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Graeme Wall

On 05/04/2012 01:37, wrote:
On 04/04/2012 20:51, wrote:
On Wed, 4 Apr 2012 08:35:44 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Apr 4, 2:53 am, Graeme wrote:

They also used to have to have Candbury's vending machines, though
those
disappeared around 2006/07.

We forget that in the old days vending machines were strictly
mechanical and did not make change. Today, I can't imagine a machine
not taking dollar bills and not making change.

In Philadelphia and NYC, often near subway and train stations, there
was a popular restaurant chain, "Horn& Hardart", that used vending
machines known as the Automat. The machines were constantly refreshed
by crews working behind them. They had good wholesome food at a
reasonable price. Unfortunately, times and tastes changed and the
business shut down.
Fairly sure there was a place called Automat in Bellevue road
Southampton UK till around 1980 ish. No idea if the food was any good
though. Roughly between the Alexandra pub and that old bank that the
Police used to keep some low profile operations in .
G.Harman

They still have automats in the Netherlands, mind you? But they are not
the same as the Horn & Hardart ones that you saw in New York in the 1930s.

The Automat concept actually started in Berlin, IIRC.

Just before nationalisation, the GWR had a plan for an Automat fitted
buffet car. I've only seen artists impressions so I assume it never
went ahead.

--
Graeme Wall
This account not read, substitute trains for rail.
Railway Miscellany at http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail