British Rail Classes 251 and 261
The Blue Pullman was a class of luxury train used from 1960 to 1973 by British Railways in the United Kingdom. As opposed to the previous Pullman Car Company locomotive-hauled carriage trains, and the Brighton Belle electric multiple units, the Blue Pullmans were the first diesel-electric multiple units designed for high-speed Pullman train services incorporating several novel features. Named after their custom blue livery, the trains were conceived under the railway 1955 Modernisation Plan, to create new luxury first-class diesel express trains, to compete with the motor car and the emerging domestic air travel market. Although not entirely successful in their own right, the Blue Pullmans demonstrated the possibility of high-speed fixed-formation multiple-unit Inter City train services and inspired the later development of the InterCity 125. After their withdrawal, none of the units survived into preservation.
| Blue Pullman | |
|---|---|
 Blue Pullman at Swansea station in 1967 | |
_W60646_(8322321847).jpg) Interior of Blue Pullman | |
| In service | 1960–1973 |
| Manufacturer | Metropolitan-Cammell |
| Family name | Blue Pullman |
| Replaced | Steam locomotives and carriages |
| Constructed | 1959–1960 |
| Entered service | 12 September 1960 |
| Refurbishment | 1969 |
| Scrapped | 1974–1975 |
| Number built | 5 sets (2 × 6-car; 3 × 8-car) |
| Number scrapped | All |
| Successor | Separate locomotives and Mark 2 coaches |
| Formation | 6 or 8 cars per set |
| Fleet numbers |
|
| Capacity | 6-car sets: 132 8-car sets: 218 |
| Operator(s) | British Rail |
| Depot(s) | |
| Line(s) served | 6-car sets: London Midland Region (1960-1967) and Western Region (1967-1973) 8-car sets: Western Region |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Steel Semi-integral |
| Train length | 395 ft (120.40 m) (MR) 545 ft 1 in (166.14 m) (WR) |
| Car length | 66 ft 5.5 in (20.26 m) (power cars) 65 ft 6 in (19.96 m) (intermediate vehicles) |
| Width | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 4.5 in (3.77 m) |
| Doors | Hinged slam, centrally locked |
| Maximum speed | 90 mph (145 km/h) |
| Weight | 6-car sets: 299 long tons (335 short tons; 304 t) 8-car sets: 364 long tons (408 short tons; 370 t) |
| Prime mover(s) | NBL/MAN V12 Supercharged 64L(×2) |
| Power output | 1,000 hp (750 kW) (×2) |
| Transmission | traction motors: 199 hp (148 kW) (×8) |
| Auxiliaries | 2× Rolls-Royce C8NFLH @ 190 bhp, under floor for air conditioning[1] |
| UIC classification | 6-car sets: 2′Bo′+Bo′2′+2′2′+2′2′+2′Bo′+Bo′2′ 8-car sets: 2′Bo′+Bo′2′+2′2′+2′2′+2′2′+2′2′+2′Bo′+Bo′2′ |
| Bogies | Metro-Schlieran frictionless |
| Braking system(s) | Westinghouse Electro-pneumatic brake featuring a high speed control |
| Multiple working | 2 sets (6-car units (1967-1973) |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
- ↑ BR 33003/81 (1960), p. 2.