Revolution has been able to sign off the CAD and begin tooling for our upcoming N gauge All-steel K-type Pullmans and the coach packs are now available to pre-order. First engineering samples are expected April/May 2025.
Development of these models has taken much longer than anticipated, partly because of the variations involved and partly because of the difficulties in combining prototypical appearance while ensuring the models could cope with R2 curves.
In all Revolution is offering five different cars, with two also offered in revised modern condition.
The coach packs available are as follows (full details, including coach names/numbers, are in the individual product descriptions in our Shop section):
LNER / BR (E) Queen of Scots (1928 – 1950s)
Pack A (Third Brake – Third Kitchen – Third Parlour – First Kitchen)
Pack B (First Parlour – Third Parlour – Third Kitchen – Third Brake)
Combine packs A and B to make a complete 8 car Queen of Scots rake.
GWR / Southern Railway Pullman packs (1928 – 1938)
GWR / SR Ocean Liner Express or Bournemouth Belle Pack A (First Kitchen – First Parlour – First Parlour – First Kitchen)
These Pullmans were used by the GWR first and subsequently by the SR on services such as the Ocean Liner Express (mixed in with other stock) and Bournemouth Belle (all Pullman of various types).
Southern Railway Ocean Liner Express or Bournemouth Belle Pack B (Third Kitchen – Third Kitchen – Third Parlour – Third Parlour)
Third Class Cars 81-84 were built in 1931 and used by the SR to strengthen their existing Pullman services. They were later transferred to the ECML.
BR (S) Bournemouth Belle (1960s)
By the 1960s the Pullmans had been repainted into a revised livery with grey roofs, a new Pullman coat of arms, simplified lining and the Third Class car branding style changed to “Car No. XX” instead of “Third Class Car No. XX” (following the removal of Third Class).
Pack A and B represent coaches used on the Bournemouth Belle in the 1960s.
Pack A (Second Parlour – First Parlour – First Kitchen – Second Parlour)
Pack B (First Parlour – First Parlour – First Kitchen – Second Parlour)
BR (E) (1950s)
By the 1950s there was a transition period as the services started to expand. As well as the Queen of Scots, new services were formed of Pullman cars (often a mix of types of Pullmans) such as: the Yorkshire Pullman; Tees Tyne Pullman; and the Master Cutler. This pack is useful for the 1950s period.
BR (E) ECML 1950s pack (Third Brake – Third Brake – Third Kitchen – Third Brake)
BR (E) (1960s)
By the 1960s the majority of the Pullmans had been transferred to the Southern Region (see the BR Bournemouth Belle above) but the Pullman brakes were retained on the ECML to run with the new Mark 1 Pullmans as no Mark 1 Pullman brakes were built. This twin pack is perfect to go with Farish Mark 1 Pullmans.
VSOE modern pack
The final pack is a triple pack of the all-steel K-type Pullmans which survive in service on the Venice-Simplon Orient Express (VSOE) to the present day. This pack has Gresley bogies and under-frame trussing representing the modern changes to the Pullmans since their withdrawal in the late 1960s.
1928-1966 The Queen of Scots and other prestige trains
The 1928 K-types built by Metropolitan-Cammell in Birmingham were the first all-steel Pullman cars. They had no need for conventional truss bars and this, combined with their smooth sides compared to the matchboard wooden planking of their predecessors, gave them a sleek and modern appearance.
The eight Kitchen First cars were named BELINDA, NILAR, PHYLLIS, THELMA, EVADNE, IONE, JOAN and LORAINE, while the seven Parlour First cars were named AGATHA, SHEILA, EUNICE, JUANA, LUCILLE, URSULA and ZENA.
The eighteen third class cars were numbered from 67-84 and were a mixture of Third Kitchen, Parlour and Brake cars.
Thirty-three were constructed, and on introduction were split between the LNER’s prestigious Queen of Scots, and the GWR (Torquay Pullman Limited and Plymouth Ocean Liner Express). 3 years after introduction the GWR’s Pullmans were transferred to the Southern Railway where they ran on the Bournemouth Belle and Ocean Liner Express.
Pullman services were halted during WW2 and BR reintroduced Pullman services in 1948 with services such as: Queen of Scots; Tees-Tyne Pullman; Yorkshire Pullman; Master Cutler; South Wales Pullman; Devon Belle; and the Bournemouth Belle (all of which featured all-steel K-type Pullmans at various stages).
In later years the arrival of the Mk1 Pullmans in the early 1960s saw them released to the Southern region, however some of the brake third cars continued in use on the East Coast (along with Brake Second cars converted from Kitchen Third cars) as no Mk1 brakes had been constructed.
VSOE/Belmond British Pulllman
After withdrawal several K-types passed into preservation or private ownership. From the 1980s-late 1990s five were acquired by VSOE, now Belmond British Pullman, and restored with Gresley heavyweight bogies and underframe strengthening trusses.
Three – IONE, LUCILLE and ZENA – remain in regular service and, now approaching 100 years old, continue to offer their passengers the zenith of rail luxury and style.
