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The ''Midland Pullman'' was the name given to a former express passenger train service operating on British Railways' old
The operation attracted criticism because being a fixed-formation train it required a full spare set, making poor use of expensive assets. Critics also noted that the new service was not best timed for priority business use: initially the up ''Midland Pullman'' did not leave Manchester until 09:00.
Other commentators, however, praised the speed and smoothness of the journey and the luxury of the trains. Trains were later re-timed to suit business travellers better.
The service was withdrawn in 1966 and replaced by the electric-locomotive-hauled '' Manchester Pullman'' running from to via the newly electrified West Coast Main Line, with a much-reduced journey time of 2 hours 30 minutes, marking the end of the Midland line as a significant route for Manchester-London traffic.
An attempt was made to find work for the train units on the East Coast Main Line but, plagued as they were by rough-riding bogies, they were never run in revenue-earning service. The two units were eventually transferred to the Western Region to work alongside the Western Pullman units, which were eight-car units and included second class coaches.
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway line in England from London to Nottingham and Sheffield in the Midlands. It comprises the lines from London's St Pancras station via Leicester, Derby/Nottingham and Chesterfield in the East Midlands ...
between and via and Millers Dale
Millers Dale (Ordnance Survey: Miller's Dale) is a valley on the River Wye in Derbyshire, England, where there is also a hamlet of the same name.
It is a popular beauty spot in the Peak District of England, much of the area being preserved a ...
. The train completed the journey in 3 hours 15 minutes.
This service is not to be confused with the first Midland Railway Pullman coach introduced in 1874, named "Midland" which was of clerestory roofed design, imported from the Pullman Company in the US and assembled in Derby.
Blue Pullman
In July 1960 the ''Midland Pullman'' was relaunched as a luxury all-first-class service using two newBlue Pullman
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ob ...
six-car diesel-electric units, aimed at covering the high end of the Manchester-London business market while services on the West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest ...
were disrupted during electrification. It called only at (now closed), and made the journey from London to Manchester in a record 3 hours 15 minutes. The best time between the two cities immediately previously had been 3 hours 50 minutes.
The ''Midland Pullman'' ran every weekday, up to London in the morning and down to Manchester in the evening. To fill in between these turns, there was an afternoon return trip from St Pancras to Bentley, C., (1997) British Railways Operating History: Volume One, The Peak District, Carnarvon: XPress Publishing. described by railway staff as "The most luxurious ECS in the world." The train had two kitchens, and a full meal service was provided at every seat.
The operation attracted criticism because being a fixed-formation train it required a full spare set, making poor use of expensive assets. Critics also noted that the new service was not best timed for priority business use: initially the up ''Midland Pullman'' did not leave Manchester until 09:00.
Other commentators, however, praised the speed and smoothness of the journey and the luxury of the trains. Trains were later re-timed to suit business travellers better.
The service was withdrawn in 1966 and replaced by the electric-locomotive-hauled '' Manchester Pullman'' running from to via the newly electrified West Coast Main Line, with a much-reduced journey time of 2 hours 30 minutes, marking the end of the Midland line as a significant route for Manchester-London traffic.
An attempt was made to find work for the train units on the East Coast Main Line but, plagued as they were by rough-riding bogies, they were never run in revenue-earning service. The two units were eventually transferred to the Western Region to work alongside the Western Pullman units, which were eight-car units and included second class coaches.
Notes
{{notelistSee also
*British Rail Classes 251 and 261
The Blue Pullmans were luxury trains used from 1960 to 1973 by British Rail. They were the first Pullman diesel-electric multiple units, incorporating several novel features.
Named after their original Nanking blue livery, the trains were con ...
*Pullman train (UK)
Pullman may refer to:
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*Pullman, Chicago, Illinois
* Pullman, Michigan
* Pullman, Texas
*Pullman, Washington
* Pullman, West Virginia
* Pullman Lake, a lake in Minnesota
* Pullman neighborhood, in the city of Richmond, ...
References