Pullman train (UK)
Encyclopedia
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
were mainline luxury railway services that operated with first-class coaches and a steward service, provided by the British Pullman Car Company.
Origins
The PCC was formed in 1882 and named after the Pullman concept pioneered in the United States by the American railroader George PullmanGeorge Pullman
George Mortimer Pullman was an American inventor and industrialist. He is known as the inventor of the Pullman sleeping car, and for violently suppressing striking workers in the company town he created, Pullman .-Background:Born in Brocton, New York, his family moved to Albion,...
. The company entered into contracts with the railway companies to operate Pullman services over their lines.
Pullman trains offered more luxurious accommodation than ordinary mainline trains. The PCC had its own workshops at Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. Pullman Car manufacture was also carried out by Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company
The Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company was a railway locomotive and carriage builder, founded in Birmingham, England and, for most of its existence, located at nearby Smethwick, with the factory was divided by the boundary between the two places...
and Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Co.
Metro Cammell
The Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company was a Birmingham, England based manufacturer of railway carriages and wagons, based in Saltley and subsequently Washwood Heath....
. The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
was the first UK railway company to operate a complete Pullman train, the Pullman Limited, which started on the London to Brighton route on 5 December 1881.
As Mr Smail recounts "...In 1906 the LBSCR introduced three new thirty-five ton twelve-wheelers Princess Ena, Princess Patricia, and Duchess of Norfolk. These last three cars were the first Pullmans to be painted in the now familiar umber and cream livery. Hitherto the Brighton Pullmans had been painted dark mahogany brown with gold lining and scrollwork. Some of the older cars had the name in an oval panel on the side. In 1903 Mr. Billinton changed the colour of the ordinary L.B. & S.C.R. coaches to umber brown with white or cream upper panels, and in 1906 this colour scheme was also adopted by the Pullman Car Co., with the name of the car in large gilt letters...".
This was the beginning of the tradition of PCC services operating with a brown-and-cream livery and named carriages, which continues to the present day. Pullman trains were mostly locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
-hauled, although from 1932 the electrified Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
and its successors operated electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s, the British Rail Class 403
British Rail Class 403
The Southern Railway gave the designation 5BEL to the 5-car all-Pullman electric multiple units which worked the prestigious Brighton Belle trains between London Victoria and Brighton. These units survived long enough in British Rail ownership to be allocated TOPS Class 403...
as the Brighton Belle.
The Pullman agreements were continued by British Railways upon nationalisation in 1948, while the Pullman company remained privately owned. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
all Pullman services were suspended. They were restarted shortly thereafter. By the late 1950s the image of Pullman trains remained luxurious but the rolling stock was increasingly outdated.
Nationalisation
The PCC was bought by the public body the British Transport CommissionBritish Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain...
(BTC) in 1954. At this point most of the Pullman fleet was somewhat elderly - apart from ten new cars which had entered service in 1951-52 (the building of seven of which had commenced in 1939, and another of which had a reconditioned chassis dating from 1927), the newest cars were 38 vehicles built for Southern Railway 5-BEL and 6-PUL electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s in 1932. The BTC decided to modernise Pullman services as part of the 1955 British Railways Modernisation Plan, with new rolling stock and diesel or electric haulage. The most radical manifestation of this policy was the building of five new diesel multiple-unit Blue Pullman trains (36 cars) in 1960, in a special livery of Nanking Blue and cream. Among the services which these initially operated were two new trains: the "Midland Pullman
Midland Pullman
The Midland Pullman was the name given to a former express passenger train service operating on British Railways' old Midland Main Line between and via and Millers Dale...
" (Manchester Central to London St Pancras), and the "Birmingham Pullman" (Wolverhampton Low Level to London Paddington), which offered business travellers alternatives to West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
services at a time when that route was subject to frequent disruption due to electrification work. These were joined in 1960-61 by 44 new locomotive-hauled Pullman carriages based on the British Railways Mark 1
British Railways Mark 1
British Railways Mark 1 was the family designation for the first standardised designs of railway carriages built by British Railways. Following nationalisation in 1948, BR had continued to build carriages to the designs of the "Big Four" companies , and the Mark 1 was intended to be the...
design, which were built by Metro-Cammell to modernise the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
Pullman services.
Despite new rolling stock, the Pullman company was experiencing difficulties. Although its equity was wholly owned by the BTC, its separate staffing and operations became an anomaly on the state-owned railway system, and staffing of the new Blue Pullmans had created some union disputes. The National Union of Railwaymen
National Union of Railwaymen
The National Union of Railwaymen was a trade union of railway workers in the United Kingdom. It an industrial union founded in 1913 by the merger of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants , the United Pointsmen and Signalmen's Society and the General Railway Workers' Union .The NUR...
urged its integration into British Railways, which was completed in 1962. The Pullman company then ceased to exist as a separate legal entity, but Pullman trains continued to be operated. British Rail went on to build a final 29 cars in 1966, based on the BR Mark 2 design. These were used on new "Manchester Pullman
Manchester Pullman
The Manchester Pullman was a first-class-only Pullman passenger train operated by British Rail, targeted at business travellers. The service began in 1966, operating between and , and offered an at-seat restaurant service to all passengers. It was hauled by electric locomotives...
" and "Liverpool Pullman
Liverpool Pullman
The Liverpool Pullman was a British Pullman train operated by the London Midland Region of British Railways. It ran daily from to and return, calling only at and . It was introduced in 1966 upon the electrification of the West Coast Main Line....
" services over the newly electrified West Coast Main Line, replacing the Blue Pullman services to the Midlands. The Blue Pullman sets were then allocated solely to the Western Region and the traditional umber and cream Pullman livery was replaced by a new grey and Rail Blue livery, which the Blue Pullman units also received in 1969.
Despite this investment in new carriages, use of Pullman services declined. In part this was due to the development of the British motorway network and increasing competition from domestic air travel for the passengers who could afford the Pullman surcharge, but improvements to British Rail's normal first-class service also had an impact. For example, the Mark 1 Pullmans lacked air-conditioning, while later batches of ordinary Mark 2 stock had this feature as standard in both first and second class.
The Southern Region had not modernised its Pullman rolling stock, and was first to discontinue its Pullman trains. The "Bournemouth Belle
Bournemouth Belle
The Bournemouth Belle was a named train run by the Southern Railway from 1931 until nationalisation in 1948 and subsequently by British Railways until it was withdrawn on 9 July 1967....
" ended in 1967, with the "Brighton Belle
Brighton Belle
The Brighton Belle was a named train which ran on the Southern Railway from Victoria Station in London to Brighton, on the Sussex coast. The first electric all-Pullman service in the world, it ran from 29 June 1934 till 30 April 1972.-History:...
" and "Golden Arrow" following in 1972, by which time most of the coaches used on those trains were at least 40 years old. The Blue Pullman diesels used on the Western Region were a non-standard design which suffered from poor reliability, and were withdrawn when the "Bristol Pullman
Bristol Pullman
|-See also:...
" and "South Wales Pullman" services ceased in 1973. The advent of much faster InterCity 125
InterCity 125
The InterCity 125 was the brand name of British Rail's High Speed Train fleet. The InterCity 125 train is made up of two power cars, one at each end of a fixed formation of Mark 3 carriages, and is capable of , making the train the fastest diesel-powered locomotive in regular service in the...
trains with new British Rail Mark 3
British Rail Mark 3
British Rail's third design of standard carriage was designated 'Mark 3' , and was developed primarily for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train...
coaches resulted in the demise of the Mark 1 Pullman services on the East Coast Main Line in 1978. By this time the "Liverpool Pullman" on the West Coast Main Line had also been discontinued, leaving just the "Manchester Pullman". This was finally dropped in 1985, being replaced by increased first-class accommodation on ordinary West Coast Main Line services. A new batch of Mark 3b carriages built for this purpose initially carried "Intercity Pullman" branding and individual carriage names, but they were ordinary Open Firsts in otherwise standard Intercity livery. Subsequently a number of named trains have used the word 'Pullman' in their titles, but these have been normal trains with increased first-class accommodation.
Continuation
The Venice Simplon Orient Express company has sought to recreate the ambience of the heyday of Pullman travel prior to World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by purchasing much of the previous brown-and-cream Pullman stock from preservation trusts or general storage, and after restoration, began operations in April 1982.
In 2006 the Blue Pullman was recreated with new locomotive-hauled rolling stock (none of the original Blue Pullman DMUs were preserved), first with the Blue Pullman (Hertfordshire Rail Tours) railtour
Railtour
A railtour is a special train which is run in order to allow people to experience rail travel which is not available using timetabled passenger services...
, superseded by the Blue Pullman (Cotswold Rail) rail tour.
In 2008, the Eddie Stobart Group launched, then closed, a Pullman-style railtour company as the Stobart Pullman
Stobart Pullman
The Stobart Pullman was a railtour operator in the United Kingdom, operating pullman type charter trains, as Stobart Rail Tours. The company was a subsidiary of Eddie Stobart Ltd. and was operated by Stobart’s rail partner, Direct Rail Services...
, operating for a period of just six months.
In 2009, the 5BEL Trust launched a four year programme to return a complete five car Brighton Belle
Brighton Belle
The Brighton Belle was a named train which ran on the Southern Railway from Victoria Station in London to Brighton, on the Sussex coast. The first electric all-Pullman service in the world, it ran from 29 June 1934 till 30 April 1972.-History:...
train to mainline operation. This is currently the largest rail restoration project underway in the UK and represents the first time that a heritage electric traction unit will return to the mainline.
Preservation
- The Pullman cars have been very popular on preserved railways and museums around Britain, with longer lines hosting regular dining services with the restored sets.
- Watercress LineWatercress LineThe Watercress Line is the marketing name of the Mid-Hants Railway, a heritage railway in Hampshire, England, running from New Alresford to Alton where it connects to the National Rail network. The line gained its popular name in the days that it was used to transport locally grown watercress to...
- Bluebell RailwayBluebell RailwayThe Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
- National Railway MuseumNational Railway MuseumThe National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
- Kent and East Sussex RailwayKent and East Sussex RailwayThe Kent & East Sussex Railway refers to both an historical private railway company in Kent and Sussex in England, as well as a heritage railway currently running on part of the route of the historical company.-Historical Company:-Background:...
- Keighley and Worth Valley RailwayKeighley and Worth Valley RailwayThe Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is a long branch line that served mills and villages in the Worth Valley and is now a heritage railway line in West Yorkshire, England. It runs from Keighley to Oxenhope. It connects to the national rail network line at Keighley railway station...
- North Yorkshire Moors RailwayNorth Yorkshire Moors RailwayThe North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England. First opened in 1836 as the Whitby and Pickering Railway, the railway was planned in 1831 by George Stephenson as a means of opening up trade routes inland from the then important seaport of Whitby. The line...
- Colne Valley RailwayColne Valley RailwayThe Colne Valley Railway is a heritage railway based at Castle Hedingham Station, near Halstead in Essex, England. The railway consists of a mile-long running line, with a fully reconstructed station, signal box and railway yard...
- Shepperton railway stationShepperton railway stationShepperton railway station is a railway station serving the town of Shepperton in the Spelthorne district of Surrey, England. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South West Trains. The station itself now has one platform , and a large station and office building...
Notable Pullman trains
- Birmingham Pullman
- Bournemouth BelleBournemouth BelleThe Bournemouth Belle was a named train run by the Southern Railway from 1931 until nationalisation in 1948 and subsequently by British Railways until it was withdrawn on 9 July 1967....
- Brighton BelleBrighton BelleThe Brighton Belle was a named train which ran on the Southern Railway from Victoria Station in London to Brighton, on the Sussex coast. The first electric all-Pullman service in the world, it ran from 29 June 1934 till 30 April 1972.-History:...
- Bristol Pullman
- Devon BelleDevon BelleThe Devon Belle was a luxury express passenger train in England which ran between London Waterloo station and Ilfracombe and Plymouth in Devon in the years from 1947 to 1954.-The train:...
- Golden Arrow
- Liverpool PullmanLiverpool PullmanThe Liverpool Pullman was a British Pullman train operated by the London Midland Region of British Railways. It ran daily from to and return, calling only at and . It was introduced in 1966 upon the electrification of the West Coast Main Line....
- Manchester PullmanManchester PullmanThe Manchester Pullman was a first-class-only Pullman passenger train operated by British Rail, targeted at business travellers. The service began in 1966, operating between and , and offered an at-seat restaurant service to all passengers. It was hauled by electric locomotives...
- Midland PullmanMidland PullmanThe Midland Pullman was the name given to a former express passenger train service operating on British Railways' old Midland Main Line between and via and Millers Dale...
- Queen of Scots
- South Wales Pullman
- Tees-Tyne PullmanTees-Tyne PullmanThe Tees-Tyne Pullman was a British Pullman train which formerly operated on the East Coast Main Line between London King's Cross and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. It first operated in 1948...
- Yorkshire Pullman
Pullman Rolling Stock
- Southern Railway 6-PUL EMUSR Class 6PulThe Southern Railway gave the designations 6-PUL, 6-CITY and 6-PAN to electric multiple units built to work the routes between London and Brighton, West Worthing and Eastbourne. None of these units survived long enough in British Rail ownership to be allocated a TOPS class number...
- Southern Railway 5-BEL EMU (Brighton Belle)British Rail Class 403The Southern Railway gave the designation 5BEL to the 5-car all-Pullman electric multiple units which worked the prestigious Brighton Belle trains between London Victoria and Brighton. These units survived long enough in British Rail ownership to be allocated TOPS Class 403...
- British Railways Blue Pullman DMU
- British Railways Mark 1British Railways Mark 1British Railways Mark 1 was the family designation for the first standardised designs of railway carriages built by British Railways. Following nationalisation in 1948, BR had continued to build carriages to the designs of the "Big Four" companies , and the Mark 1 was intended to be the...
- British Railways Mark 2
See also
- George PullmanGeorge PullmanGeorge Mortimer Pullman was an American inventor and industrialist. He is known as the inventor of the Pullman sleeping car, and for violently suppressing striking workers in the company town he created, Pullman .-Background:Born in Brocton, New York, his family moved to Albion,...
- Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
(USA)