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| British Rail Class 251 and 261 "Blue Pullman" |
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|---|---|
| In service | 1960 - 1973 |
| Manufacturer | Metropolitan-Cammell |
| Number built | 5 sets |
| Formation | 6 or 8 cars per set |
| Capacity | 132 (6 car) 228 (8 car) |
| Operator | British Rail, Western Region and London Midland Region |
| Specifications | |
| Maximum speed | 90 mph (145 km/h) |
| Weight | 299 tons (6 car) 364 tons (8 car) |
| Engine(s) | NBL/MAN V12 Supercharged |
The Blue Pullman was a class of luxury train used from 1960 to 1973 by British Railways in the United Kingdom. As opposed to the previous Pullman Car Company locomotive-hauled carriage trains, and the Brighton Belle electrical multiple units, the Blue Pullmans were the first diesel-electric multiple units designed for high-speed Pullman train services incorporating several novel features. Named after their custom blue livery, the trains were conceived under the railway 1955 Modernisation Plan, to create new luxury first-class diesel express trains, to compete with the motor car and the emerging domestic air travel market. Although not entirely successful in their own right, the Blue Pullmans demonstrated the possibility of high-speed fixed-formation multiple-unit Inter City train services and inspired the later development of the Inter City 125. After their withdrawal, none of the units survived into preservation.
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Class 251 unit arriving at Bristol Temple Meads in 1973.
The Midland Pullman at Cheadle Heath before its regular non-stop morning run to London St Pancras on 28 September 1960
