drawings at the NRM I came across a Great Central Railway 'C' series drawing for an armoured restaurant car. I did not get details as it is outside my area of interest, but I think it was dated around 1913??, now I find the very thought of an armoured restaurant car intriguing, has anybody got any further info. Was it built for the war and if so where was it used, or was it to protect diners from Ramsey style cooks.

[Bill Bedford]

Last weekend when I was searching through drawings at the NRM I came across a Great Central Railway 'C' series drawing for an armoured restaurant car. I did not get details as it is outside my area of interest, but I think it was dated around 1913??, now I find the very thought of an armoured restaurant car intriguing, has anybody got any further info. Was it built for the war and if so where was it used, or was it to protect diners from Ramsey style cooks.

Not what you think.
There was one restaurant car built with Robinson's 'armoured' ends, i.e anti-telescoping buffers:-

The coach in question was 699 to Diagram 5M4

[Dave]

Thank you Bill.

The drawing did not go into much detail, just a plan showing very little detail.

[Colombo]

I have attached a picture of a kit built GCR Restaurant car sold on ebay last weekend. From the description I have deduced that it was built from a D&S kit ref. DS29 which was introduced in 1978 and withdrawn by 1986.
This is a similar carriage to the armoured restaurant car, but without the armoured ends. The extra equipment added a 2.5 ton weight penalty, but whether it was ever removed, I have no idea.

Do you know, Bill?

Colombo