Northern Belle (train)

The Northern Belle is a private luxury train that operates day and weekend journeys around Britain from many different departure points throughout the United Kingdom. It was launched on 31 May 2000 with a journey from Liverpool to Grantham after careful restoration by Venice-Simplon Orient Express.[1][2]

Northern Belle
Franchise(s)Railtour Operator
Fleet size13 rail carriages
Parent companyDavid Smith (50%)
David Pitts (50%)
Other
Websitewww.northernbelle.co.uk
EWS Class 67 hauled Northern Belle in August 2010
Direct Rail Services Class 57 hauled Northern Belle in April 2012

Northern Belle visits places of interest throughout Britain such as castles, country houses, cities, sporting occasions and events including the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. There are also weekend journeys to destinations including Inverness, with overnight hotel accommodation, and non-stop round trips with dining on board.

Northern Belle operates mainly throughout northern Britain, with destinations ranging from Edinburgh, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Chester and Harrogate to as far south as London and Bristol.[3]

Northern Belle consists of 13 coaches - seven converted Mark 2 coaches as crew and dining carriages, two Mark 3 staff sleepers, two Mark 1 service and kitchen cars, one Mark 1 baggage car, and a Mark 1 dining car Duart, which was added to the train in 2012. The carriages were re-engineered by LNWR at Crewe, in the style of Pullman coaches.

The Northern Belle was originally hauled by EWS Class 67s. In 2011, Direct Rail Services commenced a five-year contract to operate the service with Class 47s and later 57s.[4][5] In 2011, preparation of the carriages moved from Arriva TrainCare to the Severn Valley Railway.[6] In November 2017, the Northern Belle was sold to West Coast Railways proprietor David Smith and businessman David Pitts.[7] From April 2018, the train was hauled by West Coast Railways' Class 57s and carriage preparation transferred to Carnforth MPD.[8]

The service was named to recall the Belle trains of the 1930s, such as the weekly Northern Belle "land cruise" operated by the LNER every June from 1933 to 1939. The dining car interiors are decorated with artwork, mosaics and wooden panels with marquetry created by A Dunn and Son, a family firm that dates from 1895 and which created panels for carriages that ran on the original Belle services.[9]

The dining carriages
Mark 2 3273 at Patchway in April 2012
Alnwick (No. 3273)
Decoration: marquetry motif of Alnwick Castle, inlaid with oak, boxwood, yew, sycamore and walnut.
Belvoir (No. 3267)
Decoration: marquetry motif of honeybees and flowers inlaid with Indian rosewood, oak, pomelle, sycamore, madrona burr and walnut. Named for Belvoir Castle.
Chatsworth (No. 3247)
Decoration: marquetry motif of the façade of stately home Chatsworth House, inlaid with yew-tree burr, sycamore, walnut, maple and satinwood.
Glamis (No. 3174)
Decoration: marquetry motif of Glamis Castle, inlaid with sycamore, madrona burr, yew, peartree and boxwood.
Harlech (No. 3275)
Decoration: marquetry motif of Harlech Castle and daffodils, inlaid with maple, boxwood, sycamore and European walnut.
Warwick (No. 3182)
Decoration: marquetry motif of Warwick Castle, inlaid with walnut, boxwood, satinwood and maple.
Duart (No. 325)
Decoration: marquetry motif of Duart Castle and pink heather, on walnut. Ceiling painted with mural of Scottish flora and fauna by artist Chris Shields.

Other carriages
  • Crewe (No. 10729) - Mark 3 staff sleeper
  • Balmoral (No. 10734) - Mark 3 staff sleeper
  • Mow Cop (No. 17167) - Mark 2 Brake staff service car
  • Caerdydd (No. 1566) - Mark 1 kitchen car
  • Car No. 1953 - Mark 1 kitchen car
  • Car No. 92904 - Mark 1 baggage car
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References
  1. VSOE launches Northern Belle The Railway Magazine issue 1188 April 2000 page 84
  2. VSOE's Northern Belle is added to the menu The Railway Magazine issue 1192 August 2000 page 17
  3. "Luxury Train Tickets". www.luxurytraintickets.com. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  4. DRS bolsters Class 47 fleet for passenger work Rail Express issue 181 June 2011 page 42
  5. Northern Belle colours for 47790 Today's Railways UK issue 115 July 2011 page 61
  6. Northern Belle stock moves to its new home at Severn Valley Rail issue 821 1 March 2017 page 16
  7. Belmond sells Northern Belle shares Rail issue 840 22 November 2017 page 25
  8. Northern Belle now has West Coast power Rail Express issue 265 June 2018 page 71
  9. "Welcome to A Dunn & Son". adunnandson.com.

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