Gourt Home::Gourt :: British Rail Class 251
The British Rail Class 251, more commonly known as the Blue Pullman units, were diesel-electric multiple units built by the Pullman Car Company in 1960.
Background and History
The Blue Pullman units were the last flowering of the Pullman ideal on British Railways. The cars were the last to be allocated numbers in the Pullman Car Company (PCC) series, but never carried them as the PCC was nationalised before they were introduced.
Only five sets were built, to operate the most important express trains out of London St. Pancras (the 'Midland Pullman') and London Paddington (the 'Western Pullman').
In the end, the expense of maintaining and operating such a small, non-standard fleet for such a few services was too much to bear, even after all five units had been concentrated on the Western Region, and they were withdrawn in the early 1970s.
They survived long enough to be allocated TOPS Class 251, but no set numbers either in the TOPS series or any other were ever carried. Nevertheless, unit formations were normally maintained. None of the units survived into preservation.
In Film
The units starred in the 1960 British Transport Film Blue Pullman directed by James Ritchie, which followed its development, preparation and a journey on the train. As with earlier BTFs, all the personnel, scientists, engineers, crew and even the passengers were featured. It won several awards, including the Technical & Industrial Information section of the Festival for Films for Television in 1961. The film is also particularly notable for its score by Clifton Parker.
The units were also the subject of a further British Transport Film entitled "Lets Go To Birmingham" made in 1962. This was of a run from London Paddington to Birmingham Snow Hill via Leamington Spa and was largely a speeded up "cab view" film in the style of the "London to Brighton in Four Minutes" film.
The units also make a brief appearance in the 1965 Norman Wisdom film The Early Bird.
Formations
The two different formations were made up as follows:
Midland Pullman:
DMBF MFK TF TF MFK DMBF 60090 + 60730 + 60740 + 60741 + 60731 + 60091 60092 + 60732 + 60742 + 60743 + 60733 + 60093
Western Pullman:
DMBS MS TFK TF TF TFK MS DMBS 60094 + 60644 + 60734 + 60744 + 60745 + 60735 + 60645 + 60095 60096 + 60646 + 60736 + 60746 + 60747 + 60737 + 60647 + 60097 60098 + 60648 + 60738 + 60748 + 60749 + 60739 + 60649 + 60099
See also
"British Rail Class 251"