The ‘Midland Pullman’ at St Pancras in 1960. It is 12.39pm and the train is ready to leave at 12.45pm on its filling-in run to Leicester and back (in January 1961 the service was extended to Nottingham). Designed and built by Metropolitan-Cammell of Birmingham, these luxury Pullman trains were introduced on the Midland Division in July 1960 while the West Coast main line was being electrified. Two six-car first class-only sets were built but only one was used each day for the 3¼ hours journey between Manchester Central and St Pancras, the other being kept as ‘spare’. The striking livery of Nanking Blue was relieved by a broad band of white extending the length of the windowed section along the side of each car. The Pullman Company crest was carried on the nose end of the power cars. The reign of the 'Midland Pullman' was short-lived because once the Euston-Manchester electrification was completed the sets were transferred to the Western Region in April 1966 and replaced by locomotive-hauled Pullmans running to Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool.