Blue Pullmans

In June 1954, the BTC, which operated the railways through its British Railways subsidiary, purchased the full equity of the Pullman Car Company, a private operator of luxury carriages on the otherwise nationalised passenger network.[3]

Under the 1955 Modernisation Plan there was a push toward diesel power to replace steam locomotives, and Pullman coaching stock was ageing. The BTC and PCC formed a committee to examine the possibility of running diesel express passenger trains using new trains. Initially proposed as the Midland Pullman, it was timed to compete on the London to Manchester route against car and air travel. After being initially rejected for operational reasons, the BTC decided to make use of the reputation of the recently acquired Pullman company to operate the new service. Two six-car units, all first class, were ordered for the LMR, and three 8-car units for the WR in 1957.[4][5]

Blue Pullman at Old Oak Common TMD

The selection of Pullman caused some initial delays due to trade union staffing problems, variances in pay and conditions of the Pullman staff compared to BR train staff.[2][6] After some production delays, the first set appeared for trials in October 1959. These trials revealed that rough ride quality was a problem, and modifications were made. These mitigated the problem, but it was never entirely removed.[7]

After a demonstration run on 24 June 1960, Midland Pullman commenced on 4 July 1960, and the WR trains on 12 September.[8][9] They operated Monday to Friday only.[10] Weekends were reserved for maintenance, and also allowed their occasional use on special or charter services to events such as the Grand National.[11]

The Midland Pullman ran from 1960 to 1966 in the morning from Manchester Central to London St Pancras calling at Cheadle Heath, a fill-in journey from St Pancras to Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham and return, and an evening return to Manchester.[2] With completion in 1966 of the electrification of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, there was the opportunity for a faster electric-locomotive-hauled Pullman service than the diesel sets, and the Midland Pullman sets were transferred to the WR in March 1967. The introduction of new non-air conditioned Mark 1 Pullman cars on the East Coast Main Line in 1961 had been questioned as it was believed the ER had not waited for the completion of evaluation of the Blue Pullmans. The later introduction of 2nd-class air-conditioned Mark 2 coaches on these services hastened the perception that the Pullman supplement was not value for money.

South Wales Pullman at Paddington in 1973

The WR Birmingham Pullman ran in the morning Wolverhampton Low Level to London Paddington, via Birmingham Snow Hill and through High Wycombe, with a fill-in journey from Paddington to Birmingham Snow Hill and back, before the evening return to Wolverhampton. The Bristol Pullman from Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington and back, twice in a day. The two morning services were booked to arrive at the same time at Paddington, giving the possibility of a side-by-side arrival.

From 1961, an additional morning train, the South Wales Pullman, operated from Paddington to Cardiff and Swansea.

With the imminent withdrawal of the Midland Pullman, in 1965 one operated a trial from London King's Cross to Leeds via the East Coast Main Line.[12] However they were not introduced on this route and after the Midland Pullman ceased, the sets were transferred to the WR to be used on a new non-stop service for Oxford, and on additional out-and-back services on the Bristol and Swansea routes. The Birmingham services were eventually withdrawn, with the last services being to South Wales.

Towards the end of their operational life, the sets operated as three makeshift sets formed from various original cars to maintain a working service. With declining reliability, the last sets were withdrawn en masse in May 1973.[13] A farewell commemorative special journey out and back from Paddington was run by the Western Region, travelling for 12 hours via High Wycombe, Banbury, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth, Coventry, Birmingham New Street, Cheltenham, Bristol Temple Meads, the Severn Tunnel, Swansea, Cardiff, Bristol Parkway, Didcot and Slough.

Ten cars (6 Midland and 4 Western) had been reportedly saved from the scrapyard in July 1975 for preservation,[14] however, none have been preserved.

Some of the motor cars were retained at Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Bath Road TMD until mid-1974 as standby electricity generators during industrial action in the electricity and coal-mining industries.

The Irish national rail and bus operator Córas Iompair Éireann gave "serious consideration" to acquiring (and by implication, re-gauging by exchanging the standard gauge bogies with broad-gauge ones) the Blue Pullman sets but ultimately decided against it.[15]

To emphasise the new type of service, a Nanking blue livery and associated brand image replaced the traditional Pullman livery of brown and cream, and cars bore the word "PULLMAN" rather than individual names. Seating was also different from traditional first-class Pullman cars, increasing from 1+1 to 1+2.

The original livery was Nanking blue with white window surrounds and the Pullman crest on the front and sides. From mid-1966 full wrap-around yellow ends were applied to the driving cars. From October 1967 the sets were repainted in a reverse corporate blue and grey livery, similar to other Pullman coaches and the prototype Class 252, though some retained the Nanking blue livery into 1969.

Power car (one at each end of set):

• Introduced: 1960
• Weight: 67 tons 10 cwt
• Engine: NBL/MAN 1,000 bhp (750 kW)
• Motors: two 199 hp (148 kW) GEC traction motors (plus two on the adjoining car)
• Maximum tractive effort: Not known
• First, second and third bogies from each end were of 9'6" wheel centres, all other inboard bogies had 8'6" centres. The four traction motors at each end were mounted on the second and third bogies.
• Driving wheel diameter: 3 feet 6 inches.
• Coupling code: Not known
• Train heating: Electric, powered by 190 bhp (140 kW) Rolls-Royce underfloor engine on adjoining vehicle

The sets were formed from three basic types of car: motor car, kitchen car and parlour car. The cars were permanently coupled and hermetically sealed for maintenance of the air-conditioning settings. The sets were symmetrical with a motor car at each end, and two kitchen cars serving their respective halves of the train. In an emergency, the buffers on the front of the sets were used in conjunction with a normally concealed coupling hook.

The LMR operated two sets of six first-class cars, the WR three sets of eight cars with first- and second-class seating. Withdrawal of the Midland Pullman allowed operation of 12-car formations. The seating in the full length of the parlour cars was augmented by seated sections in the kitchen cars, and motor cars also had a passenger compartment. Kitchen cars and Midland Pullman power cars had one toilet, parlour cars two.

Formations were made up as follows:

London Midland Region Class 251 and Class 261

Western Region Class 251 and Class 261

• Heaps, Chris (1988). "End of the Blue Pullmans". BR Diary: 1968–1977. Ian Allan Publishing. pp. 66–67. ISBN 0-7110-1611-9.
• Tufnell, R.M. (1984). The British Railcar: AEC to HST. David and Charles. ISBN 0-7153-8529-1.
• 2,000HP Diesel Pullman Trains. British Railways. May 1960. 33003/81.