Cu-Ni, 38.7mm. THE FIRST RESTAURANT CAR SERVICE - LEEDS TO LONDON KINGS CROSS IN 1879 around, British Rail logo at the bottom, in centre passengers being served dinner by waiter standing to left.  R. 100 Years of Refreshment  BR logo and Travellers-Fare above and below 1879 1979 at sides of crossed knife and fork.  An excellent depiction. The reverse a little marked, otherwise Good EF/EF.

The very first meal to be served on a train was in 1874, when the Midland Rail Service started to add Pullman dining cars to their long-distance train services. Then, on the 1st of November 1879, after two experimental runs in October, the Great Northern Railway Company fitted out a wonderfully splendid Pullman car called the Prince of Wales as a full-service dining car, on its services between Kings Cross, London, and Leeds. Meals were served that were cooked and prepared en-route for hungry travellers. Lunch aboard the train in Victorian times would have been a five-course affair, with staples such as grilled turbot, roast sirloin, salmon with hollandaise sauce, bread-and-butter pudding, apple tart and crème caramel. The cost in 1898 was half a crown. The early waiters learned their trade in special sealed-off dining cars where they were trained to walk along a white line wearing a blindfold while the train moved at speed.
The first GNR experimental meal on the 28th of October 1879 was lunch, and the menu is reputed to have included mutton cutlets and cold meats, with mashed potatoes, cheese, and celery. On the second experimental run, on the 27th, the menu is said to have been a little more adventurous with a hot lunch of six courses, including soup and lobster salad. The depiction on the medal is adapted from a contemporary illustration in the Illustrated London News.

NB  All of the photographs of coins and books offered on our website are images of the actual item offered for sale.  We endeavour to grade our tokens strictly and to high standards to ensure your satisfaction.