Pullman Car "Carina"
Golden Arrow Kitchen First, built in 1951

"Carina" on arrival at Sheffield Park on 5 January 2012
(Tony Sullivan)

The 1951-built Golden Arrow cars had been planned before the second world war; indeed the design, the marquetrie panels, and some other materials date from 1938, as does the Gresley-designed bogie. The timing of their construction ensured they were exhibited at the "Festival of Britain" that year. Distinctive due to their cleaner, more modern interiors, and particularly their rectangular rather than oval lavatory and pantry windows, they were the last "traditional" Pullman design, constructed before the takeover of the Pullman Car Co. by the BTC in 1954. Subsequent designs were based on BR's standard rolling stock.

"Carina" was built as a first-class kitchen car, with separate arm chairs (as seen in the adjacent 1951 view of its interior), and entered service on the Golden Arrow on 11 June 1951.

It achieved fame when on 30 January 1965 it was one of the Pullman Cars forming the funeral train of Sir Winston Churchill. From 14 June 1965 Pullman cars just provided the first-class accommodation on the Golden Arrow train, with second class passengers travelling in ordinary carriages. In November 1968 "Carina" was remodelled with 2+1 seating, but still as first class, losing its name and "Pullman" branding, numbered as S307S. The photo above shows it still carrying that final BR corporate livery (albeit a Southern Region adaptation, which was used for the Brighton Belle and Golden Arrow Pullmans), applied in November 1968, and now rather care-worn after 43 years.

After withdrawal, in March 1973 it became a static restaurant at a Hotel near Lyon in France. It was recovered from there in 1980, being intended for use on the VSOE, and was partially stripped, with new end timbers prepared for it, before plans changed, and after many years of storage at Carnforth, Swindon and then from 1987, Stewarts Lane, it was sold and moved to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in May 2002.

In 2006 the Bluebell acquired "Doris", intended to be overhaul for use as a kitchen car on the Railway's Golden Arrow Pullman Dining Train. Subsequently, the 5BEL Trust was established to restore a 5-car BEL electric set for main-line operation, and "Doris" was the only first-class car which could be available to them, so a deal was struck where they would obtain "Carina" and then exchange it for Doris. "Carina" is attractive to the Bluebell because it should be easier to maintain in the longer term than an all-steel Brighton Belle Car, and also because, like "Fingall", it was used on the Golden Arrow service. Because "Carina" is incomplete, the deal includes work to bring "Carina" up to a similar level of completeness as "Doris" (possibly including fitting of the same new end timbers which had been prepared for it 30 years ago); once this work has been done, the swap of ownership will be effected.

Type: Pullman Kitchen First
Built: Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon (1951)
Pullman Schedule No: 307
Name: "Carina"
Number (from November 1968): S307S
Seating, as built: 22 first class
Seating, as remodelled: 28 first class
Length: 66 ft ¹/4 in over buffers
Weight: 40 Tons (in both configurations)
Withdrawn: 30 September 1972
Preserved: March 1973
To Bluebell: 5 January 2012
Current Owner: 5 BEL Trust