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Royal Train

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Inversnecky

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I came across this old photo of a royal train by John Gotts in BR Electrification by Brian Perren (1986).

1616277341832.jpeg

What’s on the front of the 73: something like the ‘four discs’ to signify a royal train, or some sort of simplistic heraldic device?

Do royal trains now carry some sort of identifier, now that four white discs are no longer an option?
 
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Helvellyn

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I came across this old photo of a royal train by John Gotts in BR Electrification by Brian Perren (1986).

View attachment 92766

What’s on the front of the 73: something like the ‘four discs’ to signify a royal train, or some sort of simplistic heraldic device?

Do royal trains now carry some sort of identifier, now that four white discs are no longer an option?
The headboard is carrying the flag of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was appointed Lord Warden in 1978 and if she was visiting Hastings - one of the Cinque Ports - it is a nice touch. 73142 Broadlands was also the Southern Region's favoured Royal Train loco when a trip was on the third rail.
 

D6130

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The headboard is carrying the flag of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was appointed Lord Warden in 1978 and if she was visiting Hastings - one of the Cinque Ports - it is a nice touch. 73142 Broadlands was also the Southern Region's favoured Royal Train loco when a trip was on the third rail.
73 142 hauled Prince Charles and Princess Diana from Waterloo to Romsey following their wedding on 29th July 1981; when they spent their honeymoon at Broadlands House, home of the late Earl Mountbatten of Burma. They travelled in the then Southern Region General Manager's saloon, DB975025 (formerly Hastings line DEMU buffet car no. S60755); now inspection saloon Caroline. Shortly afterwards, 73 142 was named Broadlands 33 027 and 33 056 were named Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Burma Star respectively at the same ceremony at Waterloo. The three locos then became the Southern region's de facto royal train engines - as Helvellyn says above, 73 142 for journeys entirely in third rail territory and the two 33s for journeys "off the juice".
 

Windandsea

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I drove the Royal Train on 3 occasions. Not the Queen i may add, but it was an odd experience getting a diagram with no real detail on it and being told the day before to make sure we had full clean uniform on!
 

UrieS15

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In my first year of school I did what so many did those days, I caught every childhood illness going. My bedroom overlooked the mainline at West Byfleet and I was already an avid trainwatcher. Someone came in and told me to watch because there would a very special train soon. When it passed it was the Royal Train taking the Royal family to Portsmouth to embark on HMS Vanguard for the royal tour to South Africa. My abiding memory is that on the smoke deflectors there were Royal Coats of Arms. Princess Elizabeth's engagement was announced either during or directly after this trip, and I was taken down to West Byfleet station to join a very full pair of platforms to cheer the newly married couple when they passed. They too were going to Broadlands for the first night of their honeymoon. I recall we were all disgusted by the state of the loco as it rushed past, someone had scrawled EP in the soot on the smokebox door. EP being the logo used on the banners on the Mall for the wedding. Even at the distance I am quite sure neither loco was a Bulleid, so I would guess a Lord Nelson.
 

43096

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73 142 hauled Prince Charles and Princess Diana from Waterloo to Romsey following their wedding on 29th July 1981; when they spent their honeymoon at Broadlands House, home of the late Earl Mountbatten of Burma. They travelled in the then Southern Region General Manager's saloon, DB975025 (formerly Hastings line DEMU buffet car no. S60755); now inspection saloon Caroline. Shortly afterwards, 73 142 was named Broadlands 33 027 and 33 056 were named Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Burma Star respectively at the same ceremony at Waterloo. The three locos then became the Southern region's de facto royal train engines - as Helvellyn says above, 73 142 for journeys entirely in third rail territory and the two 33s for journeys "off the juice".
73142 was named on 25/09/1980 at Romsey, which was before the wedding. 33027/056 were named 02/09/1980 at Waterloo. 33056's name was actually The Burma Star. The two Cromptons were chosen for the names as they had hauled Earl Mountbatten's funeral train the previous year.
 

D6130

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Would they still use a Class 73 to run on the juice today?
I wouldn't think so. DB Cargo have the contract to operate the Royal Train and - AFAIK - it's always 67 005 & 67 006 top'n'tail.

73142 was named on 25/09/1980 at Romsey, which was before the wedding. 33027/056 were named 02/09/1980 at Waterloo. 33056's name was actually The Burma Star. The two Cromptons were chosen for the names as they had hauled Earl Mountbatten's funeral train the previous year.
Thanks for the correction. One does find that One's memory becomes a wee bit hazy with the passing of the years!
 

Helvellyn

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87002 Royal Sovereign seemed to be the London Midland Region's favoured Royal Train loco for a number of years.
 

Romsey

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As far as I can remember, 73142 was chosen to be named "Broadlands" as it worked the ECS for the Mountbatten funeral train into Waterloo.
 

delt1c

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I member many different classes being used for the royal train , however I cannot remember a Deltic being used. Did this ever happen?
 

30907

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I recall we were all disgusted by the state of the loco as it rushed past, someone had scrawled EP in the soot on the smokebox door. EP being the logo used on the banners on the Mall for the wedding. Even at the distance I am quite sure neither loco was a Bulleid, so I would guess a Lord Nelson.
Even for 1947 that is surprising, as Royal engines were invariably spotless - last minute swap (but the standby engine would be clean too...)?
 

UrieS15

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I agree, but my Grandmother who took was absolutely appalled; I simply remember this dark (not shiny) loco in the evening light.
 

Gloster

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Princess Elizabeth's engagement was announced either during or directly after this trip, and I was taken down to West Byfleet station to join a very full pair of platforms to cheer the newly married couple when they passed. They too were going to Broadlands for the first night of their honeymoon. I recall we were all disgusted by the state of the loco as it rushed past, someone had scrawled EP in the soot on the smokebox door. EP being the logo used on the banners on the Mall for the wedding. Even at the distance I am quite sure neither loco was a Bulleid, so I would guess a Lord Nelson.
According to the Loco Notes in Railway Magazine January/February 1948 (available on the Southern Railway E-Mail Group’s site) the loco was Lord Nelson 857 Lord Howe. No reference is made to the loco’s condition.

EDIT: Donald Bradley in Locomotives of the Southern Railway, Part 1 (RCTS, 1975) says that 861 was intended to haul the honeymooners’ train, but only returned from repainting at Eastleigh the day before. 857 was chosen instead as it was well run-in, although 861 appeared in press photos taken at Waterloo. However, he says that once the cleaners had finished with the 857, it ‘had every appearance of having left the Paint Shop that morning.’
 
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UrieS15

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Fascinating that after all these years it is possible to correct a childhood myth. Thank you for all the effort expended, it has always puzzled me. I wonder what caused my Nan to be so negative, she was ardently royalist.
 
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