The Portsmouth Pullman: 15/11/25

The sliding ventilator windows on Pullman coaches are too small for any adult to stick their head out of.
Did the person who told you to close the window give a reason?

 

Watched Clan Line accelerate through Redhill this evening. Just stood, watched and enjoyed the sound. After passing the engine's exhaust could be heard above the rumble of the diesel.
Looking forward to travelling with 35028 on Wednesday to Eastbourne.
Des

 

Not sure Don - a long turn round time at Nine Elms. But the lack of a 14.30 on the Bournemouth line and with the 15.30 usually booked for a Light Pacific that may have been so.

Bryan

 

Here's a shot my stepson took at Redhill (not sure how to upload his video).
His video is far better than this screen grab

 

Due to a slight draught going through the carriage (heating wasn’t on)…

 

Thanks - will try later

 

Don’t you start as well Neil, someone else has been on about that today already!

 

No heat?! How much were you paying ?

 

The point ?? Maybe not all Pullman passengers are 'fanatics', maybe those Pullman passengers just wanted a steam hauled luxury day out, or maybe they just wanted to stay out of draughts and keep warm.

 

I was on it and paid quite a bit more than I used to with RTC! However, I think it was worth it. I was in a group with my wife and friends of nearly 50 years. The food was very good and the service hard to fault. I was quite cold when we boarded, mentioned it to our steward and she turned on the heat. Thereafter we were cosy enough to have our window open an inch or two.

I haven't much to say about performance on the journey. I don't time trains and was just occasionally watching GPS speed and Traksy on my phone. It seemed to be yet another example of the highly competent running to schedule we expect from Clan Line. There were a couple of romps up into the 70s, most notably after leaving Preston Park, until we caught up with the Eastbourne train which was given the road ahead of us at Keymer Junction.

It was a good day out.

 

Why would you have to close the window if it was just a crack? Too cold? I would hope that a paying passenger could have a say about his or her own window opening. Perhaps aircons will just abolish the option soon enough! I noticed at Redhill it was just a short Pullman rake, (to fit at PH) and am wondering was the heating defective for some reason? Video to follow.

 

Yes Victor. I think one has to understand that Pullman travel these days has moved a long way from when coal dust covered/smelly gricers were somehow let on board after payment of a very small (far too small IMHO) supplement. And on boarding barged their way to something called a milepost window seat. And if that wasn't enough, then insisted on having a window wide open let noise, wind and burning embers enters what had until then be a peaceful location where one could discuss how one's stocks and shares were progressing and if one's servants were properly toeing the line 'downstairs'. Or, in the case of one's current voyage, behaving themselves on the following parcels train where seating had been arranged on the parcels' bags.

Bryan

 

Won’t let me send a screenshot of my video recording the noise leaving Preston Park (was fantastic) to show how little the window was open, when the heating was turned on suddenly it got very warm and by ECR many windows began to open in our carriage, small blip but it was a fantastic day. The service was amazing, second time on the train. 35028 is a joy.

 

A window cracked (not wide) is not a huge draught cause, and if they wanted (and paid extra for) steam haulage surely a little sound would add to the ambience? Otherwise, just have a sealed-up class 67-hauled run. Also, if the heating wasn't on for the delicate passengers to start with - why not? Details, perhaps, but it does smack of nano-management by the staff.

 

From years of stewarding you would be surprised. The fact someone has a window open at all in the "heating period" is often enough to get complaints from others.

 

We live in a world where some of our fellow inhabitants are 'professional complainers'.

Bryan - dinosaurs try to be very tolerant - B

 

My short film from last evening:

 

Actually we live in a world where money is tight and gricers prepared to spend large sums of said money to experience steam haulage whilst wrapped up in outdoor clothing are rapidly becoming an endangered species.

We expect to be provided with a warm comfortable environment so we can relax, enjoy our meal and also the scenery through non-steamed windows, AND have the toplight cracked up for the sound track too.

I am losing count of the number of ‘normal’ friends that we have persuaded to join us on trip over the S&C only to have apologise profusely as they slowly turned blue and ran out of tissues to clear the condensation from the windows. Needless to say they never return for a second go.

Unless the tour companies get their act together and provide stock where the heating is both reliable and effective, then normals are not going support it, and then we’re all stuffed.

 

A very nice night sequence for both sound and vision. Assisted by the movement activated lights coming on to help.

And yes, I did get there in 1962. And if only I'd known you were going to be filming there in 2025, I would have taken a second shot of the Schools when it reversed back, so I could show the whole of Redhill station as it was back then!

Bryan