Mr Bulleid’s Tavern Cars

There have probably been more books written on the life and work of OVS Bulleid than any other CME from the steam age. His locomotives probably having received more than their fair share of criticism – and praise. Similarly, it must not be forgotten that he also designed a considerable amount of passenger rolling stock the most controversial of which were the Tavern/Restaurant sets dating from 1949. Styled internally and to an extent externally in the form of ‘Ye Olde Inn’ and with the Restaurant cars having no windows to discourage diners from lingering after their meal, they courted controversy right from the first day they were presented to an unsuspecting public at Waterloo in May 1949. So, were they really as bad as we have been led to believe? This is the first book devoted solely to just ‘eight pairs of carriages’ attempts to find out.