Royal Train

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Royal Train is the court train available to the British monarch , his family and the royal court. It is usually used to refer to the train used in England and Scotland. When visiting overseas, “Royal Trains” were also formed and deployed there.

Decoration of the locomotive for a court train - National Railway Museum in York

history

Early use of the train

Queen Victoria was the first of the British monarchs to travel by train : on June 13, 1842, she traveled on a special train of the Great Western Railway (GWR), which operated the line between Maidenhead and London , from Slough , which was then the closest station to Windsor Castle . to London's Bishop's Road station , the predecessor of today's London Paddington station . Other members of the royal family had previously used the railroad, such as her fiancé at the time, Prince Albert , since 1839 and Queen Adelaide (1792–1849), the widow of King Wilhelm IV (1765–1837). Your saloon car is the oldest ever preserved in the world and is on display in the National Railway Museum in York .

Queen Victoria was not the first monarch to use the railroad in Great Britain : A few months before her, King Frederick William IV of Prussia traveled by rail on a state visit to Great Britain, in England .

safety

The Royal Train arriving at Tattenham Corner for the Epsom Derby 1959. The front signal for the Royal Train can be seen on the locomotive ; the station master marks the exact place for the driver where the cab must come to a stop so that the door from which the queen gets out is level with the red carpet.

In the 1840s, safety on the route was still ensured by means of “driving in time lag”. This meant that after a train left the route, the next one was allowed to follow it after a set time. If a train got stuck, someone had to be sent towards the next train to signal that the line was still occupied. In order to ensure the safety of a train in which the Queen was traveling, such a train ran according to high safety standards and only at a limited speed. The Queen has feared high speeds all her life. Your train was not allowed to go faster than 40 mph (65 km / h) during the day and no faster than 30 mph (50 km / h) at night. The route was blocked in advance, the switches locked. Then, 10 to 15 minutes before the Queen's train, a pilot locomotive drove or, at later times, a priority . As soon as the pilot locomotive or train had driven on the route, no further changes could be made to the route - until the court train had also passed. In later times, this pilot function could then also be taken over by the last scheduled train ahead of the court train. The procedure was only abandoned by British Rail in the early years , i.e. around 1950. Police officers also stood within sight of the railway line . A courtyard train is also marked with four white discs (three next to each other above the buffers, one above the smoke chamber door or in the appropriate place if another than a steam locomotive is harnessed). At night this is done by means of corresponding white lamps. Such a train always has right of way and is specially monitored during its journey.

protocol

The journeys of the British monarchs by rail were surrounded by a considerable amount of protocol, but this was greatly reduced in the course of the 20th century. The obligatory red carpet on the platforms of the departure and arrival stations has remained. In the times of Queen Victoria it could even happen that the top layer of the coals on the tender of the locomotive that pulled the court train was painted white.

vehicles

Prince William locomotive , formerly used in front of the court train, at a museum festival of the National Railway Museum in York on June 1, 2004
Locomotive No. 67006 "Royal Sovereign" in Evesham on March 26, 2005. One of the two current locomotives for the court train

Locomotives

Although the railway companies had often reserved special locomotives for the court train, which were maintained at a particularly high cost or were designed in special colors, there were no locomotives that were reserved exclusively for the court train. This first happened in 1990, when two class 47 locomotives were put into service for this purpose. During the nineties these were used exclusively in front of the court train. Today they are part of the National Railway Museum in York .

In 2004 they were replaced by two class 67 locomotives owned by DB Cargo UK (No. 67005, Queen's Messenger , and No. 67006, Royal Sovereign ). The new locomotives are also used in freight transport. Occasionally the royal train is also pulled by other machines, for example in March 2005 when Prince Charles drove over the Settle-Carlisle Line and his train was pulled by the Duchess of Sutherland steam locomotive .

dare

Quite soon after Queen Victoria got used to rail travel, all of the island's major railroad companies procured their own wagons for the use of the Queen, her family, or other dignitaries. During the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) no fewer than 22 saloon cars were built by the railway companies, which were reserved exclusively for their personal use.

The wagons and trains that the British queens and kings used and use on the island never belonged to them, but always to the respective railway companies. For the use of such a train, the court has to pay the fare for 1st class for each passenger as well as a flat rate for driving a special train. In 1897, on the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the Great Western Railway put a completely new court train into operation.

At the beginning of the reign of King George V (1910) there were five court trains in Great Britain, which were operated by the following railway companies:

As a result of the First World War , the Railways Act 1921 merged the island's private railways into four large companies on January 1, 1923. This also reduced the number of court trains held up accordingly. In 1935 the number had dropped to two court trains: a train of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway for journeys that also included overnight stays, and a train that was kept by the London and North Western Railway and used for day trips.

Historic vehicles

The following list lists saloon cars that were used in Royal Trains, chronologically up to 1977. If a year of construction is specified separately, it is a conversion.

Legend: current inventory Decommissioned Receive For public traffic Company car Scrapped
Number (s) Commissioning Railway company Decommissioned annotation today
2 1842 London and Birmingham Railway 1850 Queen Adelaide Parlor Car National Railway Museum, York
- ( London, Midland and Scottish Railway 802) 1869 London and North Western Railway 1902 Queen Victoria's Salon Car: Originally two three-axle single cars, which were placed on a common frame in 1895, which received two three-axle bogies . National Railway Museum, York
229/9001 1874 Great Western Railway 1912 Queen Victoria's Salon Car Small part in the National Railway Museum, York
10 1877 London and South Western Railway 1925 Prince of Wales saloon car Stoborough
8th 1881 (built 1877) Great Eastern Railway 1897 continued to be used for public transport Prince of Wales saloon car Embsay
17th 1887 (built 1885) London and South Western Railway 1913 continued to be used for public transport Saloon car not known
153 1897 Belfast and County Down Railway ? Saloon car Downpatrick
233/9002 1897 Great Western Railway 1930 The train's saloon car for the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign Swindon
234/9003 1897 Great Western Railway 1930 The train's saloon car for the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign Barry
5 1898 Great Eastern Railway 1925 (To departmental stock) Princess of Wales Salon Carriage Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway
1 1901 (built 1898) Great North of Scotland Railway 1910 continued to be used for public transport Saloon car Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway
- ( LMS 800) 1902 London and North Western Railway 1947 King Edward VII saloon car National Railway Museum, York
- ( LMS 801) 1902 London and North Western Railway 1947 Queen Alexandra's saloon car National Railway Museum, York
72/5072/10504/804 1903 London and North Western Railway 1948 Lounge car of Hofzugs , in the Second World War by Winston Churchill used Scrapped in 1998
74/5074/10506/806 1903 London and North Western Railway 1971 Saloon car Bluebell Railway
82/109 1908 East Coast Joint Stock 1977 Baggage car of the court train National Railway Museum, York
395 1908 East Coast Joint Stock 1977 King Edward VII saloon car National Railway Museum, York
396 1908 East Coast Joint Stock 1977 Queen Alexandra's saloon car National Railway Museum, York
1910/809 1912 Midland Railway 1923–33 (with the no. 2795) and from 1951 continued to be used for public transport King George V's saloon car Midland Railway , Butterley
10070/5154 1924 (built 1905) London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1977 Staff, luggage and generator cars for the court train National Railway Museum, Shildon
10071/5155 1924 (built 1905) London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1977 Staff car of the court train National Railway Museum, Shildon
798 1941 London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1977 armored saloon car of King George VI. Museum of Transport, Glasgow
799 1941 London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1977 armored saloon car of Queen Elisabeth (Queen Mother) National Railway Museum, York
31209/2910 1941 London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1989 Personnel car with generator scrapped in 1991
9006 1945 Great Western Railway 1984 Queen Elisabeth (Queen Mother) saloon carriage Midland Railway, Butterley
9007 1945 Great Western Railway 1984 Queen Elisabeth (Queen Mother) saloon carriage National Railway Museum, York
45000/2911 1948 (built 1920) British Railways 1990 Saloon car Midland Railway, Butterley
45005 1948 (built 1942) British Railways 1977 Saloon car Fawley Hill
45006/2912 1948 (built 1942) British Railways 1989 Saloon car scrapped in 1991
2900 1955 British Railways 1994 Saloon car Fawley Hill Railway
499/2902 1956 British Railways 1994 Dining car of the court train Midland Railway Center
2901 1957 British Railways 1994 Salon car for administration (Royal Houshold Office) Steam Museum, Bressingham
2013/2908 ? (Built 1958) British Railways 1984 Staff car of the court train Southall Railway Museum
325/2907 ? (Built 1961) British Railways 1993 continued to be used for public transport Staff dining car of the court train today no.325

Today's court train

Even after British Rail was founded in 1948 , the individual regions continued to have their own vehicles for the Hofzug, which, however, were increasingly used "outside of the area". A uniform “Royal Train” was only created in 1977 on the occasion of the silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II's throne , although the royal family has been traveling more often with regular trains in recent years in order to save costs. In 1977 the court train was extensively renewed to make it fit for the silver jubilee of the government of Queen Elizabeth II. A number of new cars have been added to the refurbished train and numerous older cars have been taken out of service. Since then, the cars have been painted royal purple and numbered consecutively in a row starting with 2900.

Further changes took place during the mid-1980s, when newer cars were added to the train, which in their basic shape corresponded to the Mark 3 car design. This new set is approved for a top speed of 125 mph, which is important when locating a route for the train on a busy main line.

The following list lists the royal saloon cars that were used in the court train after 1977 in numerical order:

Steam locomotive King Edward I in front of the Royal Train on the museum railway Severn Valley Railway in 2008
British court train at Bristol Temple Meads station
Legend: current inventory Decommissioned Receive For public traffic Company car Scrapped


number Previous number (s) Construction year determination Location
2900 - 1955 Salon car for the royal family, salon, bedrooms, bathroom Fawley Hill Railway
2901 - 1957 Administration saloon car (Royal Household Office), bedrooms, bathrooms Bressingham Steam Museum
2902 499 1956 Dining car of the royal family; renumbered 1977 Midland Railway Center
2903 11001 1977 Queen's saloon car with bedroom and bathroom current court train
2904 12001 1977 Duke of Edinburgh saloon car with bedroom and bathroom current court train
2905 14105 1977 Personnel, luggage and generator trolleys further used for public transport, No. 17105
2906 14112 1977 Staff car Company car, No. 977969
2907 325 1977 Staff dining car with kitchen still used for public transport, No. 325
2908 2013 1977 Staff sleeping car Southall Railway Museum
2909 2500 1981 Staff sleeping car West Coast Railway Company , Carnforth
2910 M31209M 1941 Personnel, luggage and generator trolleys; renumbered 1983 scrapped, 1991
2911 LNWR 5000, M45000M 1920 Saloon car; renumbered 1983 Midland Railway Center
2912 M45006M New (1942) Saloon car; renumbered 1983 scrapped in 1991
2914 10734 1985 Staff sleeping car further used for public transport, No. 10734
2915 10735 1985 Staff sleeping car current court train
2916 40512 1986 royal dining car with kitchen current court train
2917 40514 1986 royal dining car with kitchen current court train
2918 40515 1986 Staff car switched off
2919 40518 1986 Staff car switched off
2920 14109, 17109 1986 Staff sleeping, luggage and generator trolleys current court train
2921 14107, 17107 1986 Staff sleeping, luggage and generator trolleys current court train
2922 - 1987 Prince of Wales sleeping car current court train
2923 - 1987 Prince of Wales saloon car current court train

Today the train consists of two locomotives and nine wagons, which are not always used all at once to form a train. The cars are also used for other heads of state. They cannot be rented by private users.

Continent and overseas

On "the Continent", Queen Victoria owned two three-axle saloon cars that were parked in a coach house in Calais . They were the only cars that belonged to her personally. She used them mainly for her vacation trips to Nice at the end of the 19th century. However, the queen refused to use the transition between two railroad cars when the train was moving. In the late 1890s, both vehicles were therefore mounted on a common frame that was placed on bogies . In this form, the Queen only used the vehicle once, during her last stay in Nice in 1899.

Likewise, the then Prince of Wales , who later became King Edward VII , owned a six-axle saloon car for journeys on "the continent" since the early 1880s. This car was also parked in the depot in Calais when not in use.

During state visits by the Queen or the King of the United Kingdom abroad, especially in the British overseas territories, “Royal Trains” were also formed and used, for example to the Delhi Durbar of King George V as Emperor of India in 1911, on the state visit of King George VI . in Canada in 1939, on King George VI 's trip to South Africa . and his family in 1947, during the state visits of Queen Elizabeth II in East Africa in 1959, in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1965 and in India in 1983.

swell

literature

  • P. Dost: The red carpet. History of State Trains and Salon Cars. Stuttgart 1965.
  • C. Hamilton Ellis: Royal Journey . Ed .: British Transport Commission. London | 1953.
  • Amba Kumar: Stately Progress: Royal Train Travel since 1840 . Ed .: National Railway Museum. York 1997. ISBN 1-872826-09-1
  • David Jenkinson et al. a .: Palaces on Wheels: Royal Carriages at the National Railway Museum . London 1981. ISBN 0-11-290366-5
  • Patrick Kingston: Royal Trains . London 1985. ISBN 0-7153-8594-1

Movies

  • Rhodesian Railways: Royal Trains . Great Britain 1947. 16 mm silent film, 4 minutes. Available at: British Film Institute .
  • Royal Train in South Africa . Great Britain 1947. 16 mm, color film. 18 minutes. Available at: British Film Institute.
  • George H. Brown (producer): Royal Trains . Great Britain 1959. TV production by the BBC . 19 minutes. Available at: British Film Institute.

Web links

Commons : British Royal Train  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

proof

The article is a transfer of the corresponding article from the English language Wikipedia.

  1. ↑ a b Kingston, p. 6.
  2. ↑ a b Kingston, p. 10.
  3. ↑ a b c Kingston, p. 11.
  4. ↑ Kingston, p. 12; Fig .: p. 15.
  5. ↑ Kingston, p. 13.
  6. ↑ No. 47834, Fire Fly , and No. 47835, Windsor Castle , initially painted like InterCity locomotives. They were later repainted, renumbered and renamed in royal wine red, in: No. 47798 Prince William and No. 47799 Prince Henry .
  7. ↑ Kingston, p. 119.
  8. ↑ a b Kingston, p. 78.
  9. ↑ Kingston, p. 58.
  10. ↑ See Kingston, pp. 71f.
  11. ↑ Kingston, pp. 118–146: Catalog of Salon Cars in the Victorian Age; P. 147–177: Catalog of saloon cars in the first half of the 20th century.
  12. ↑ Kingston, pp. 118–146: Catalog of the saloon cars from the reign of Elizabeth II.
  13. ↑ Kingston, p. 136.
  14. ↑ Kingston, pp. 139f.
  15. ↑ Kingston, pp. 111-117.
  16. ^ John Huntley: Railways in the Cinema . London 1969, p. 150.
  17. ^ John Huntley: Railways in the Cinema . London 1969, p. 151.
  18. ^ John Huntley: Railways in the Cinema . London 1969, p. 152.