Introduction - We gave the Pullman trains two sections in "LNER Passenger Trains & Formations, The Principal Services", covering all the workings in LNER and BR days. They were among the most photographed of all the passenger trains in the UK and many railways books are so full of them that you might imagine that they were a frequent service with everything else fitting in between! We've talked elsewhere about how misrepresentative railway photography could be, but it's also fair to say that the Pullman service was changed many times and the account we offered ended up with a quite a few illustrations from rather a large heap!
So here are more. They don't necessarily add much to the historical account, rather they reinforce details of transitions and variations, including the loco rostering for a complete journey had three different, top link locos in charge.
The Queen of Scots
An Anglo-Scottish Pullman working the route Glasgow-Edinburgh-Leeds Central-King's Cross and back using two opposing sets. It had started in 1923 as the "Harrogate Pullman" and along with various changes it was renamed the "Queen of Scots" in 1928, which it kept. These notes sit in the "Leeds - West Riding" section because Leeds was the mid-point, with locos working in from the north, and Copley Hill and KX sharing the workings to the south so, for the sake of completeness, I have included pictures along the whole route. As usual, all the pictures are in chronological order.
LNER period
Captured in the late 1920s possibly in 1928 during the year of extension to the north and change of name, A1 No 2579 Dick Turpin of Heaton is attacking the climb north of Berwick with the Down "Queen of Scots". The formation comprises the new all-steel cars in the original "white" livery and eight cars, one more than normal, had been provided.
But for a dip at Tweedmouth, the ascent to Burnmouth was 12 miles long and dominated by a gradient of 1:190. The fireman would have been busy, coal is visibly being laid on the fire and the injectors are on. And it was only part of the 23 mile long ascent to Grantshouse, the hardest part of the ECML. Photo: Author's collection.
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This view of the "Queen of Scots" at Croft Spa was probably taken around 1930, again with 8 cars. Unusually, the 3rd Brake behind the tender is still carrying the old "white" livery and is so clean as to appear fresh out of the shops. In charge is NER C7 No 2212 (Gateshead). "Pacifics" may well have been deployed north of Newcastle but, to the south, four-coupled locos remained in charge for many years. Photo: Rail Archive Stephenson.
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An undated view from the 1930s at an unknown location also shows the train made up to 8 vehicles - although on this occasion it was because the 3rd brake at the south end had had to be replaced by a Parlour or Kitchen car. When that happened, normal practice was to add a BG and the one here is an ECJS Gresley all-steel (see link below). Light reflecting off the train gives the appearance of the "white" livery but all the cars are actually carrying the later scheme.
D49 No 2754 Rutlandshire was in charge and as it was at Eastfield until 1931, when it was sent to Carlisle, that would appear to be a good estimate of the date. This is the only known photograph of the class on the "Queen of Scots". Photo: Author's collection.
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Large Ivatt Atlantic C1 No 3280 was at Copley Hill between 1932-36 and is seen after arriving with the 7-car "Queen of Scots" from King's Cross. The train is departing for the north, probably behind a Raven "Atlantic" such as a C7, and the C1, having assisted up the climb out of the station, is now dropping back. Photo: SLS.
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A fine picture by Maurice Early, albeit with a tilted camera, correction of which has encroached on the marvellous scene. The year is 1938 and passing Burnmouth from the north is A1 No 2565 Merry Hampton with the Up "Queen of Scots" and the normal formation of 7 cars. The loco was allocated to Eastfield at the time. Photo: Maurice Earley.
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Colour pictures of the "Queen of Scots" are unusually rare - the "Yorkshire Pullman" was captured a great deal more - but there are some well-known Colour-Rail views taken at Leeds Central, one of which I have cleaned up. It shows A1 No 2555 Centenary, one of two A1 "Pacifics" allocated to Copley Hill specifically for this service in 1936, at the head of the train in June 1938, waiting to depart - or setting off: it's hard to tell as the train extended beyond the platform with the loco outside the home starting signal.
In the background one of the Sentinel rail-cars can be seen with steam escaping from the safety valve, and the offices with water tank on the roof beneath which was a goods platform and favourite location for trainspotters, albeit having to squint into the sun. This view was taken from the tracks underneath the signal box but the sun crossed over the trains early in the afternoon and a departure of 3.55pm meant that the near side was in the shade. Photo: Colour-Rail NE82.
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BR period
A2 No 60512 Steady Aim (Heaton) is near Darlington with the "Queen of Scots" in the year of reinstatement after WWII. 7th August 1948. Photo: William Rogerson, Photomatic.
Copley Hill's Peppercorn A1 "Pacific" No 60118 Archibald Sturrock lifts the Up "Queen of Scots" out of Leeds Central past its home shed. The gradient peaked here at 1:50 - the steepest by far on the whole of the GN and ECML - yet look how clean the exhaust is. Am I the only one who finds modern steam specials laying thick grey smoke all over the place a bit of an eyesore?!
The date is unknown although the BR Mk.1 Pullmans were delivered in 1960-61 and the leading one looks pretty new. There was no brake end behind the loco because two strengthening cars were attached between Leeds-King's Cross. In fact the same pair was sent to Bradford with the "Harrogate Sunday Pullman" so either train could have been captured here.
Standing just inside the running shed is a B1 and one of the four J50 tanks used as carriage & station pilots. Photo: Author's collection.
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This view is borrowed from the section dealing with Leeds Central Station and shows the two strengtheners to the "Queen of Scots", detached after arrival from King's Cross. Thompson L1 No 67742 is acting as station pilot and drawing them away. An English Electric Type 4 (later Class 40) had brought the train in and waits at the buffers. Saturday 28th September 1963. Photo: E.G. Pearson.
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A4 No 60017 Silver Fox rolls into Wakefield Westgate with the Down "Queen of Scots". The date has been estimated as "c1949". The livery, with BRITISH RAILWAYS on the tender, would have been blue. Peppercorn A1s from Copley Hill were to take over both Up and Down workings to London and four of the locos had been delivered in 1948, a fifth in 1949, and several more in 1950, but on this occasion, a King's Cross loco was in charge. It looks like a Saturday with school-children stopped in their tracks as the train approaches. The new BR-style headboard was being carried. Photo: SLS.
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It's June 1950 and Gateshead's A2 60526 Sugar Palm still has its rimless chimney as it heads north near Darlington with the Down train. Gateshead and Heaton normally provided the locos between Newcastle and Leeds. Photo: Photomatic
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Heading south, Haymarket's A2/3 No 60519 Honeyway is passing Craigentinny with the Up "Queen of Scots". It was the solitary example at Haymarket and for a while was on this duty with other Pacifics. The loco received BR green livery in July 1950 and the picture may have been taken soon after. Haymarket locos normally ran as far as Newcastle. Photo: Photomatic.
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Another Haymarket Pacific, A3 N0 60100 Spearmint, has the up train on 3rd August 1951 near Burnmouth, on the last few miles in Scotland before crossing the border into England. The eight car formation that ran through to King's Cross shows well. Photo: E.R. Wethersett.
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A picture with a blank back featuring Peppercorn A1 No 60119 Patrick Stirling. It's a misty day but I think this is about a mile south of Copley Hill/Wortley South Junction. The loco is pretty clean and what looks like a 37B (Copley Hill) shed plate is being carried: Patrick Stirling was allocated there between 11/48 and 12/55. May I suggest "c1954"? Photo: Author's collection.
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Peppercorn A1 No 60130 Kestrel attacks the severe climb out of Leeds Central with the King's Cross bound "Queen of Scots" on Saturday 21st July 1956. This loco was moved around quite a bit and at the time it was allocated to Ardsley, coming to Copley Hill the following year. Clearly visible behind the tender are the two strengthening cars which only operated south of Leeds. Photo: B.K.B. Green.
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Copley Hill's Peppercorn A1 No 60123 H.A. Ivatt swings past Beeston Junction on the outskirts of Leeds with the Up "Queen of Scots" c1960. Again, the two extra cars are behind the tender, but the main train is one car short. Photo: Eric Treacy.
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The final phase with steam haulage had BR Mk.1 Pullman cars (except for the brake ends) and is seen passing Bishopbriggs on the outskirts of Glasgow on 20th May 1961. The loco was Haymarket's A3 No 60057 Ormonde. Photo: S. Rickard.
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Other Leeds-West Riding topics re the GN and ECML:
West Riding/Yorkshire Pullman: is here.
Leeds Central and its workings: is here.
Copley Hill engine shed: is here.
West Riding conurbation: is here.
