TT4003D Hornby Pullman 1st Class Kitchen Iolanthe Era 3

The Pullman Car Company took rail travel to the next level of opulence at a time when rail travel was already a premium experience. The Pullman services as operated by the PCC lasted almost a century with the first service operating in 1874 and the last in 1972. Pullman services, with very few exceptions, were made up of the PCC's own rolling stock. This stock consisted of unique to the UK, almost American style coaches, made of wood and painted in the umber and cream livery. Every coach was named, even the third class coaches although in this case the name would invariably be its car number. This name would adorn the side of each coach in a painted panel akin to how a locomotive name plate appears.

Pullman services operated on each of the Big Four’s rails and on the later nationalised rail network. The operator most opposed to the notion of the service was the GWR, who saw their own coaches as being more than luxurious enough, and therefore there being little point in operating Pullman trains although they themselves would eventually commission some services. Many Pullman coaches have been preserved around the country and indeed the world, with several finding their way over to the United States.

This elegant Pullman coach is painted in the classic Pullman umber and cream livery and continues the Greek naming convention by being called ‘Iolanthe’. Attention to detail is shown by curtains printed on the inside of the windows. An opulent crest is emblazoned on the body side.