The Brighton Belle travelled the line between London Victoria and Brighton for nearly forty years. Commissioned as part of Southern Railways’ mass-electrification, it was the world’s only all-Pullman electric service.
Brighton Belle in June 1964
The distinctive umber and cream livery on all British Pullman cars comes from the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway coach livery, which was used on the Pullman Limited, a precursor to the Brighton Belle which began running in 1881.
In 1908 LB&SCR introduced the Southern Belle, which was billed as the most luxurious train in the world. It was pulled by steam traction until 1933 when the electric 5-BEL units were introduced. A year later the train was renamed Brighton Belle in a ceremony at Brighton Station.
The Southern Belle is renamed Brighton Belle
Three sets of five 5-BEL coaches were constructed by Metropolitan Cammell, with each train being made up of three different coach types: two Driving Motor Brake Parlour Third (one at each end), two Trailer Parlour First with Kitchen, and one Trailer Parlour Third. The First Class cars were given female names – Hazel, Audrey, Gwen, Doris, Vera, and Mona.
The service was suspended during the Second World War due to Unit 3052 being damaged by bombing. Brighton Belle services resumed after the war. In 1953, the train took part on a BBC film London to Brighton in Four Minutes, a sped-up cab-ride of the route.
To great outcry the service was withdrawn in 1972 and the tired stock were sold into private ownership. Many of the cars became Pullman Restaurants, bolted on to pubs. Some were bought by the Venice Simplon Orient Express for use on their services.
A selection of Brighton Belle posters, emphasising the speed of the service and luxurious facilities on-board.
The Brighton Belle lives on in Brighton to this day. If you head out of the main entrance of Brighton Station and then go down the steeply sloped Trafalgar Street, in the underpass below the station entrance you will find a mural commemorating the Brighton Belle painted into the arches, right next to the Toy and Model Museum.
There are efforts to restore a fully working five-car unit to mainline running with work being undertaken at Barrow Hill. The last of the five cars was acquired in 2011, when a swap was made with the Bluebell Railway. Bluebell had a Pullman First Class Coach called Doris, and the 5-BEL Trust had bought the Golden Arrow Karina Kitchen Car. They both had a coach which the other one had, so they arranged a swap! This means that the Brighton Belle should live on into restoration.
Brighton Belle 5BEL 3 Car EMU Coach Set
Hornby have produced the Brighton Belle in OO Scale, with some packs still available.
Excitingly, Arnold are reintroducing their N Scale version later this year. Keep your eyes peeled on our website for exciting developments regarding this train as well!
