1948 Nationalisation - Pullman Car Company

[ChiefPlanner]

I believe this was done only well after the end of the Mersey, in 1956, when the old Mersey stock was replaced by the postwar build of the Class 503s. The 1938 versions of these, and the existing Mersey stock, had changeover equipment used at the interface between the systems at Birkenhead Park.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jul 2021 ==


Was it not the case that Pullman were the restaurant car managers for all of the Southern's services, not just the ones in a Pullman car? Didn't the Southern at an earlier stage have Spiers & Pond as their contractor, but it changed to Pullman at some time?

That I would have to look up - I suspect "Pullman" had a monopoly on train catering on the Southern at the time - and even pre-war , with their carefully graded classification of full trains (the "Belles") , and the single cars and "pantry" service.

Normal on train full meal catering post Pullman on the Southern was pretty limited I think - the Bournemouth line REP cars ?

Anyway - as I said above, it must have been a morale booster in the early post war years , there were plenty of horror stories about on train catering on what was the LNER and LMS routes......until things improved and were "levelled up" ...

 

[Taunton]

It was pretty common across Europe, of course, for on-train refreshment (and sleeper) services to be run by contractors rather than the railway itself. Wagons-Lits of course, across many countries. In the USA Pullman (long divorced from the UK variant) did most sleepers, and a lesser number of restaurant cars. They had a different arrangement to the UK, the vehicles were the property of the railways rather than the Pullman company, but the entire train was built by Pullman at their works in Chicago.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Spiers and Pond provided catering for former LSW routes, but lost the contract to Frederick Hotels in 1930 (who already had the contract for the cross-channel steamers). The West of England and Weymouth line services had full dining - to Exeter and Bournemouth respectively - as did some cross-country services (e.g. Brighton - Plymouth).

Sample Menu

Pullman had the contract for former LBSCR AND SE&CR routes which was renewed in 1932 (30 years) which BR inherited (was lumbered with) and probably explains why it was left alone. The directors of Pullman approached BR in 1954, rather than the other way round, with a view to a takeover, as substantial investment in new cars was required.

 

[Gloster]

According to Mullay, the LNER had started a ten-year contract with Pullman in 1938.