BRITISH RAIL CLASS 403

The Southern Railway (SR) gave the designation '5Bel' to the 5-car all-Pullman electric multiple units built to work the prestigious 'Brighton Belle' trains between London Victoria and Brighton. These units survived long enough in British Rail ownership to be allocated TOPS 'Class 403'. Between 1933 and 1935, these units were designated '5Pul' (the Pul code was then used for the 6Pul units).

Contents

Construction

Formations

Withdrawal and preservation

Construction

The SR electrified the London Victoria to Brighton line in the early-1930s, and full electric services commenced over the route from 1 January 1933. For the high-profile ''Brighton Belle'' Pullman train, three five-car units, consisting entirely of Pullman cars, were built. All fifteen cars were built by Metropolitan Cammell.
As they were Pullman cars, owned by the independent Pullman Car Company, the individual carriages were numbered in its series, taking numbers 279 to 293, and named. The first class cars took ladies' names, while the third class cars had less-inspiring ''Car No xx''-style names. However, the units together were allocated numbers in the SR series, originally taking 2051-2053, which was revised in January 1937 to 3051-3053.

Formations

Initial formations of these units were as follows:

Unit Numbers	DMPTB	TPFK	TPFK	TPTP	DMPTB
2051 / 3051	288 ''Car No 88''	279 ''Hazel''	282 ''Doris''	286 ''Car No 86''	289 ''Car No 89''
2052 / 3052	290 ''Car No 90''	280 ''Audrey''	284 ''Vera''	287 ''Car No 87''	291 ''Car No 91''
2053 / 3053	292 ''Car No 92''	281 ''Gwen''	283 ''Mona''	285 ''Car No 85''	293 ''Car No 93''

Withdrawal and preservation

The last ''Brighton Belle'' train ran on 30 April 1972, and the three 5Bel units were withdrawn. However, all fifteen cars were sold into preservation, though none were kept together as a single unit. Instead they have been split up and are used as individual Pullman cars. A number have been returned to service on the mainline with the Venice Simplon Orient Express (VSOE), working on special charter trains on Southern Region lines. The table below sets out the current position:

Number	Name	Location		Number	Name	Location		Number	Name	Location
279	Hazel	Privately owned, Moulton		280	Audrey	VSOE, in service		281	Gwen	VSOE, in service
282	Doris	Bluebell Railway		283	Mona	VSOE, stored		284	Vera	VSOE, in service
285	Car No 85	VSOE, stored		286	Car No 86	VSOE, stored		287	Car No 87	Keith and Dufftown Railway
288	Car No 88	VSOE, stored		289	Car No 89	Privately owned, Rowarth		290	Car No 90	Destroyed by fire in 1991
291	Car No 91	Keith and Dufftown Railway		292	Car No 92	VSOE, stored		293	Car No 93	VSOE, stored