Trolley Tuesday 3/10/2022 - The Southern Railway's "Brighton Belle"

Over the last three years or so of this blog, we've never avoided mentioning the Pullman Company's effect on electric traction. After all, their proximity to some of the largest transit networks in the United States led a lot of companies to depend on them for top-quality suburban and interurban cars. However, while Pullman's own streetcars were legendary in their own right, we've never touched upon the more well-known side of George Pullman's grand sleeping car empire, that being their luxury train services. Well, fret no more dear riders, as despite a relative lack of Pullman luxury electric trains in the United States, it seems the idea took off across the pond in Britain. On today's Trolley Thursday, we're looking at how the Pullman Company flourished in England and its role in making one of the most famous electric luxury passenger trains... in the world.

By George, It's the Same Service!

An 1882 Pullman (UK) "Drawing Room Car" for the Midland Railway.
Note the unmistakable American lines, clerestory roof, and thin in-between windows.
(Curbside Classic)

An interior shot of the Midland's Pullman cars,
showing their fabulous chairs and airy clerestory.
(Mary Evans Prints Online)

    Despite George Pullman's eponymous company basing itself in Chicago, Illinois, he soon set his sights on selling his Palace Sleeper Cars around the world. In 1874, seven years after the Pullman Company US was established in 1867, the Midland Railway (MR) became the first British railway to run a luxury car service with the "Midland", a coach patterned after the American cars with open-ended decks and clerestory roofs. Service aboard was just as first-class as any ocean-liner of the day, with table seating and sleeper car services catering to the luxury train market. Such was the demand for Pullman cars in England that the MR signed a contract with Pullman to construct new cars at their carriage works in Derby (pronounced "Darby" because reasons) by 1882 under a licensed "Pullman Car Company" (PCC) name. A later separate carriage works controlled solely by the PCC opened up in the seaside town of Brighton on Britain's southeast coast, but other contractors were able to help fill demand, including the Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company of Sheffield (otherwise known as Metro-Cammell).

This turn-of-the-century postcard contrasts the Midland Railway's "Victoria" drawing room car
from 1874 with a modern LBSCR "Princess Patricia" Parlor Car from 1906.
(Unknown Author)

Brighton Rock

 A cigarette card shows an LBSCR Billinton B4 Class 4-4-0 hauling the "Pullman Limited".
At the time, the coaches were painted in standard umber brown, and a crossed route disc
on top of the smokebox indicated to signalmen that the destination was for "Brighton".
(Mary Evans Prints Online)

London Victoria Station in the 1880, which the LBSCR shared
with the London, Chatham & Dover Railway.
(Hulton Archive)

    Despite the allure of the Pullman car drawing forth the wealthy to ride aboard, most trains at the time of their implementation only carried one or a few cars in a given train. This was not only due to there being a lack of adequate supply given the newness of the Pullman Car Company, but also the high ticket prices keeping most riders at bay at a time when already-existing first class services were a thing. By 1881, however, the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway (LBSCR) decided they would be the next leap forward for Pullman by commissioning the first all-Pullman train to begin running on December 5 of that year. Dubbed the "Pullman Limited", the train ran fifty miles southeast from London Victoria station (one of many independent railway stations in London rather than a "Union" station) to Brighton via the market town of Horsham. In 1888, a second all-Pullman service was inaugurated under the auspices of engineer William Stroudley, who not only built new locomotives to haul an updated "Pullman Limited" but also provided the whole train with electric lights.

An LBSCR Billinton B2 is seen hauling a repainted rake of "Pullman Limited" cars,
with common coaches mixed in with the American-clerestoried Pullmans, outbound to Brighton.
(Mike Morant)

Two switchers flank LBSCR Ivatt Atlantic No. 422 as it storms out
of London Victoria with the "Southern Belle" of 1908.
(F. Moore, Brighton Toy & Model Museum)

    Through the turn of the century, the biggest change to the "Pullman Limited" came in 1903, when LBSCR's then-Chief Mechanical Engineer, R. J. Billinton, had the Limited's more-ordinary rolling stock repainted into umber brown with white/cream upper panels along the windows. The two-color combination naturally heralded an appearance of "luxury" and three years later, the Pullman Car Company adopted these colors and added that familiar "PULLMAN" script along the tops of the windows. Despite the Pullman Company being known for sleeper cars, the "Limited" ran so fast and frequently between London Victoria and Brighton that sleeper cars were often unneeded, resulting in this being one of the rare all-Pullman car trains with coach seating rather than having beds aboard. The "Limited" ran in this fashion for another five years before the LBSCR overhauled the service once more into the "Southern Belle" in 1908. With round trip tickets priced at an impressive rate of 12 shillings (at a time when weekly wages were only 20 shillings), it was hailed as the "most luxurious train in the world". It was not uncommon to see Atlantic-types streaking down the Brighton Main Line with a line of umber brown-and-cream coaches in tow, creating an unforgettable, timeless image.

A period poster showing the price and the trip time on board the new Pullman cars,
complete with a view of the fancy new interiors. The room to the left of the waiter is
either a private "coupe" room or a kitchen.
(Brighton Toy & Model Museum)

Pull of the Pullman

This photograph of a Metropolitan Railway electric train passing a steam-hauled one clearly
shows the Pullman car (Either "Galatea" or "Mayflower") stuck between the common commuter cars.
(Transports of Delight)

The "Mayflower" in a station in 1934, looking quite American if not
for the third rail and smaller proportions. The cars were later repainted
to match the other London Metropolitan stock and were retired in the 40s.
(London Transport Museum)

    By the 1920s, the LBSCR had folded into the Southern Railway (SR), one of the "Big Four" companies along with the Great Western Railway (GWR), London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) and the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS). These newly-consolidated companies helped to eliminate most of Britain's redundant railway companies (including the Midland, which folded into LMS) and as such, new focus could be aimed at how the railways could better economize their services. For the SR, their ambitious plan in 1923 was electrification of their more suburban lines like the Brighton Line, both to be able to run electric multiple units and to retire or offset redundant steam locomotives.  At the same time, the SR was taking notes from London's Metropolitan Railway, a commuter service that had implemented at least two Pullman cars ("Mayflower" and "Galatea") on their daily services. Food was even served on these cars, with kippers and tea in the morning and gin and dinner at night, and this gave the SR an awfully impressive idea...

"Five Coach Experimental Unit" No. 2001 poses for a company photograph before testing
on November 17, 1931, on the soon-to-be-electrified Brighton Line.
(Media Storehouse)

Another early SR Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) passes the 
camera on the Wimbledon-Sutton line, the first SR line to get
modern electric semaphore signals, 1930.
(Royal Air Force Museum)

   In October 1931, "Five Coach Experimental Unit" No. 2001 took to the rails to test out a brand-new planned electric multiple unit service that was to be introduced the next year. The train, numbered 2001 for the whole set, was a hodgepodge of old and new. The trailer cars were reused steam-hauled coaches from an SR constituent, the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) and the new motor cars (Nos. 11001 and 11002) were outshopped from Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company (BRCW) and Metro-Cammell, respectively. The cars were just an inch shy of 66 feet long, weighed 57 tons, and carried themselves on four Brush Traction 225HP traction motors. Unlike most coaches of the time, these cars also had box-girder underframes instead of lower truss braces, giving them a modern look. Control stands were sourced from either the British arm of the George Westinghouse Company (via Metropolitan Vickers) or the Dick, Kerr & Co. (who usually copied Westinghouse's K controllers made for their streetcars) and functioned similarly to what we in the United States would call a "Hand-Line Controller" (that is, controlling resistor relays under the car rather than feed all electricity to the relays through the controller box). 

On an unknown date, 6PUL Unit No. 3019 (with Pullman car "Peggy")
is working a Littlehampton-bound train with a 6PAN (6 cars, 1 with Pantry) past Norbury.
(Mike Morant, Southern Railway Email Group)

    The SR was so pleased with experimental unit No. 2001 that they immediately contracted Metro-Cammell and BRCW to construct two new sets of trains for them. One was a six-car train the SR dubbed the "6PUL", which followed the existing policy of attaching a Pullman car to any train to provide first-class catering and service (which was provided, and paid for, by Pullman contract). However, unlike the steam-hauled services, these brand new luxury cars (twenty in total) were purpose-built for the 6PUL (instead of being just random coaches) with through-lines for multiple-unit working and heating. The Pullman car carried with it, of course, a hefty premium ticket for any prospective passengers, but happily the rest of the train had a more tolerable price tag split between 3rd class and 1st class; this made the 6PUL the last three-class commuter trains working in the UK, and none were spared of any comfortable service. The SR found this service quite lucrative as well, as since Pullman provided the catering, staff, and cars for a short commuter run (in or about one hour), it freed up the money to provide full railway-backed catering service on longer-distance trains. The 6PULs were usually found working the line from London Victoria to Brighton or West Worthing via Eastbourne in two sets of 12 cars. Its firm establishment as a viable commuter service further bolstered the SR's desire for a sister commuter train, one more ostentatious and ultra-luxurious than anything ever seen in Britain as of that time.

   

Belle of the High-Ball

In its inaugural service, gone are the "Southern Belle" nameboards in favor of the much-punchier,
alliterative "Brighton Belle" name, a name that would live in legend forever
(Gaugemaster Models)

Brighton Belle set No. 3053 in five-car form, outbound to Brighton.
(My Brighton and Hove)

    That other train was planned by Southern Railway to not only be the most luxurious train they ever put to rails, but also certainly the most striking statement the Pullman Company ever made in Britain. The train was made up of two "Third Class" driving brake coaches on either end and three "First Class" cars in the middle. Inside, third-class passengers got all-table seating with lamps, curtains, and high-backed armchairs with wooden and glass fixtures emulating the best of Art Deco style at the time. First class passengers got even more leg room at their tables, with private rooms dubbed "Coupes" that could seat six people in absolute privacy. The entire train was done up in Pullman's iconic umber-and-cream livery, and even the name of the railway on each car was displaced in favor of the "PULLMAN" name along the tops of the windows.  The car names or numbers were placed along the lower sides of each car (numbers for third class, names for first class), and the Pullman Company's UK coat of arms was placed on each end The five-car train was driven by eight English-Electric 225-HP engines and worked by a Metro-Cammell control stand licensed from Westinghouse, able to propel the train to a rapid and steady speed of 60MPH from London to Brighton nonstop. Three sets (Nos. 2051, 2052, and 2053, later 3051, 3052, and 3053) eventually left the Metro-Cammell works in late 1932, heralding the beginning of the "Brighton Belle". 

A very striking art-deco poster shows off the main selling point of such a luxurious and fast train
in 1934, which really says all you need to know.
(Media Storehouse)

The "up" Brighton Belle to London Victoria enters Redhill Tunnel northbound
along the "Quarry Line" between London and Brighton, circa 1930s-1940s.
(Keith Harwood, Southern Railway Email Group)

    The introduction of the "Brighton Belle" on January 1, 1933 caused quite the stir in mid-Great Depression Britain, as people clamored to London Victoria to ride on the only self-propelled Pullman service in the world. The schedule was a tight one, with three trains daily running an hour non-stop between London to Brighton in the late morning, early afternoon, and night. To provide for this intense schedule, two trainsets were usually seen lashed together to form a ten-car train that streaked along the Brighton Line at a blistering sixty miles per hour. The third set was usually set aside in case one unit had to go in for maintenance, or for extra Sunday service to Eastbourne (when only two trains were run to Brighton). Such was the success of this luxury interurban that the Southern Railway eventually established more all-coach (but steam-hauled) passenger trains including the "Devon Belle" to the southwest of England, the "Bournemouth Belle" to Dorset and Southampton, and the "Thanet Belle" (later the "Kentish Belle") to the ferry terminals in Ramsgate Harbor. The only major interruption to the Southern Belle's service came during WWII, when unit No. 3052 was badly damaged after London Victoria was bombed. Normal service resumed in 1946 and through Nationalization in 1948, when the Southern Railway became the Southern Region of British Railways (BR).

Bomb-damaged set No. 3052 is cleaned up following a German "blitz" bombing of London Victoria Station.
(Britain Magazine)

Say Bye-Bye to the Belle

 A newly-repainted Brighton Belle set is coupled to one yet to be repaintedat Purley.
Yet, despite the loss of its Pullman colors, the train still carried itself with pride.
(John Bradshaw, Southern Email Group)

No. 3051 renders the honors to the last Brighton Belle train inbound to London,
April 30, 1972. The historic event can be viewed here.
(Trevor Tupper, Southern Railway Email Group)

    Despite being nationalized and, thus, expected to conform to the monolithic identity that was British Railways, the "Brighton Belle" used its own class and distinction to rebel against the corporate norm. Aside from the addition of a yellow safety panel on the front and a complete refurbishment and overhaul in 1955, the "Belle" ran unchanged even as the rolling stock around it began to change. Its rigorous standards with its schedule and service remained a constant as well, as Pullman continued to provide its own cooks and waiters to staff the train under contract to BR. Unfortunately, despite the high standards that would make Fred Harvey tug on his collar and admit to being bested, by the 1970s the trainset was showing its age and BR attempted to update the train by painting it in its own prospective "luxury" colors of Nanking Blue and cream, the same colors applied to their eventual "Blue Pullman" diesel multiple unit. With reports of the rolling stock riding poorly, and in defiance of the protests for service to continue, all three train sets were given one final run from London to Brighton before being withdrawn on April 30, 1972, just shy of 40 years of service.

After retirement, the cars were stored at Montpelier Sidings, Brighton, pending withdrawl and sale.
Six of these cars, including Driving Brake Motor No. 290 (as unit 3052) are seen here in April 14, 1972.
(Glen Woods, Southern Railway Email Group)

A Metro Cammell promotional photo shows off the new 
"Blue Pullman" that was to run in the Midland and Western region.
Bathed in Nanking Blue and cream, they were about as lavish as the 
Brighton Belle, but more conventionally powered.
(Railway Matters)

    As for the Pullman Car Company of the UK, its history ended around the same time as the Belle. Following Nationalization, the company came under control of the British Transport Commission (BTC) in 1954. While this helped facilitate a rebuilding and modernization of the existing Pullman fleet (including the Belle), an anomaly soon arose where the Pullman trains and equipment were owned by the BTC, but the staff and operations were personally controlled by Pullman. This oddness forced British Railways (by way of the National Union of Railwaymen) to merge Pullman in with the subsidiary British Transport Hotels to handle the staffing. (More information on the labor issues can be found in a retelling by youtuber Ruairidh MacVeigh.) This consolidation only made things worse. When the new "Midland Pullman" diesel multiple unit was announced, much controversy was had over who would staff the train, Pullman or BR people. In the end, the whole argument came to naught as increased motorway travel killed any success the "Blue Pullman" could have had, and that of other Pullmans as well. The Southern Region of British Railways ended its Pullman trains at the same time as the "Belle" in 1972, and the "Blue Pullmans" ended service in ignominy in 1973. The company folded that same year, outlasting its American parent by five years. 

But fret not, dear rider, for a brand new "Blue Pullman" service began operating in 2020, providing
luxury train excursions all over the United Kingdom. The modern rolling stock uses retired
Intercity 125 high-speed diesel multiple units and BR Mark 3 coaches. Just make sure to book early...
(Railway Matters)

Let Her Ring Once More

Former "Brighton Belle" First Class Saloon, "Vera"
on the modern Venice Simplon Orient Express.
(Eclectic Ephemera)

    After the end of the Brighton Belle, all fifteen cars built for the train eventually found homes elsewhere. Most were sold to major breweries to attach them to pubs or hotels for easy room extension, but many were subsequently removed quickly after realizing how difficult it is to actually maintain a historic rail car as a restaurant space. A number were sold to the Venice Simplon Orient Express (VSOE), a heritage railway company that runs luxury railtours in the UK as well as the British leg of the reconstructed luxury train, where they continue to run in service. The only casualty in preservation was "Third Class" motor brake car No. 90, which was originally run at the Nene Valley Railway in Cambridgeshire before being moved to the Steamtown Depot in Carnforth in 1991 to be restored. That same year, an electrical fault burned the car to the ground while in storage and it was declared a loss and scrapped. 

It's a jubilous occasion in 2009 as driving cars No. 88 (front) and 91 (rear) are coupled together
following obtainment for restoration. The cars are located at Rampart of Derby.
(Neil Marshall, 5BEL Trust)

5BEL Trust head Denis Dunstone (left) is seen here with fellow
wealthy preservationist Sir William McAlpine, who once owned
the famous "Flying Scotsman" steam locomotive.
(5BEL Trust)

    Despite the Belles being cast to the four winds, it did not take long for preservationists to come out of the woodwork and realize that there was a major gap in railway preservation for electric trains. Thus, in 2009, the 5-BEL Trust was formed by businessman Denis Dunstone to save some of the Belle cars cast aside and rusting after being found redundant or unusable by the VSOE. With supporters such as Jeremy Hosking (another businessman who owns several full-sized steam locomotives), Dunstone fully intended to return the "Brighton Belle" to its rightful status as a self-propelled luxury train (even if it had to be dragged by one of Hosking's engines on an unelectrified line). With that plan in mind, much discussion was had over how to not only practically yet authentically preserve the train, but also upgrade it to modern operation. Everything, from fitting a third gas-oven kitchen and changing the seat arrangements to 2+1 offset seating to ditch lights and signalling systems were debated on. 

Car No. 88 is raised in the air pending the installation of its new BR Mk6 trucks.
Despite the dedication to utter authenticity, some things like a new crash bumper
and ditch lights could not be avoided. Personally, I think it looks beautiful.
(5BEL Trust)

The ex-"Brighton Belle" Pullman First Class Saloon, "Doris",
at the Bluebell Railway's Horsted Keynes station on April 17, 2006.
(Richard Salmon, Bluebell Railway)

    Obtaining the cars was another challenge, but thankfully there were many choices. The North Norfolk Railway gifted Third Class Saloon No. 87 and Driving Brake Motor No. 91 to the 5-BEL Trust in 2009, followed by the VSOE giving the trust Driving Brake Motor No. 88 and Third Class Saloon No. 85 following an abortive attempt to sell them on e-Bay. The famous Bluebell Railway of Sussex was also involved, as the 5-BEL trust traded ex-Golden Arrow Pullman "Carina" for the ex-"Belle" car "Doris", a First Class Saloon. Another First Class Saloon, "Hazel" was purchased from a pub in Moulton, Yorks, for a very princely sum in 2012. Now with six cars, preservation and reconstruction could begin with the restored "Brighton Belle" now planned as a "6BEL" arrangement. Restoration was initiated in February 2009 at the Barrow Hill Engine Shed, hiring on Pullman restoration specialists Rampart engineering. The first car to be restored, No. 88, went on display at the Brighton Seafront in 2011 to celebrate the obtaining of the "Doris", and as of 2022, the train is still under restoration pending testing on the main line. Despite some of the advanced features in the cars like USB chargers in the seats, ditch lights and modern signalling equipment on the front and in the cab, and even new BR MK6 motor bogies with retractable third rail shoes for locomotive-hauled excursions, the 5-BEL Trust fully intends for the "Brighton Belle" to bring back the swagger and swing it had in the 1930s for the 2030s and beyond. 

If you do feel particularly generous, because I know my blog reaches plenty of countries,
please spare a thought for the Brighton Belle effort and donate what you can.
(5BEL Trust)

Thank you for reading today's Trolley post, and watch your step as you alight on the platform. My resources today included the Southern Railway Email Group articles on the 5-BEL and 6-PUL, the 5-BEL Trust, Tom Cowan of Digital Traction, and a BBC Article on the restored Brighton Belle. The trolley gifs in our posts are made by myself and can be found under “Motorman Reymond’s Railroad Gif Carhouse”. On Tuesday, we're taking a break, but for St. Patrick's Thursday, we look at an Irish system near and dear to my heart (and museum). For now, you can follow myself or my editor on Twitter, buy a shirt or sticker from our Redbubble stand, or purchase my editor's self-developed board game! It's like Ticket to Ride, but cooler! (and you get to support him through it!) Until next time, ride safe!