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The ''Brighton Belle'' was a named train which was operated by the Southern Railway and subsequently by British Rail from Victoria Station in London to Brighton, on the Sussex coast. Commissioned as the flagship of the Southern Railway's mass electrification project, which commenced in January 1931, the world's only electric all-Pullman service ran daily from London to Brighton (and vice versa) from 1 January 1933 until 30 April 1972. ==History== The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) began using Pullman cars in their express trains in 1875, and in December 1881 they introduced the first all-Pullman train in the UK. Known as the ''Pullman Limited'', this ran between London Victoria and Brighton via Horsham and subsequently ordinary rolling stock was added to this service. In 1888 a second all-Pullman service was instituted, using cars lit by electricity and designed by William Stroudley.〔Owen, Nicholas, The Brighton Belle, (Southern Electric Group: Preserved Pullmans ), Southern Electric Group (1972), p9〕 The LB&SCR was the origin of the British umber and cream Pullman livery. In 1903 R. J. Billinton changed the colour of the ordinary LB&SCR coaches to umber brown with white or cream upper panels, and in 1906 this colour scheme was also adopted by the Pullman Car Co., with the name of the car in large gilt letters on the lower panel and flanked on each side by a coloured transfer of the Pullman Company's crest. Another all-Pullman service was introduced in 1908 under the name of the ''Southern Belle''. Contemporary advertising by the LB&SCR claimed that this was "... the most luxurious train in the world...". In 1908 this could be experienced for a special London Victoria to Brighton day return fare of 12 shillings, a premium rate at a time when average earnings were around £1 a week (or 20 shillings). The ''Southern Belle'' was steam hauled until 1 January 1933, when electric units were introduced. Trial trains had commenced running between London and Brighton on 2 November 1932, using an experimental five-coach unit (No. 2001) and examples of the new rolling stock were exhibited at London Victoria and Brighton stations from 29 December 1932.〔Ford, Antony, "Pullman Profile No. 4 - The Brighton Belle & Southern Electric Pullmans" Noodle Books ISBN 978-1909328051 (2013)〕 With the arrival of the mid-day Victoria to Brighton service at Brighton Station on 29 June 1934, the Mayor of Brighton, Miss M. Hardy, renamed the train the ''Brighton Belle'', and it retained this title until withdrawal. The service was scheduled to take 60 minutes for the 51-mile express journey. Three five-car all-Pullman electric multiple units designated 5-BEL were commissioned by the Southern Railway as the flagship of the world's then-largest electrification project, which covered over 160 track miles. The fifteen cars – built in 1932 by Metropolitan-Cammell at their Saltley (Birmingham) works – were operated in trains comprising two units, the remaining unit normally held in reserve. The 'spare' multiple unit set was used for a Sunday Pullman service from Eastbourne, known as the ''Eastbourne Pullman'' for much of the 1950s, but this service was discontinued in 1957. During the Second World War the service was suspended after Unit 3052 was badly damaged by aerial bombing at London Victoria; all cars were placed in safe storage at Crystal Palace (High Level) station, but the train was progressively re-instated in 1946. The trains were refurbished and overhauled in 1955, but by 1972 the stock was old and rode poorly by contemporary standards. Despite protests,〔Dunstone, Denis, For the Love of Trains, Ian Allan, ISBN 0-7110-3301-3 (2007)〕 the decision was taken not to replace the rolling stock and the service was withdrawn on 30 April 1972. Every car was preserved, in most cases to meet the ambitions of major breweries to 'bolt on' Pullman restaurants to pubs and hotels, although most were removed relatively quickly because of the high cost of maintenance and refurbishment.〔"Farewell to the Belle". This is Cheshire.〕 A number were progressively acquired by the Venice Simplon Orient Express, while one still remains in use as B&B accommodation at the Little Mill Inn, Rowarth, Cheshire.〔(Little Mill Inn, Rowarth )〕 Motor brake car 90 was used for passenger service on the Nene Valley Railway between 1980 and 1990, but was subsequently scrapped at Bury in 1995 following a series of arson attacks. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Brighton Belle」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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