Mixed Livery Blue Pullman

[robertcwp]

Blue Pullmans were run as 2 half sets paired, so if a fault was present on one full 8 car unit, as in the pic, 81A would split the sets and match up disparate liveried pair.

This only happened for a short while until all cars were repainted into reverse livery obviously.

 

Mike.

Overhaul and repaint of the 8-car sets was somewhat protracted and there was a set half in each livery for around a year at least.

 

There were also mixed-bag formations of 4 cars out of a 6-car set and 4 from an 8-car, as one of the linked photos shows (see post 2 above). This put three trailer parlour firsts in the middle. This was probably around the time that the 6-car sets were being overhauled.

 

There is also a published photo of the South Wales Pullman in nanking blue livery running as a 7-car set with one trailer parlour first missing.

 

Here is a mixed livery set:

 

Blue-Pull_down_Moreton_1-8-68 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

 

Here is a 6-car set with MU jumpers on an off-peak working: 

 

Blue-Pull_6-car_Moreton_2-8-68 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

 

And an end close-up of a 6-car power car, by then running in an 8-car set after the 6-car ones had been split up:

 

Blue-Pullman_SWales-Pull-Canton-Set_Paddington_Apr-73 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

[Foulounoux]

Overhaul and repaint of the 8-car sets was somewhat protracted and there was a set half in each livery for around a year at least.

 

There were also mixed-bag formations of 4 cars out of a 6-car set and 4 from an 8-car, as one of the linked photos shows (see post 2 above). This put three trailer parlour firsts in the middle. This was probably around the time that the 6-car sets were being overhauled.

 

There is also a published photo of the South Wales Pullman in nanking blue livery running as a 7-car set with one trailer parlour first missing.

 

Here is a mixed livery set:

 

Blue-Pull_down_Moreton_1-8-68 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

 

Here is a 6-car set with MU jumpers on an off-peak working: 

 

Blue-Pull_6-car_Moreton_2-8-68 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

 

And an end close-up of a 6-car power car, by then running in an 8-car set after the 6-car ones had been split up:

 

Blue-Pullman_SWales-Pull-Canton-Set_Paddington_Apr-73 by Robert Carroll, on Flickr

i

 

 

That first photo I think is the definitive answer to my original question

 

Many thanks

 

Colin

[jonny777]

 

 

The location of the photo in the OP is very clearly just east of Westbury Lane Bridge, Purley (from which bridge the photo was obviously) taken and the train is on the Down Main Line.  Giveaways are the location cabinets in the 10 foot and the two bridges in the background - the nearer one carrying Winston Way and the further carrying Purley Lane.  The topography and juxtaposition of the bridges, and their type, is totally different from Sonning Cutting and there were never any location cabinets in what should have been the 10 foot in Sonning Cutting.

 

 

 

I have struggled for days to figure out if the above is sarcastic, or just plain wrong. 

 

In the end, I had no choice but to rummage amongst the spiders in the loft and attempt to find my box of childhood Annuals. 

 

 

 

The image caption seems to confirm my guess, and even adds Berks, just in case readers struggle with the location of Reading. 

 

 

However, and I'm not sure this close-up will show enough details; but a close inspection reveals that the Mk1 look to the rear coaches is an optical illusion and the light is reflecting off the paintwork on the original livery coaches. The actual line of the windows can be seen (if I squint hard enough) below this. The colour of two of the roofs just add to the illusion. 

 

 

[The Pilotman]

I have struggled for days to figure out if the above is sarcastic, or just plain wrong. 

I’m not sure what you think is wrong, Jonny, but Mike is spot on with his location identification. It is definitely taken from Westbury Lane overbridge at Purley-on-Thames, between Tilehurst and Pangbourne. I lived for several years near there and spent many hours on that bridge when class 50s were still running.

[woodenhead]

I think they're Pendolino coaches now.

[jonny777]

I’m not sure what you think is wrong, Jonny, but Mike is spot on with his location identification. It is definitely taken from Westbury Lane overbridge at Purley-on-Thames, between Tilehurst and Pangbourne. I lived for several years near there and spent many hours on that bridge when class 50s were still running.

 

 

Thanks for eliminating the "wrong" option.  The answer is sarcastic then; in a highly pedantic way, or pedantic in a highly sarcastic way. 

 

I only asked out of my own ignorance. 

 

Some of us can't help it if we do not have a precise geographical knowledge of every mile of track in the Reading area.  A few of us would never even want to. 

[DavidB]

Definitely no sarcasm detected here - just Stationmaster Mike being his usual helpful and knowledgeable self. And like Western Aviator, I too spent many hours on Westbury Lane bridge as a young lad watching trains - in my case, it was the Blue Pullmans, so that John Cooper-Smith photo brings back particularly happy memories. Thanks for sharing it.

 

David

[The Stationmaster]

I have struggled for days to figure out if the above is sarcastic, or just plain wrong. 

 

In the end, I had no choice but to rummage amongst the spiders in the loft and attempt to find my box of childhood Annuals. 

 

 

IMG_1862.JPG

 

The image caption seems to confirm my guess, and even adds Berks, just in case readers struggle with the location of Reading. 

 

 

However, and I'm not sure this close-up will show enough details; but a close inspection reveals that the Mk1 look to the rear coaches is an optical illusion and the light is reflecting off the paintwork on the original livery coaches. The actual line of the windows can be seen (if I squint hard enough) below this. The colour of two of the roofs just add to the illusion. 

 

 

IMG_1863.JPG

 

What on earth is 'sarcastic' about it Jonny?  It was a simple statement of fact of where the photo was taken and added why that the area looks different from Sonning Cutting with the reasons identified.  You will have noted that two other people have also confirmed the location and, from their comments, they too also know the area well - so presumably we are all pedants?

[SouthernBlue80s]

These were before my time.

(My decade of spotting and being into the railways in a big way was 1980 to 1990)

 

I know nothing about them.

I had a quick skim read through this

http://www.railcar.co.uk/type/blue-pullman/rundown-withdrawal

 

They are fine looking train. It seems like they did not last long. Why were they withdrawn?

[hexagon789]

These were before my time.

(My decade of spotting and being into the railways in a big way was 1980 to 1990)

 

I know nothing about them.

I had a quick skim read through this

http://www.railcar.co.uk/type/blue-pullman/rundown-withdrawal

 

They are fine looking train. It seems like they did not last long. Why were they withdrawn?

Effectively in service for 13 years. As I understand it they were withdrawn for a variety of reasons:

 

1. 90 mph top speed, perhaps not a great hindrance, but the GWML had returned to 100 mph running officially by the early 70's.

2. Rather unique, only 2 six- and 3 eight-car sets were built, and I believe parts were becoming difficult to obtain.

3. Poor ride quality

4. Decline in the Pullman service - passengers could get as comfortable, arguably better comfort in the newly emerging Mk2 air-cons, and passengers were increasingly less willing to pay a supplement to travel in such trains, I believe similar reasons eventually killed off the other Pullman services on other regions.

[SouthernBlue80s]

Effectively in service for 13 years. As I understand it they were withdrawn for a variety of reasons:

 

1. 90 mph top speed, perhaps not a great hindrance, but the GWML had returned to 100 mph running officially by the early 70's.

2. Rather unique, only 2 six- and 3 eight-car sets were built, and I believe parts were becoming difficult to obtain.

3. Poor ride quality

4. Decline in the Pullman service - passengers could get as comfortable, arguably better comfort in the newly emerging Mk2 air-cons, and passengers were increasingly less willing to pay a supplement to travel in such trains, I believe similar reasons eventually killed off the other Pullman services on other regions.

Thanks for the informative answer. Now I know