Southern Named Trains

"Golden Arrow"

Before WWII the "Golden Arrow" was worked almost exclusively by Lord Nelson class locos, with a very occasional King Arthur. For the resurrected service the first locomotive used was 21C1 Channel Packet, though from 1946 a Bulleid light pacific was the usual motive power with, for a while in the 1950s, BR Standard Class 7 70004 William Shakespeare. When this loco was transferred to the London Midland Region the light pacifics returned to the duty, only to be replaced after electrification by electric locomotives, the first electic hauled service being by E5015 on 12st June 1961. When the rail blue era arrived, the Pullmans lost their distinctive livery in favour of the new BR blue and grey, although there were two different colour schemes used, one as with the "Brighton Belle" "Corporate" livery and the other reversed, with the main body colour grey with dark blue to the window area, making them look somewhat continental. At least one (Car Nº208) was repainted thus sometime between 1964 and 1967 whilst the others were repainted by 1969, either in the Grey and Blue of Car Nº208 (believed to have been three cars in total) or the Blue and Grey "Corporate" livery. Also by 1969 the cars were no longer known by their by their names, simply by their stock numbers.

Finally steam gave way to electric traction. On the very last day of steam working the honours fell to modified Bulleid pacific Nº34100 Appledore to haul the last steam-hauled working.

photograph: Mike Morant collection

A closer view of Appledore before departure from Dover Marine on 11th June 1961.

photograph: Mike Morant collection

Steam lasted longer on the other side of the Channel where the motive power was provided by SNCF. Here is 231G Pacific Nº231G131 leaving Calais Maritime with the Flèche d'Or for Paris on 15th September 1966.

photograph: Gerald T. Robinson/Mike Morant collection

In this photograph type HA electric locomotive E5007 locomotive was photographed hauling the "Golden Arrow" at Petts Wood on 27th July 1968.

photograph: Mike Morant collection

This photograph of the "Golden Arrow" at Dover Marine station on 21st June 1969 is the only one we have showing Pullman cars in the 'reverse livery'. The second vehicle is a 'normal livery' blue/grey Pullman car but it is impossible to tell which cars these are. We do, however, know the locomotive is E5006!

photograph by David Pool

In this photograph E5013 heads the very last down "Golden Arrow" on 30th September 1972. The same loco also worked the last up service. Note the number of ordinary coaches in the train, the few remaining Pullman coaches are still in the tunnel!

photograph by Chris Ralls

"Golden Arrow" timing Victoria - Folkestone and Dover - Victoria winter 1959/60
	pm		pm
Victoria dep:	1.00	Dover Marine dep:	5.13
Herne Hill pass:	1:08½	Ashford pass:	5:39½
Beckenham Junc pass:	1.16	Paddock Wood pass:	5.57½
Bickley Junc pass:	1.22	Tonbridge pass:	6.02½
Orpington pass:	1.26	Sevenoaks pass:	6:14½
Sevenoaks pass:	1:36½	Orpington pass:	6.22
Tonbridge pass:	1.44½	Bickley Junc pass:	6:25½
Paddock Wood pass:	1.50	Beckenham Junc pass:	6:31
Ashford pass:	2.09½	Herne Hill pass:	6:38
Folkestone Junc arr:	2.26	Victoria arr:	6:45
Folkestone Harbour arr:	2:38

One of the special labels that were used for Golden Arrow luggage.

image by Mike Morant

With thanks to Glen Woods who provided much of the above information on the Pullman Cars. Thanks also to Glen we have details of the various Pullman Cars that were allocated to the Golden Arrow service on various dates during its post-war years, but it should be noted that not all the allocated cars were used on any given day and, indeed, other cars were used as short term replacements (especially as a replacement for the "Trianon Bar" when either Myrtle or Grosvenor were used). Notes: (5) Post WWII a number of Pullman Cars ran, temporarily, as Buffet Cars. Trianon, although always a Pullman Buffet Car, was one of these and carried the number 5. (S 36) & (S 38) Second class with 36 or 38 seats. (T 36) & (T 42) Third class with 36 or 42 seats. (N) New-build Pullman cars entering service 11 June 1951.
16/6, 1/10/47 & 31/5/48 Adrian Cecelia Chloria Lady Dalziel Montana Niobe Onyx Sappho Trianon (5) Zenobia	27/9/48 & 23/5/49 Adrian Cecelia Chloria Flora Juno Montana Onyx Sappho Trianon Zenobia	23/5/49, 5/6 & 25/9/50 Adrian Cecelia Chloria Flora Juno Montana Onyx Sappho Trianon Zenobia Car Nº99 (S 38) Car Nº294 (S 36)	18/6 & 10/9/51 Aquila (N) Carina (N) Cygnus (N) Hercules (N) Isle of Thanet Minerva (N) Orion (N) Pegasus (N) Perseus (N) Zena Car Nº34 (T 42) Car Nº35 (T 42) (N) Car Nº36 (T 42) Car Nº208 (T 36) (N)	30/6 & 15/9/52 Aquila Aries Carina Cygnus Hercules Isle of Thanet Minerva Orion Pegasus Phoenix Zena Car Nº34 (T 42) Car Nº35 (T 42) Car Nº36 (T 42) Car Nº208 (T 36)	8/6 & 21/9/53, 14/6 & 20/9/54 Aquila Aries Carina Cygnus Hercules Isle of Thanet Minerva Orion Pegasus Phoenix Car Nº34 (T 42) Car Nº35 (T 42) Car Nº36 (T 42) Car Nº208 (T 36)
13/6 & 19/9/55, 11/6 & 17/9/56, 17/6 & 16/9/57, 9/6 & 15/9/58, 15/6 & 2/11/59, 13/6 & 12/9/60, 12/6 & 11/9/61 Aquila Aries Carina Cygnus Hercules Isle of Thanet Minerva Orion Pegasus Phoenix Car Nº34 (T 42) (S 42 from 11/6/56) Car Nº36 (T 42) (S 42 from 11/6/56) Car Nº208 (T 36) (S 36 from 11/6/56)		18/6/62 & 7/6/63 Aquila Aries Carina Cygnus Hercules Isle of Thanet Minerva Orion Pegasus Perseus Phoenix Car Nº34 (S 42) Car Nº36 (S 42) Car Nº208 (S 36)	15/6/64 Aquila Carina Hercules Isle of Thanet Minerva Orion Perseus Phoenix Car Nº34 (S 42) Car Nº36 (S 42) Car Nº208 (S 36)	14/6/65 Aquila Carina Isle of Thanet Minerva Orion Phoenix Car Nº208 (S 36)	13/6/66 Aquila Carina Cygnus Isle of Thanet Minerva Orion Phoenix Car Nº208 (S 36)
10/7/67 Carina Cygnus Orion Perseus Phoenix Car Nº208 (S 36)	During 1968 the following allocated cars were converted as follows, and had their names replaced by their numbers: Carina (Nº307) Converted to 2 x 1 Seating (seating increased from 22 to 28) --- (Nº308) Converted to 2 x 1 Seating (seating increased from 26 to 32) Orion (Nº306) Converted to 2 x 1 Seating (seating increased from 22 to 28) Perseus (Nº301) Converted to 2 x 1 Seating (seating increased from 26 to 32) Phoenix (Nº302) Converted to 2 x 1 Seating (seating increased from 26 to 32) Car Nº208 (Reclassified First Class 36 seats)				5/5/69, 4/5/70 3/5/71 & 1/5/72 301 302 306 307 308

All photographs are copyright

We have further information on the ten new cars introduced on 11th June 1951 in our Railway Magazine Archive,
under the title of "The New Golden Arrow".

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This page was last updated 3 February 2012