Great Western Coffee Shop

In the first of an occasional series, I thought I'd highlight the potential the IET kitchens have and at the same time expose the weaknesses of how it is currently being used.

In total there are six fridges on each train.  The image below shows three of them as stocked on an early evening service.  The other three were being partly used for chilled water bottles, and presumably the remaining space is utilised when space for Pullman stocks are required.

Anyway, as you can see from the image there is plenty of lovely cold alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink and the same range that was found on the HST buffets - I would estimate about 60 cans of cold beer along with coke, sprite, wine, vodka and cartons of juice with room for more.  The food range is less impressive (top draw of the middle fridge) but contained two packs of normal sandwiches and half a dozen or so packs of complimentary first class sandwiches.  All of those sandwiches were expiring at the end of the day, and I suspect most of them ended up as waste as this was the level of stock early evening.

The trouble is that all of this was hidden away from the view of the customer, though a trolley service was being provided so more stock was available from there.

The kitchen is also used as a hiding place for the trolley and attendant.

What genius designed the trains with the kitchen at the end, rather than between Standard and First? Could even have put a counter at one end then...

It was largely due to the kitchen being self-contained.  Had it been in the middle of the train then there would have been no public access through it, so you couldn't walk between first and standard.  Unless it was designed with a long narrow public corridor and kitchen (as on a HST) which is a poor use of space.

It also means the stock can be loaded through the staff door rather than using one of the public ones which wasn’t ideal when trains were busy. This was particularly so at places like Plymouth when Pullman stores and equipment needed to be got on board a train already in service.

Kitchen was moved closer to the cab, so the Drivers can get more cups of tea and freebies....  :)

Here's a few pictures of the layout of the kitchen

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/ietkit1.jpg)

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/ietkit2.jpg)

(http://www.mbob.co.uk/rforum/ietkit3.jpg)

Stop spoiling my future posts, Bob!  ;D

My apologies.   I’m sure yours will be more considered rather than grabbed in a hurry on the way through for a cab ride!

In terms of the kitchen location, isn't it mainly just good use of space that wouldn't be available for public use anyway (due to rules regarding space use in leading vehicles above certain speeds)? Or is that just something I read that isn't true?
Edit - turns out this isn't actually the case! Sorry for that and thanks to those who corrected me :)

There are design rules, but the IET meets them so it could be an area used for seating - the other end of the train has seating in that area.

I seem to recall earlier statements that the kitchen made use of the crumple zone, whereas a buffet situated between first and standard would use potential seating space.
However as a preceding post states this is no longer the case, and indeed the corresponding space at the other end of the train IS used for seating.

It seems to me that it is only GWRs hatred of buffets that prevented the kitchen being placed between first and standard as on a proper train. By making the kitchen slightly bigger a buffet counter could have been provided.

It has actually been true in the past, and not that long ago.  If you were to read through all the successive railway group standards on the subject (I did this a few years ago) they did go a bit too far with this around the time of the Voyagers being new, but the standards were subsequently changed...

(The standard was GM/RT 2100, Requirements for vehicle structures), and it eventually went through issues 1 - 6 in about 10 years, but I'm having difficulty tracking down online access to them.)

Paul   

As mentioned earlier, there is no wasted space in the kitchen, so to move it to the middle of the train and provide a buffet counter and a passenger walkway, would result in it being longer.  The whole lot, including crew space, takes up around eight metres.  Either that or you would have to reduce the equipment and/or storage space in the kitchen.  At the end of the kitchen there is the on-board crew area comprising two fold down seats in what is the equivalent of the end vestibule at the other end of the train, so you would either have to do away with that, or it would take up space elsewhere. 

GWR did not have input into the interior layout, crazy as that might sound.  How many times do you need to be told that and from how many reputable sources (such as Clarence Yard from the RailUK forum)?  The Kitchen on the GNER sets is also at the end of the train, though they also have the buffet module as discussed before.

GWR certainly did not decide on the interiors of the IETs. That was London commuters, London commuter pressure groups, and MPs with constituencies from which commuters commute on IETs into London.

Hence we have long-distance express trains with engines under the floors, insufficient luggage storage and no buffet. However, they have lots and lots of seats, some without a window (not a restricted view - no actual window)

But they look nice, the HSTs were a bit knackered, and the extra seating capacity is welcome even in the far West. And as yet they haven’t broken down at Dawlish.

Just measured one.  The kitchen takes up 5 metres and the crew area 2 metres, so a metre less than my estimate.