Belmond British Pullman is a private luxury train that operates day and weekend journeys around Britain and also conveys passengers of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) between

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and

Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a port town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour and shipping port for most of the 19th and 20t ...

, as part of their journey to Venice and other European cities. The train service was founded by James Sherwood of Kentucky, USA, in 1982. It is currently owned by

Belmond Ltd. Belmond Ltd. (formerly Orient-Express Hotels Ltd) is a hospitality and leisure company that operates luxury hotels, train services and river cruises worldwide. In 2015, the company had 35 deluxe hotels, 7 tourist trains, 3 river cruises and rest ...

Belmond operates 45 luxury hotels, restaurants, tourist trains and river cruises in 24 countries. Belmond British Pullman journeys operate mainly out of

London Victoria station Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Victoria, in the City of Westminster, managed by Network Rail. Named after the nearby Victoria Street (not the Qu ...

with visits to places of interest in southern Britain such as castles, country houses, cities, sporting occasions and events including the

Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...

and

Goodwood Revival The Goodwood Revival is a three-day festival held each September at Goodwood Circuit since 1998 for the types of racing cars and motorcycles that would have competed during the circuit's original period—1948–1966. History The first Revival t ...

. There are also weekend journeys to

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

, with overnight accommodation in hotels, and non-stop round trips with lunch, afternoon tea and dinner served on board. Elaborate dining is included in every journey. While Belmond British Pullman operates mainly around London it has a sister train, Belmond Northern Belle, that operates mainly around northern Britain, offering journeys of a similar style. Belmond British Pullman consists of Pullman coaches dating from the 1920s to 1950s. They were bought and restored between 1977 and 1982 and modern facilities such as electric heating and toughened glass installed. Original fittings such brass luggage racks were restored and furnishings sympathetic to the period, such as

Art deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

-style table lamps and armchairs, added. The carriage interiors are lined with wooden panels decorated with marquetry, which were restored by A Dunn and Son, a family firm that dates from 1895 and which created some of the originals. The eleven Pullman carriages can accommodate up to 226 passengers across tables for one, two or three. There are also private compartments for four. Many of the carriages were part of the former

Brighton Belle The ''Brighton Belle'' was a named train which was operated by the Southern Railway and subsequently by British Rail from Victoria Station in London to Brighton, on the Sussex coast. Commissioned as the flagship of the Southern Railway's ...

and were used to convey royalty. Although the records of the Pullman Car Company were destroyed in a World War II bombing raid, it has been possible to trace the history of the carriages, as detailed on plaques in each one. The service is regularly hauled by

DB Cargo UK DB Cargo UK (formerly DB Schenker Rail UK and English, Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS)), is a British rail freight company headquartered in Doncaster, England. The company was established in early 1995 as ''North & South Railways'', successful ...

British Rail Class 67 The Class 67 locomotives are a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives that were built for the English Welsh & Scottish Railway (EWS) between 1999 and 2000 by Alstom at Meinfesa in Valencia, Spain with drive components (engine, generator and ...

locomotives painted in brown and cream to match the carriages.

The Carriages

There are currently eleven Pullman carriages, which are restored and operational. ; Audrey : First class kitchen car, 20 seats, built 1932 by Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Co. Ltd. for the

. Damaged 1940 by air raid at Victoria station, repaired and rejoined Brighton Belle in 1947. Carried

the Queen In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to: * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death The Queen may also refer to: * Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...

, the

Queen Mother A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also used to describe a number of ...

and the Duke of Edinburgh to review the Fleet in 1953. Transported the Queen on her visit to the

University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...

, 1964. Acquired from DS Lowther 1980. This is the coach that George Cole and Dennis waterman travelled in whilst filming 'Minder on the orient express' in 1985 . Decoration: marquetry landscape panels and

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

strip lights. ; Cygnus : First class parlour car, 26 seats, construction commenced 1938 but completion deferred until 1951 due to war. Builders were Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Co. Used in the special

Festival of Britain The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition and fair that reached millions of visitors throughout the United Kingdom in the summer of 1951. Historian Kenneth O. Morgan says the Festival was a "triumphant success" during which people: ...

rake in 1951; reserved for use by royalty and visiting heads of state; made last journey of Golden Arrow 1972. Acquired from

North Yorkshire Moors Railway The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England, that runs through the North York Moors National Park. First opened in 1836 as the Whitby and Pickering Railway, the railway was planned in 1831 by Georg ...

, 1977. Decoration: Australian walnut panels, mirrors and old prints. ; Gwen : First class kitchen car, 20 seats, built 1932 by Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Co. Ltd for the

. In 1948 was used, with sister car Mona, to convey Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) to

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

. Brighton Belle service withdrawn in 1972. Preserved as a restaurant at The Horseless Carriage,

Chingford Chingford is a town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The town is approximately north-east of Charing Cross, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walthamstow to the ...

, Essex, and later at the

Colne Valley Railway The Colne Valley Railway is a heritage railway based at Castle Hedingham Station, near Halstead in Essex, England. The railway consists of a long running line, with a fully reconstructed station, signal box and railway yard. History The ra ...

, Castle Hedingham, Essex. Acquired by VSOE in 1988 and joined British Pullman Train in 1999. Decoration: Pearwood shell motif on English walnut. ; Ibis : First class kitchen car, 20 seats, built 1925 by Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co. Sold to La Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits et des Grands Express Européen for service in Italy. Purchased by the Pullman Car Company Ltd. in 1928 and returned to Britain for Golden Arrow service. Entered

Cunard Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Bermu ...

boat train A boat train is a passenger train operating to a port for the specific purpose of making connection with a passenger ship, such as a ferry, ocean liner, or cruise ship. Through ticketing is normally available. __NOTOC__ Notable named boat trains ...

service between Victoria and

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

, 1952. Retired 1968. Acquired from the

Birmingham Railway Museum Tyseley Locomotive Works, formerly the Birmingham Railway Museum, is the engineering arm of steam railtour promoter Vintage Trains based in Birmingham, England. It occupies part of the former Great Western Railway's Tyseley depot, built in 1 ...

, 1981. Decoration: Greek dancing girls marquetry. ; Ione : First class kitchen car, 20 seats, built 1928 by Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Co. Ltd. for the Queen of Scots Pullman. Ocean Liner services to

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

or Southampton and

Bournemouth Belle The ''Bournemouth Belle'' was a British named train run by the Southern Railway from 1931 until nationalisation in 1948 (with a break for the war until 1947) and subsequently by British Railways until it was withdrawn on 9 July 1967. The tr ...

1929–39. Queen of Scots 1948–54 and 1960–64. Golden Arrow, Yorkshire and South Wales Pullman 1954–60. On the high speed Talisman route ( per day) 1964–68. Retired 1968. Acquired from the Birmingham Railway Museum, 1981. Decoration: burr wood panels and Victorian frieze. ; Lucille : First class parlour car, 24 seats, built 1928 by Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Co. Ltd for the Queen of Scots Pullman of the

London and North Eastern Railway The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) was the second largest (after LMS) of the " Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain. It operated from 1 January 1923 until nationalisation on 1 January 1948. At th ...

. Transferred to Southern Region in 1963 and ran in Bournemouth Belle 1963–67. Preserved by Mr E Lewis-Evans at the South Eastern Steam Centre, Ashford 1968–84. Acquired in 1985. Decoration: Grecian urn design on green dyed holly wood. ; Minerva : First class parlour car, 26 seats, built 1927 by Midland Railway Carriage and Wagon Co. Ltd. Devon Belle 1947–51. Used in the special Festival of Britain rake 1951. Golden Arrow 1951–61. Acquired from Lytham Creek Railway Museum 1981. Decoration:

Edwardian The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...

-type marquetry. ; Perseus : First class parlour car, 26 seats, construction commenced 1938 but completion deferred until 1951 due to war. Builders were Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Co. Used in the special Festival of Britain rake State; used in

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

's funeral train 1965; made last journey of Golden Arrow 1972. Acquired from

, 1977. Decoration: ash panels and old prints. ; Phoenix : First class parlour car, 26 seats, built 1927 by Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Co. Ltd, named Rainbow. Burned

Micheldever Micheldever is a village in Hampshire, England, situated north of Winchester. It lies upon the River Dever . The river, and village, formerly part of Stratton Park, lie on a Hampshire grass downland, underlain with chalk and flint. Parts of th ...

, England 1936. Rebuilt 1952 by Preston Park Works, Brighton, and appropriately renamed Phoenix. Favourite carriage of the Queen Mother: used by

General de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

and visiting heads of state; made last journey of Golden Arrow 1972. Became stationary restaurant in

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

, France 1973. Acquired 1980. Decoration: oval frames of marquetry flowers on American cherrywood. Pullman 284 'Vera' at London Victoria

; Vera : First class kitchen car, 20 seats, built 1932 by Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Co. Ltd for the Brighton Belle. Always paired with Audrey as a two-car unit. Directly hit in an air raid at Victoria Station in 1940. Roof extensively repaired, rejoined Brighton Belle in 1947. Used by royalty to review the Fleet in 1953 and for

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

's and

Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...

's first trip on an electric train in 1954. Brighton Belle service withdrawn in 1972. Preserved as a garden house in

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

. Acquired in 1985 and joined the British Pullman train in 1990. Decoration: marquetry antelope leaping between palm trees. ; Zena : First class parlour car, 24 seats, built 1928 by Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Co. Ltd. Bournemouth Belle 1929–46. Queen of Scots and Yorkshire Pullman 1946–55. Golden Arrow 1955–60. Queen of Scots 1960–61. Tees–Tyne Pullman 1961–65. Used in film '' Agatha'' about

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

, 1976. Acquired from T Robinson 1979. Decoration: Art Deco marquetry. A further seven unrestored carriages are stored for the train: four First (''Phyllis'', ''Agatha'', ''Mona'' and ''Ruth'') and three former

5BEL Third carriages (No. 86, 92 and 93). An eighth vehicle, ''Car 83'' is also owned by the company, but runs as ''Mary'' on the

Keighley and Worth Valley Railway The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is a heritage railway line in the Worth Valley, West Yorkshire, England, which runs from Keighley to Oxenhope. It connects to the National Rail network at Keighley railway station. History Inception and ...

. The train is completed by some luggage vans - particularly

Mark 1 Mark 1 is the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Text The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 45 verses. Textual witnesses Some early manuscripts conta ...

's - used for staff and storage.

References

External links

Official site of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Luxury TrainOfficial site of British PullmanNorthern Belle journeys in the United Kingdom
{{British Railtour TOCs

The Carriages

See also

References

External links