Restaurant Miniature Buffet Explained

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British Rail Restaurant Miniature Buffet
Service:1957–
Manufacturer:York Works (12)
Wolverton Works (70)
Family:British Railways Mark 1
Yearconstruction:1957–1962
Numberbuilt:82
Fleetnumbers:1801–1882
Capacity:48 or 44 seats
Operator:British Rail
Carlength:64feet
Width:9feet
Height:12feet
Maxspeed:90-
Weight:34.5-
Hvac:Dual steam and electric – ETH 3, Cooking by bottled gas
Bogies:BR1, Commonwealth or B4
Brakes:Vacuum, air, or both
Coupling:Drop-head knuckle coupler on draw-hook (dual)

The Restaurant Miniature Buffet (or RMB) is a British Railways Mark 1 railway coach. It is a Tourist Standard Open (TSO) coach with two full seating bays next to the centre transverse vestibule removed and replaced with a buffet counter and customers standing space, and one bay on one side (same side as the buffet counter) removed and replaced with a store cupboard on the other side of the centre vestibule. They were built in five lots from 1957 to 1962.

Lot No. Diagram Built Builder Qty Fleet numbers Notes
30485 97 1957–1958 12 1801–1812 No store cupboard, 48 seats, BR1 Bogies
30507 98 1960 15 1838–1852 1851 fitted with B5 Bogies for EMU use, the rest fitted with Commonwealth bogies
30520 99 1960 Wolverton 25 1813–1837 Commonwealth bogies
30670 99 1961–1962 Wolverton 12 1853–1864 Commonwealth bogies
30702 99 1962 Wolverton 18 1865–1882 Commonwealth bogies

Quite a few still operate on the national network on Railtours, but not on service trains. A lot have made it into railway preservation and are used by many heritage railways in the UK. Even though the first batch had no store cupboard 1807 on the Watercress has been fitted with one and B4 Bogies.

List of Preserved RMBs

Number Location Livery Status Notes
1802 Lined Maroon Operational
1803 Chocolate & Cream Awaiting Overhaul
1804 BR maroon Operational Part of 'Quantock Belle' dining train
1805 Being repainted to BR Maroon [1] Operational Being repainted as of 18 May 2019.
1807 Malachite Green Operational
1808 Chocolate & Cream Operational
1809 Crimson & Cream Stored
1811 BR maroon Operational Previously based at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, where it was painted in Chocolate & Cream. Moved to Ruddington May 2009, where repainted into current livery.
1812 Crimson & Cream Operational Owned by the Furness Railway Trust. Previously based at the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway. Moved to Ribble during November 2009, and entered service there in 2017 after refurbishment.
1813 Chocolate & Cream Operational - Main Line
1815 Chocolate & Cream Static - Restaurant
1816 Maroon Static - Used as store
1818 BR(S) Green Under Overhaul
1823 Lined Maroon Operational Main line registered for Esk Valley Line only.
1824 Crimson & Cream platform side, Plain Maroon other side Static - Catering Vehicle at Oxenhope Station.
1826 Lined Maroon Operational
1829 Crimson & Cream Operational Previously based at Dean Forest Railway, where it was used as Staff coach for 'Royal Forester' dining train. Moved to ELR December 2017 where repainted into current livery.
1832 Riviera Trains Chocolate & Cream Operational - Main Line
1833 East Lancashire Railway Lined Maroon Operational
1835 Lined Maroon Operational
1836 Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Lined Maroon Operational
1837 East Lancashire Railway Lined Maroon Operational
1838 Bluebell Railway BR(S) Green Operational
1839 Ribble Steam Railway Lined Maroon Operational Previously based at Steamport Southport. Moved to Ribble Spring 1999.
1840 Lined Maroon Operational - Main Line Previously based at Mid Hants Railway, and used as part of their Main Line set. Moved to Carnforth circa 2006.
1842 Crimson & Cream Operational Previously in Main Line charter set use. Moved to Dereham June 2014 where repainted into current livery.
1845 Chocolate & Cream Operational
1848 East Lancashire Railway Lined Maroon Operational
1850 Crimson & Cream Static - Shop & Cafe at Llynclys
1851 Watercress Line Malachite Green Operational
1852 Malachite Green Under overhaul
1853 Crimson & Cream Operational
1854 Crimson & CreamOperational
1855 Severn Valley Railway Lined Maroon Operational
1856 Severn Valley Railway Maroon Operational Repainted from previous Chocolate & Cream livery during 2021-2022.
1857 Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway Plain Maroon Operational
1859 Lined Maroon Operational - Main Line
1860 West Coast Railways Lined Maroon Operational - Main Line
1861 West Coast Railways Lined Maroon Operational - Main Line
1862 Midland Railway - Butterley Crimson & Cream Operational
1863 Crewe LNWR Heritage Company Chocolate & Cream Under Overhaul
1864 Chocolate & Cream Operational Previously based at Llangollen Railway. Moved to Spa Valley May 2021.
1865 Malachite Green Static Catering Vehicle
1866 Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway Crimson & Cream Operational
1869 Forest Green Operational
1871 East Lancashire Railway Blue & Grey Operational Named 'Howson Bar', after benefactor whose legacy funded restoration.
1872 Blue & Grey Awaiting Restoration
1873 Crimson & Cream Static - Catering Vehicle at Bodmin General
1874 Pullman Umber & Cream Platform side, Crimson & Cream other side Static - Catering Vehicle at Wirksworth Previously based at Bodmin & Wenford Railway. Moved to Wirksworth May 2022 where Platform side repainted into current livery.
1875 East Lancashire Railway Pullman Umber & Cream Static - Catering use at Rawtenstall Station Previously used as a home at Rawtenstall.
1876 Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway Lined Maroon Operational
1878 North Yorkshire Moors RailwayLined Maroon Operational Main line registered for Esk Valley Line only. Previously based at Churnet Valley Railway. Moved to NYMR late 2016/early 2017, and into service there April 2019 after refurbishment.
1879 Lined Maroon Operational Previously based at Steamport Southport, Ribble Steam Railway, and Weardale Railway. Moved to Wensleydale February 2010.
1880 North Yorkshire Moors RailwayBlue & Grey Under Overhaul Previously based at East Lancashire Railway. Moved to NYMR April 2019.
1882 West Coast Railways Lined Maroon Operational - Main Line Now numbered 99311.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BR 1805 Mk 1 Restaurant Miniature Buffet built 1957.