Belmond Northern Belle

Belmond Northern Belle is a private luxury train that operates day and weekend journeys around Britain from many different departure points throughout the United Kingdom.^[1]

The train service was launched in 2000. It is currently owned by Belmond Ltd. Belmond operates 45 luxury hotels, restaurants, tourist trains and river cruises in 24 countries.

Belmond Northern Belle visits places of interest throughout Britain such as castles, country houses, cities, sporting occasions and events including the RHS 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.

While Belmond Northern Belle operates mainly throughout northern Britain, with destinations ranging from Scotland to as far south as London and Bristol, it has a sister train, Belmond British Pullman, that operates mainly around London, offering journeys of a similar style.

Belmond 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 the Mark 1 dining car Duart, which was added to the train in 2012. The carriages were re-engineered at Crewe, in Cheshire, in the style of Pullman coaches. They are painted in Northern Belle livery and are mainly hauled by Direct Rail Services' Class 57s locomotives in dual traction. Until their withdrawal also the company's Class 47s were used, now replaced by the Class 68. Several engines have also got the train's livery, like No. 47790 Galloway Princess, No. 57312 Solway Princess (formerly also worn by No. 47832) and No. 57305 Northern Princess

The service was named to recall the Belle trains of the 1930s, such as the Brighton Belle. 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.^[2]

The dining carriages

Alnwick (No. 3273)

Decoration: marquetry motif of Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, 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 in Leicestershire.

Chatsworth (No. 3247)

Decoration: marquetry motif of the façade of the Derbyshire stately home Chatsworth House, inlaid with yew-tree burr, sycamore, walnut, maple and satinwood.

Glamis (No. 3174)

Decoration: marquetry motif of Glamis Castle near Dundee in Scotland, inlaid with sycamore, madrona burr, yew, peartree and boxwood.

Harlech (No. 3275)

Decoration: marquetry motif of Harlech Castle in north Wales and daffodils, inlaid with maple, boxwood, sycamore and European walnut.

Warwick (No. 3182)

Decoration: marquetry motif of Warwick Castle, in Warwickshire, inlaid with walnut, boxwood, satinwood and maple.

Duart (No. 325)

Decoration: marquetry motif of Duart Castle on the Isle of Mull in Scotland 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

References

External links

• "Official site of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Luxury Train". Belmond Ltd. Retrieved 2015-02-23. 
• "Northern Belle journeys in the United Kingdom". Belmond Ltd. Retrieved 2015-02-23. 
• "Belmond.com". Belmond Ltd. Retrieved 2015-02-23.