Q18.03 – Ian Allan Pennine Pullman Railtour 1956
I would be interested to know whether anyone was a member of the Ian Allan local club in the Southampton area in 1952-53 & can provide details of the locomotives used and routes used in the following two outings:- 6th July 1952 Reading GWR Shed & Swindon Shed 31st August 1953 Swindon Shed & Works From memory the 1953 trip was via Andover on a service to Cheltenham Many thanks, Peter Marson RCTS 22828
ANSWER
Every year for the British Industries Fair held at the Castle Bromwich exhibition centre the Pullman car co. provided an 8 car set of Pullman cars all third class ones, if I’m right, as an hospitality facility for the exhibitors and to advertise the Pullman trains. The Society photo collection has several photos of the cars on site. They were plumbed into main drainage and to potable water supplies which can be seen in some of those photos ref CUL3170 to 3233.
The RO for June 1956 Page 169 mentions that the Pullman set that year consisted of the South Wales Pullman spare set and consisted of cars 15; 16; 31; 61; 132; 166; and 167 plus buffet car 5. It goes on to say that the Fair ended on 4 may and that the cars were returned to Didcot probably on 7 May so it would seem the set minus the buffet car were used on the Pennine Pullman. I also seem to recall that as the loading gauge was tighter on the LNER than the GWR and LMS ones the step boards had to be removed to avoid being out of gauge before the Pennine trip.
That’s all I can supply but there used to be a Pullman car Society which I supplied copies of the Society’s photos when I handled orders and other details on the collection for the Society before I retired from office.
David F Cole 4799 (Vice President)