CLUES TO THE ‘WELLY BOOT’ PULLMAN

REGARDING the Scottish Met-Camm Pullman picture (Express Mailbag, August issue), I think I can identity it – or at least narrow it down, because three of the former Eastern Region Pullmans were sent to Scotland for departmental use after withdrawal from regular services.
These were Kitchen Second
No. E335 (condemned April 24, 1976); Kitchen First No. E316 (formerly Magpie, condemned July 17, 1976 and transferred to the CCE Department in Edinburgh by December 1976); and Kitchen First No. E320 (formerly Stork, condemned September 4, 1976 and transferred to the CCE Department in Edinburgh by December 1976).
The clue lies with the white kitchen windows, as the Pullman Kitchen Second carriages had these further apart than on the Kitchen First carriages. Ian’s photograph clearly shows a First Class vehicle, thus ruling out No. E335. It’s fair to guess that the image shows either Nos. E316 or E320.
All three of these Pullmans survived beyond Departmental use for a time.
No. E335, which became Departmental No. DB 975584, was preserved by the Steam Locomotive Operators’ Association (SLOA) in 1982. It is now based at Tyseley, devoid of branding except for the no longer used ‘Private Owner Number Scheme’ painted on the sole bar of No. 99361.
No. E316, which became Departmental No. DB 975608, was initially preserved at Casterton (near Stamford in Lincolnshire) as part of a restaurant complex. It is now in a forlorn derelict state at Carnforth. No. E320, which became Departmental No. DB 975609, was also initially bought for the Casterton restaurant, later moving to Muswell Hill until broken up in 2001.
Anyway, lucky Scottish permanent way engineers – that’s what you call style. Hope they took off their boots!
Also of note, I have managed to save Garnet from scrap on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. It is now being restored and, relative to the readers’ comments (August issue) about the later seats being fitted in 1966/67, Garnet is to have the original 24 armchair seats fitted. These are being made specially, thus the coach will be the only surviving Met-Camm Pullman in original configuration.

Murray Brown
By email

For more letters and reviews see the September issue of RE, on sale now.