Pullman   to Brighton,  SET BW-1 of TEN 6x4” Black+White Prints

George Mortimer Pullman developed luxury sleeping and dining cars in America and expanded his operations to England in 1873, initially on the Midland Railway using cars built in America and shipped over as parts to assemble in the UK. By 1880, the LBSCR was the most important customer and the Pullman works was established at Preston Park, Brighton and remained there for the Pullman era. The Southern Belle, a 7 car all-Pullman train first ran between Victoria and Brighton on 8 -11-1908. Jack Stretton-Ward caught Marsh H1 Atlantic No 39 underneath Mocatta’s train shed at Brighton in 1910. The lead car with double doors will be the 12-wheeler parlour brake car Verona or Alberta from the first batch of Pullman cars to be built in the UK. The train is in the umber and cream colours which became the hallmark of Pullman. Marsh 462T no 325 Abergavenny Is in photographic grey at Brighton on the Southern Belle some time after April 1911 when the step on the front curve of the running plate was made full width. (see Brighton BW-5 for the original narrow step). The Billinton Class L Baltic tanks 327-333 later handled the Belle and 333 Remembrance is on the Up Belle at Brighton at Whit 1928. With the inauguration of electric services from 1-01-1933, the Steam Belle came to an end. We see ‘Arthur’ No 804, Sir Cador of Cornwall,on the last morning steam hauled Up Belle on 31-12-1932, the final working in the afternoon being by Baltic tank No 333. For the Brighton works centenary in 1952 Pullman assembled an 8-car train and we see the second special at Brighton on 19-10-1952. Marsh H2 Atlantic No 32425, Trevose Head is on the head of the Pullman special. The public soon took the electric sets of the new Brighton Belle to their hearts and Driving Motor Third Parlour Brake Car No 91 is the lead car on unit 3052 as it enters Brighton in 1950. Two sets had been coupled together and we see driving Car No 88 of set 3051. Apart from the Belle, single Pullman cars were added to many trains, and one of the 1932 K class cars built by Metro-Cam was Rose, which we see also at Brighton in 1950. Our final view is of the old deeper Pullman arms emblazoned on each car. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright; Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.

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Pullman Miscellany, 1910-1960s SET BW-2 of TEN 6x4” Black+White Prints

In Pullman Set BW1, we depicted March J 462T NO 325 Abergavenny on the Southern Belle after April 1911 with wide front step. We found a view of No 325 with narrow step on the Belle which is therefore in the early months of 1911. Once again the lead coach is Verona or Alberta of 1908. When the Marsh Era was established we assume that the prestige trains went to the new big Brighton engines, but with just five of the H1 Atlantics, it was not until 1912 that there were sufficient big engines, so B4 440 No 60, enters Brighton on a Pullman train in 1910-11. No 60 was the engine which trialled the Marsh LSSC umber livery in 1905. We depicted a single Pullman in a train set in Set BW-1 and this time shew 3^rd class Pullman car No 7 in 1938 on such workings, This 12-wheeler was Schedule Car No 70, built by Pullmanitself at the old LCDR works at Longhedge in 1917. In 1960, 56 Pullman cars were retired from traffic and many were sold to BR for use as Camping Coaches. Tipton St John’s on the Sidmouth branch received a 12-wheeler, conversion P48, which we see on 15-08-61.Schools class 440 No 30928 Stowe and three Pullman cars were prevered outdoors at the Beaulieu Motor Museum after withdrawal in the early sixties, as a replica Bournemouth Belle’ and we see the train in 1964. One of the cars, Fingall, schedule No 175 of 1924 had been on the Yorkshire Pullman early on and in the early sixties was part of the emergency fleet to cover for the unreliable BLUE PULLMAN diesel service. It eventually moved to the Bluebell railway and is back in service. The Yorkshire Pullman was a long-lived service, and Peppercorn A1, No 60128 Bongrace is caught at Peterborough North on the Yorkshire Pullman in 1950. Sister engine 60144 King’s Courier heads the Up Yorkshire Pullman through Peterborough in 1952. As part of the 1955 Modernisation Plan, diesel Pullman trains were introduced on the LM Region in Juy 1960 and the WR in December 1960. The 6-car Midland Pullman is about to depart from St Pancras and is in the original striking Nanking Blue with white window surrounds livery. The WR sets were 8-car formations and two sets are in the stock sidings at Ranelagh Bridge just outside Paddington c1961 when steam loco also used the facility. . These views are copyright; Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.

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Pullmans in Colour SET A of TEN 6x4” Colour Print Photos

Iona of 1880 was assembled from parts shipped from the States for the GN Pullman services which began in 1879. Iona ran until 1925 and was then sent to Lincoln St Marks for the GN Mutual improvement class at the loco shed where we see her in October 1965. From 1908 Pullman cars were built in the UK and the oldest surviving British car is Emerald, schedule car No 32 of 1910 from the BRC&WCo which became a camping coach at Bettws-y-Coed in 1964 and is seen on 8 August 1971. In set BW-1 we illustrated the old Pullman arms. Here is the later ‘squashed’ version. Car no 59 Topaz is a type P Parlour car of 1914 at York on the 1979 Special run by Travellers Fare to mark a century of rail catering. In 1967 the cider makers Bulmers bought a rake of Pullmans including schedule car no 219 which was a 1928 parlour car. In Bulmer’s ownership it became Christine and is at Tyseley in 1970. 44 Cars were built in 1960 with schedule numbers 311 to 354, using the schedule number as the car ‘name’ so Car No 336, at Rugby in November 1974, was schedule number 336. It uses a Mk1 chassis and bodyshell with different windows and recessed doors. Pullman had been taken over by BR and the famed Pullman livery was replaced by reversed Corporate colours of grey and blue and car E334E at Rugby in 1974, lost most of its magic. The 1960 cars included Kitchen firsts, including car 311, Eagle, which was a mundane E311E when seen at King’s Cross in 7-1972. Kitchen first Emerald ran on the last Yorkshire Pullman in May 1978. It went to the NRM and back into Pullman livery and is seen in 1979 at York. 35011 General Steam Navigation, bursts from Holdenhurst Rd bridge, Bournemouth on 11-6-65 and we can see the lead car is the brake end of the Bournemouth Belle These views are copyright; Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.

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.Bargain Pack Pullmans,  Sets BW-1, 2 & A  of 30 6x4” BW & Colour Prints

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