Blue Pullman Train Crews

[Brian Kirby]

Hi Everyone,

Earlier today I took delivery of a pack of the splendid new Bachmann 36-420 Midland Pullman Stewards And Train Crew. They really are exquisitely painted, the six figures consist of a LMR diesel driver in dark jacket and blue overalls (not dressed up like a WR BP ice-cream seller), a senior guard complete with gold braid, and four stewards. The steward with gold epaulettes will be the Pullman Conductor (who oversees his half of the train?), two are senior stewards with dark epaulettes, the fourth steward carrying a case, has no epaulettes. I'm guessing this pack has sufficient stewards for half of a six-car unit, for obvious reasons the chef is not supplied, since he would be mostly hidden in the kitchen. Buying two packs will result in one spare driver, who could become the fireman/secondman to accompany the first driver in the leading cab (or act as driver for the opposite direction), the spare guard could perhaps become a ticket collector?

So my question is, does anybody know how many members of BR and Pullman staff, would be carried on a LMR 6-car unit in total? A clue could be in the four seats in the two staff rest-rooms, could that be enough for the chef and three stewards, in each of the two kitchen cars? So from the front it could be driver + secondman, then chef + 3 stewards, then chef + 3 stewards based in the other kitchen car, and the guard, nominally at the rear of the train? The other big question, is did the WR 8-car BPs, with two additional Parlour Seconds, require extra staff, albeit with the same size staff rest-room? I should imagine the one (or two) Pullman Conductor(s) would have the responsibility of checking that Pullman supplementary charges had been paid, and that meals and drinks had been paid for. Would the BR senior guard be responsible for checking rail tickets, or would there be a separate ticket collector on board, or would the two roles be combined, like in later years? Perhaps the Pullman conductors helped out with checking fares, although of course for the first few years, they would be working for a separate company? Any help or advice with any of the above would be much appreciated.

 

Cheers, Brian.

Edited May 26, 2018 by Brian Kirby

[45125]

Hi Everyone,

Earlier today I took deliver of a pack of the splendid new Bachmann 36-420 Midland Pullman Stewards And Train Crew. They really are exquisitely painted, the six figures consist of a LMR diesel driver in dark jacket and blue overalls (not dressed up like a WR BP ice-cream seller), a senior guard complete with gold braid, and four stewards. The steward with gold epaulettes will be the Pullman Conductor (who oversees his half of the train?), two are senior stewards with dark epaulettes, the fourth steward carrying a case, has no epaulettes. I'm guessing this pack has sufficient stewards for half of a six-car unit, for obvious reasons the chef is not supplied, since he would be mostly hidden in the kitchen. Buying two packs will result in one spare driver, who could become the fireman/secondman to accompany the first driver in the leading cab (or act as driver for the opposite direction), the spare guard could perhaps become a ticket collector?

So my question is, does anybody know how many members of BR and Pullman staff, would be carried on a LMR 6-car unit in total? A clue could be in the four seats in the two staff rest-rooms, could that be enough for the chef and three stewards, in each of the two kitchen cars? So from the front it could be driver + secondman, then chef + 3 stewards, then chef + 3 stewards based in the other kitchen car, and the guard, nominally at the rear of the train? The other big question, is did the WR 8-car BPs, with two additional Parlour Seconds, require extra staff, albeit with the same size staff rest-room? I should imagine the one (or two) Pullman Conductor(s) would have the responsibility of checking that Pullman supplementary charges had been paid, and that meals and drinks had been paid for. Would the BR senior guard be responsible for checking rail tickets, or would there be a separate ticket collector on board, or would the two roles be combined, like in later years? Perhaps the Pullman conductors helped out with checking fares, although of course for the first few years, they would be working for a separate company? Any help or advice with any of the above would be much appreciated.

 

Cheers, Brian.

 

I believe that it would have also have had a travelling maintenance engineer travelling with it .

[Brian Kirby]

I believe that it would have also have had a travelling maintenance engineer travelling with it .

 

Yes, i've read that somewhere, at least that was happening in the early days.

Thanks. BK

[45125]

Yes, i've read that somewhere, at least that was happening in the early days.

Thanks. BK

 

When the Midland sets were going to come over to the ER I know of (worked with ) one person who was appointed to this position.

[mark54]

Brian, according to the Kevin Robertson Blue Pullman book on p57 the Midland Pullman had a staff of 14 which didn't include the driver, second driver, guard and fitter. 4 of the 14 would be 2 chefs and 2 assistance chefs.

[keefer]

I'm sure I've read somewhere that it was the fitter's job to start up/shut down the auxiliary engines as required. These powered the air-conditioning and other systems, demand would depend on the weather, passenger loading etc.

[russ p]

I'm terrified of blue Pullman drivers and ice cream men for that matter

 

I've got white coat syndrome.......

[The Stationmaster]

Yes, i've read that somewhere, at least that was happening in the early days.

Thanks. BK

 

And was happening right up to the end on at least some WR workings (possibly on all the longer distance ones?)

[Brian Kirby]

Brian, according to the Kevin Robertson Blue Pullman book on p57 the Midland Pullman had a staff of 14 which didn't include the driver, second driver, guard and fitter. 4 of the 14 would be 2 chefs and 2 assistance chefs.[/size]

Many thanks for this info Mark, this means there were usually ten stewards, in a 6-car set. That sound's more like it, but i'm quite staggered that the full compliment of BR and Pullman staff, was 18 persons for six vehicles. Maybe a Western Region 8-car unit required 2 or 4 extra stewards, bringing the total up to 20 or 22 members of staff? Translated into packs of Bachmann figures, that means three packs would be required for a 6-car Midland Pullman (with odd spares left over), and an 8-car Western Pullman would require 5 or 6 packs, to gain the required number of white-uniformed stewards? Any left-over figures could perhaps be converted into chefs and fitters, or be used elsewhere?

Cheers, Brian.