Brighton Belle - History

History

The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) began using Pullman cars in their express trains in 1875, and in December 1881 they introduced the first all-Pullman train in the UK. Known as the Pullman Limited this ran between London and Brighton via Horsham and subsequently ordinary rolling stock was added to this service. In 1888 a second all-Pullman service was instituted, using carriages lit by electricity and designed by William Stroudley.

The LB&SCR was the origin of the British umber and cream Pullman livery. In 1903 Billinton changed the colour of the ordinary LB&SCR coaches to umber brown with white or cream upper panels, and in 1906 this colour scheme was also adopted by the Pullman Car Co., with the name of the car in large gilt letters on the lower panel and flanked on each side by a coloured transfer of the Pullman Company's crest.

Another all-Pullman service was introduced in 1908 under the name of the Southern Belle. Contemporary advertising by the LB&SCR claimed that this was "... the most luxurious train in the world...". In 1908 this could be experienced for a special London Victoria to Brighton day return fare of 12 shillings, a premium rate at a time when average earnings were around £1 a week. The Southern Belle was steam hauled until 1933, when electric units were introduced. With the arrival of the mid-day Victoria to Brighton service at Brighton Station on 29 June 1934, the Mayor of Brighton, Miss M. Hardy, renamed the train the Brighton Belle, and it retained this title until withdrawal.

Three five-car all-Pullman electric multiple units designated 5-BEL were built for the service and ran throughout the train's life, usually in trains with two sets. The service was scheduled to take 60 minutes for the 51-mile non-stop journey. During the Second World War the service was suspended and the carriages were put into store, but the train was re-instated in 1946.

The 'spare' multiple unit set was used for a Sunday Pullman service from Eastbourne, known as the Eastbourne Pullman for much of the 1950s, but this service was discontinued in 1957.

The trains were refurbished in 1955, but by 1972 the stock was old and rode poorly by contemporary standards. Despite protests the decision was taken not to replace the rolling stock and the service was withdrawn on 30 April 1972. Nearly every carriage was preserved: some are used on the Venice Simplon Orient Express; others became static restaurants, in various states of repair and exposed to the elements. In 1972, one carriage became part of a public house in Winsford, Cheshire, removed in 1998 because of the high cost of refurbishment.