George Pullman was a 19C American industrialist who promoted luxury rail travel. He is remembered as combining both autocratic and paternalistic personality traits.
He built a railway community at Pullman, IL, that semed like a form of utopia. However, all was not what it seemed and his workers were starving…albeit in lovely surroundings.
A damaging strike ensued. Nevertheless, the Pullman name remains synonymous with luxury travel.
The news is that a rake of three vintage Pullman cars is being re-located from Sunderland to Folkestone. They’ll be set up at Folkestone Harbour station. This is the station from which luxury cross-channel railway services were provided. So, the carriages are coming home.
There are a number of these carriages about…in Tenterden and at the Bluebell Railway. But it will be lovely to have them locally.