A camel and a dash of Nanking Blue and some front running by Wolverhampton

In 1950 British railways ran an titled express passenger train service between Wolverhampton low level station and Birmingham Snow Hill and London Paddington.

This was the first time British Railways used the term Inter-City (the train title) and they aptly chose it on this busy important business route.

This term became in 1966 a brand in its own right for all express passenger U.K. rail travel.

The Wolverhampton-Paddington train had a plush restaurant car service and was at various times of the day operated by the Pullman railway company.

Today we stand in awe at the sight of the beautiful orient express leaving Victoria station yet in the 1950s and 1960s one could travel between Wolverhampton and London daily in this splendour (as well as many other routes).

So in 1960 British Railways in its move to modernisation introduced the fabulous Blue Pullman service and one of the routes served by this train in its beautiful Nanking Blue livery was between Wolverhampton (low level station ) and London Paddington. 

This was innovative train travel and the first Pullman diesel-electric multiple units ever.

They basically were at the forefront of innovation of what would become the High Speed Train.

The multiple units were not built in Wolverhampton but sixteen miles away in Saltley Birmingham by the Metro-Carmel railway manufacturer. 

When I think of some of this innovation of the past I can’t help but think that some of the above might work well in the future.

I like to think of the business people of Wolverhampton and Birmingham arriving in London fit for purpose after gliding through the Industrial Midlands, through prosperous Warwickshire and climbing the Chilterns effortlessly before showing the road traffic a clean pair of heels through the London suburbs. Yes, Midlands technology front running all the way and Wolverhampton playing its role with aplomb.