Blue Pullman train crew

[RobBrooks1]

I have the Bachmann Blue Pullman set which I run on my Bakewell Peak Line home layout. I have a set of stewards ( serving the passengers)  and am putting seated passengers in the train as well as adding 2 sound decoders to the locomotive ends.

 

Alas, I am trying to source a 4mm driver complete which white coats and white hat - they were referred to as "ice cream vendors" I believe. Can anyone help or know where I can get one?

[soony]

Think I have seen a set in the Bachmann accessories range.....

 

Try this :---

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/OO-Gauge-Bachmann-36-420-Midland-Pullman-Stewards-and-Train-Crew-People-Figures/21013526975

Edited November 29, 2018 by soony

[Ramrig]

Hi

If you watch the film on you tube you will see that the driver is not wearing the white coat on the Manchester London run. If I remember correctly from Kevin Robertson’s books they only came about later, possibly when they went to the western region. The pack Bachman do for the BP has their standard 1950/60s driver as per the normal driver fireman guard packs. Sorry cannot help more but I’ve not the books to hand at work. I can have a look later. I purchased a pack of the stewards for mine earlier in the year. I’ve not attempted to open the units to put them inside though.

 

Steve

[The Stationmaster]

Hi

If you watch the film on you tube you will see that the driver is not wearing the white coat on the Manchester London run. If I remember correctly from Kevin Robertson’s books they only came about later, possibly when they went to the western region. The pack Bachman do for the BP has their standard 1950/60s driver as per the normal driver fireman guard packs. Sorry cannot help more but I’ve not the books to hand at work. I can have a look later. I purchased a pack of the stewards for mine earlier in the year. I’ve not attempted to open the units to put them inside though.

 

Steve

 

The Western 'ice cream salesman' outfits came in with the trains but I don't know how long it lasted (probably not for long as it was the subject of considerable derision and joking - and definitely wasn't still being worn when i was riding on them as a passenger in 1967).

[TheSignalEngineer]

We're they just for the film? There are pictures from 1962 at Snow Hill with the driver apparently in a dark uniform

[TheSignalEngineer]

There is a picture of the ice cream man driving on Getty images. It's at Marylebone in 1960 so probably a publicity run or a jolly for the Kremlin before it entered service. I had seen the first one a few weeks before parked outside the old part of the Met Cam works at Saltley.

Edited November 29, 2018 by TheSignalEngineer

[anroar53]

My father drove the Blue Pullmans when they were operating between St. Pancras and Manchester. As was mentioned (and can be seen on the Blue Pullman video) the uniforms were black/very dark blue, and they were not issued with the white coats or cap tops as were the Western crews. For other diesel turns the uniforms were at that time a dark 'Bottle Green'.

[PhilJ W]

An elderly member of my model railway club also drove the Blue Pullmans out of St. Pancras and he informed me the drivers were at first issued with the white coats but they proved impractible on what was then still a steam railway. He said that the drivers were resposible for the white coats but it was quite often that after a turn on the Pullmans they often found the 'return' duty was driving a steam freight and they had to keep the white coats clean. Despite management objections the drivers simply ceased wearing them.

[anroar53]

An elderly member of my model railway club also drove the Blue Pullmans out of St. Pancras and he informed me the drivers were at first issued with the white coats but they proved impractible on what was then still a steam railway. He said that the drivers were resposible for the white coats but it was quite often that after a turn on the Pullmans they often found the 'return' duty was driving a steam freight and they had to keep the white coats clean. Despite management objections the drivers simply ceased wearing them.

 

The Pullman was worked out and back as a 'Lodging turn' so that crews wouldn't get their 'Special' uniforms soiled on other than Pullman duties. The Drivers originally worked out of Kentish Town 14B shed until 1963, when they transferred to the new Depot at Cambridge Street for the last couple of years of the Midland Pullman workings. Attached are my Father's pocket book timings for the Pullman turns. (Luckily I have managed to keep all his old pocket books, including his hand drawn route aid diagrams via Matlock). He had it as it was easier to keep it on the cab desk to refer to rather than bulky working timetables. They would take the evening trip down to Manchester, Lodge overnight in Manchester, before bringing the morning trip back the following day. Also shown is the short lived daytime trip to Nottingham, which they also crewed. The beginning and end of the weeks would see them travelling out 'on the cushions' Sunday night, and returning the same on Saturday morning, although some tended to travel back Friday night if they got the chance.

 

 

[dibber25]

Bachmann's Colin Albright and I discussed the 'ice cream man' uniform at some length when he was designing the pack of figures. As the figure was to be standing outside the train and as Colin wanted something 'typical' it was felt that a regular driver's uniform would be more appropriate. The white coats were a publicity gimmick and were dropped very quickly once the trains had been in service for a little while. They were impractical and the drivers didn't like them. (CJL)

[PhilJ W]

I should have mentioned that it was a lodging turn but the drivers could still find themselves doing the return trip on a not very clean steam engine.

[anroar53]

I should have mentioned that it was a lodging turn but the drivers could still find themselves doing the return trip on a not very clean steam engine.

 

The Midland Pullman crew workings were very definitely Pullman out, Pullman back. On the odd occasion the Pullman set wasn't available it was a Mark 1 set, but diesel hauled, not steam. My father did work other Manchester turns which were nominally supposed to be handled by a pair of the Metro-Vick 28s, before the 'Peaks' replaced them, but reliability often meant that occasional steam substitution (up to 1963) on one half of the turn was a distinct possibility, so they didn't use their 'Sunday best' uniforms. He was never issued with one of the white coats, but they did get issued with a charcoal grey 'dust coat' to protect their best uniform if required to be in the engine compartment of the Pullman set, other than for just walking through.

[APOLLO]

Watch this video - driver seen at 3m 35sec

 

 

Brit15