Return of the 'Blue Pullman'

[McColm]

When I was a kid the only train set I wanted was the Tri-ang/Hornby HO/OO Blue Pullman. In those days you got the transformer, oval track, power clip, power car, coach and dummy power car. Years later another set with an all yellow front, instead of the all blue one. They also came out with a yellow front, grey replaced the blue and the white window surround remained throughout. specialised companies provided a kit which you made up into a kitchen car.
The larger scale O also catered for.
Over the years my set grew and ended up in the garage, and then I got interested in girls, so I sold my layout. Thirty years later whilst up in my parents attic I came across a blue pullman power car and set about rebuilding my collection. I was at Ealing Town Hall that I bought a grey dummy power car along with two other blue power cars. I had read an article in one of the model train mags of how to build the middle carriage from the two dummy cars. Armed with a hacksaw, I set about butchering the cars. With enough filler to sink a battleship my first rail whiff took shape.
An unmolested set will cost a few hundred pounds, re-pros(repainted) between £30-70 depending on the colour. the BR grey and yellow sells cheaper than the Midland all blue. eBay well you can get a decent set, depending on your wallet. Or wait for Bachmann with their £300 price tag.

I've now got a reconditioned blue power car, BR grey dummy power car and a carriage still in grey primer. I might use a merging blue to grey colour scheme.

[McColm]

Here's some more pictures,
Yellow front!!

[McColm]

and a grey one to complete the set.

[McColm]

you could of course use the colour schemes of the current rail companies.
There were only five Blue Pullman sets in service; two from London St Pancras to Manchester Central, three from Bristol to Wolverhampton.
the St Pancras service ended in 1967 with the electrification of the West Coast Main Line. All five then operated out of Bristol and South West services until 1973.
These trains were in the 1960s what the HST 125 is today. Okay maybe the ride was a bit shakey at the time, due to the bogies which BR never replaced, but the open plan coaches, air con and seperate toilets. Must have seemed futuristic with power cars at either end.

[PR19_Kit]

Okay maybe the ride was a bit shakey at the time, due to the bogies which BR never replaced, but the open plan coaches, air con and seperate toilets.

A BIT shakey? It was APPALLING!

Primarily due to the use of Schlieren (sp?) rubber sandwich springs, which just didn't have enough stroke to work properly for passenger work. BR wasn't in a position to change the bogies without re-designing the whole train and they were well over budget anyway. Until the advent of long stroke Flexicoil or air spring secondary suspension in the 70s the ride in BR passenger stock was always somewhat marginal.

[McColm]

Wow!! Deep respect.
I never got the chance to travel on one.

[PR19_Kit]

But I'm ancient you see. It does have SOME advantages. 

I'm not 100% sure but I may be the only person to have travelled on a Blue Pullman, an HST, APT-E and APT-P. Hopefully I'll add the 390 Pendelino to my score later this year, 30 years since APT-P first ran in public service.

[McColm]

the Hornby ATP set.
I almost bought this, but the price was very high in 2006.

[PR19_Kit]

I almost bought this, but the price was very high in 2006.

You're not kidding! They reach outrageous prices, especially the 'Zorro Nose' later versions. I have one that I got in a local toy auction some years ago, luckily no-one there knew what it was and I got it for about £15. 

Like most of them it has no pantograph, but they're wrong anyway. By the time the APT-P went into service in 1981 they were all fitted with Brecknell-Willis pantographs which are quite a bit different to the ones in the Hornby model.

[ChrisF]

But I'm ancient you see. It does have SOME advantages. 

I'm not 100% sure but I may be the only person to have travelled on a Blue Pullman, an HST, APT-E and APT-P. Hopefully I'll add the 390 Pendelino to my score later this year, 30 years since APT-P first ran in public service.

Afraid i have too... AND ive been on a pendalino too...

[PR19_Kit]

But I'm ancient you see. It does have SOME advantages. 

I'm not 100% sure but I may be the only person to have travelled on a Blue Pullman, an HST, APT-E and APT-P. Hopefully I'll add the 390 Pendelino to my score later this year, 30 years since APT-P first ran in public service.

Afraid i have too... AND ive been on a pendalino too...

You travelled on APT-E too? The gas turbine version? You must have worked at Derby with me at some time then, so far as I know only one non-BR person ever travelled on it in its entire life. Piccie of him below, he was the sales guy from Fairey Filtration.

[ChrisF]

Worked at derby? no... but my dad did.... Shhhh !   

[McColm]

thanks for that,
Quick question. Would the APT have worked with diesel engines?

[PR19_Kit]

Quick question. Would the APT have worked with diesel engines?

Doubtful, part of the design remit was to make it light, thus the aircraft style construction of the APT-E Trailer Cars. (They used the same floor panels as a BAC 1-11!) The APT-P cars were built from welded extruded aluminium sections for the same reason, and each power car had 4000 hp worth of electric motors on board. Diesels would have been just too heavy to give the required acceleration.

You can see the difference in acceleration performance between the APT-P and the HST in the various timing tables published in the early 80s. HSTs were fast OK, but APT-P took off like a ding-bat! I was on the very first passenger run of APT-P in December 1981, albeit with two Power Cars (8000 hp....) and only 8 trailer cars, and its performance was incredible.

[McColm]

cheers