Because of the discussion about the Refreshment Lady's Coach started by Leyland Victorys Collection Thread https://www.blueplastictracks.com/showth...2#pid33632 I managed to grab a complete set because of Miksolo's tip that this came in the Trackmaster's Rosie's Fun Fair Special I managed to acquire one Refreshment Coach to play with and one, new in the box, set to add to the Future World Collection.
I have a theory as to why we don't see more of these and with this acquisition inadvertently answered a question that no one has yet help me answer.
The Theory: At first I thought Leyland description of his Refreshment Coach as "Stuck" to the Flatbed meant it was glued but thats not the case. The Coach actually fits atop the flatbed and is held on by friction enabling it to be removed. I believe this was intentional as Wikia states that the "Tea Shop Special" was based and "made from a small refreshment stand mounted on an old open-coach chassis". So by removing it from the Flat Bed the Refreshment Stand could be used as a stand alone building within a Layout.
The inadvertent answered questioned. I have sought out where these black flatbeds have come from and until now no one has been able to come up with the answer. You can find these now and then available by themselves on Ebay. I believe, that because the Refreshment Coach can come off that many of them have separated from their Flat Bed in toy boxes everywhere and when parents go to sell the kids Thomas trains they have no idea that a refreshment stand building goes atop this black flatbed and are lost or included in bulk toy purchases possibly at Yard sales or Thrift Stores. Which would answer why we see more of the Flat Beds than the Refreshment Stand themselves. Anyway thats what I think.
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![[Image: 006.jpg]](https://s10.postimg.cc/z43jp5qsl/006.jpg)
![[Image: 007.jpg]](https://s10.postimg.cc/p6siw3ymd/007.jpg)
![[Image: 008.jpg]](https://s10.postimg.cc/goj2rrzth/008.jpg)
I have a theory as to why we don't see more of these and with this acquisition inadvertently answered a question that no one has yet help me answer.
The Theory: At first I thought Leyland description of his Refreshment Coach as "Stuck" to the Flatbed meant it was glued but thats not the case. The Coach actually fits atop the flatbed and is held on by friction enabling it to be removed. I believe this was intentional as Wikia states that the "Tea Shop Special" was based and "made from a small refreshment stand mounted on an old open-coach chassis". So by removing it from the Flat Bed the Refreshment Stand could be used as a stand alone building within a Layout.
The inadvertent answered questioned. I have sought out where these black flatbeds have come from and until now no one has been able to come up with the answer. You can find these now and then available by themselves on Ebay. I believe, that because the Refreshment Coach can come off that many of them have separated from their Flat Bed in toy boxes everywhere and when parents go to sell the kids Thomas trains they have no idea that a refreshment stand building goes atop this black flatbed and are lost or included in bulk toy purchases possibly at Yard sales or Thrift Stores. Which would answer why we see more of the Flat Beds than the Refreshment Stand themselves. Anyway thats what I think.
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