LMR

The completion of the electrification works on the line from Euston meant faster times and so competition for the Blue Pullmans and in anticipation of this they were withdrawn from traffic and sent to the WR in March '67.

WR

The Birmingham & Wolverhampton services were withdrawn in March '67. After this time all five sets were concentrated on the Bristol & South Wales services, which continued until the 4th May '73.

These notes were contributed by Robert Carroll: "Towards the end of their working lives, the formations of the Blue Pullmans became very mixed.  It seems that the 6-car sets were split up and their vehicles used as substitutes in the 3 8-car sets.  Careful examination of the photographs in 'Modern Railways Pictorial Profile: 10' on the Blue Pullmans, together with the colour film clips in the Britain’s Railway Heritage series of videos, reveals that by their final months in service the Blue Pullmans were operating as follows:

1. One unit formed: DMBS, MPS, TKF, TPF, TPF, TPF, MKF, DMBF, ie one end from a 6 car set and the other end from an 8 car set.  This appears to have been used on the Bristol Pullman
2. One unit (possibly) in its correct 8 car formation
3. One unit in correct 8 car formation except for having one Driving Motor Brake from a 6 car set.

I have not seen any photographs of 6 car sets dated after 1971 - there is a colour photo on the cover of Modern Railways for March 1973 of the 12 car rake at Twerton tunnel, dated 15 July 1971 and taken by Ivo Peters."

Farewell Tour

The WR organised the "Blue Pullman Commemorative" tour which ran on the 5th May 1973. A WR 8-car set (all first - can anybody confirm?) was used and departed from Paddington platform one at 08:53. It travelled via High Wycombe, Banbury to Leamington Spa, then took the by then single track of the former LNWR line to Coventry via Kenilworth and then onto Birmingham New St. Next it went via Cheltenham to Bristol Temple Meads, and after a few minutes there it proceeded via the Severn Tunnel to Swansea arriving at 14:19.

The return departed at 17:10 and with the only booked stop being a three minute crew change at Cardiff between 18:08/18:11. It was due back in Paddington at 20:20, running via Bristol Parkway, Didcot and Slough. An unscheduled stop had to be made at Neath to eject an elderly gentleman who claimed to have 'got on the wrong train' at Swansea. This did no harm to timings though, as Cardiff was reached eight minutes early, setting the pace for the rest of the trip. The departure from Cardiff, seven minutes early saw the train slowed by signalling, and by Newport the train was six minutes late. From then on though, there were some outstanding timings, with the 133 miles from Newport to Paddington covered in 99 mins, an average speed of 80.6 mph. The fastest section, the 41 miles from Swindon to Reading was done at an average of 87.8 mph. The capital was reached at 20:02, 18 mins early.